The PSBB Millennium School, Coimbatore

The Cop and the Anthem (Notes)

Class 6

I. Write the meaning of these words:

1. accomplish - achieve
2. confess - admit(to have done something)
3. passable - satisfactory
4. cater - provide
5. seized - grabbed
6. sauntered - strolled casually
7. viciously - violently
8. pursue - follow
9. secured - to obtain permission
10. hurled - throw forcefully

II. Read the lines and answer the questions that follow:

1. ‘He would pull himself out of the mire’.

a) What, according to the author, is mire?

Mire actually means a stretch of swampy ground. Here, the
author refers to Soapy’s degraded days and unworthy desires, which
subsequently led to his miserable life, as mire.

b) When did Soapy decide to pull himself out of the mire?

Upon hearing the anthem, Soapy felt an instantaneous and
strong impulse to change his evil ways and pull himself out of the
mire.
III . Answer the given questions:

Q1. Why did Soapy decide to go to Blackwell’s Island prison?

Soapy decided to go to Blackwell’s Island prison as winter was

approaching. His bench in Madison Square offered him no protection
from the harsh weather. He thought of spending the next three months
comfortably in the prison and also get food for free.

Q2. What plans did Soapy make in order to achieve his goal?

Soapy planned to indulge in any petty crime and get arrested to

reach the prison. He decided to dine luxuriously at an expensive
restaurant and then express his inability to pay the bill.

Q3. What is the central theme of this story?

The theme of the story is that everyone should introspect and

lead a life by following simple goals with a positive attitude. They
shouldn’t get demoralized by struggles and miserable conditions in
one’s life.

Q4. How did the anthem bring a transformation in Soapy?

When Soapy heard the anthem being played from the church, he
remembered his good old days when he was a man of honourable
character and clean habits. He felt repulsed by his present evil ways and
decided to resurrect his past ambitions and follow them without delay.

IV. Frame sentences using these words:

1. familiar-
2. loitering-
3. resurrect-

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