"The Cookie Thief" is a thought-provoking poem by Valerie Cox that takes us to an airport scene where a woman is waiting for her flight. To kill time, she purchases a book and a bag of cookies and finds a cosy place to settle......
The Cookie Thief - Enhanced English Alive Coursebook - Class 8 - English
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Back Exercises - The Cookie Thief | Enhanced English Alive Coursebook | Literature | English | Class 8
Sometimes two people can look at the same thing or situation and see very different things.
Four No Three Six Nine
You read how the woman viewed the situation in the poem. Now imagine you are the man. Describe the situation from your point of view in a paragraph. Include the following points in your writing:
- What were your feelings and thoughts when the woman started eating your cookies?
- What were your thoughts on looking at the woman’s expressions?
- Why didn’t you tell the woman the cookies were yours?
- What made you share the last cookie with he woman?
As I sat at the airport lounge, ready to delve into my book, I noticed the woman sitting beside me reaching into the cookie bag I had bought earlier for my long wait. Initially, I thought perhaps she had made a mistake, not realizing the cookies were mine, so I hesitated to speak up. I watched her expression as she ate; her look of susurrance intertwined oddly with intermittent glances my way, which only added to my bafflement.
Her quiet resolve and the stern focus back on her book made it increasingly difficult to interrupt what seemed like a reflective moment of privacy. Hence, I kept my peace. To preserve harmony and because I generally dislike confrontations, I decided not to clarify the misunderstanding and instead engaged amiably. The cookies seemed to be bringing her some comfort, and I thought, why not let someone else enjoy them too? When we came down to the last cookie, it felt naturally courteous to share it, to continue this odd, silent companionship that had formed over the accidental sharing of my snack. Her reaction—half vexed, half astonished—when I broke the last cookie was puzzling but reaffirmed my decision to share rather than confront. It was a small gesture of peace, one that, regrettably, she misinterpreted until the very end.
Read the poem slowly. As you read, circle the emoticons for the feelings the woman had while waiting for her flight. Then, write a few lines on the changing emotions of the woman till the end of the poem.
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Sign up nowBack Questions - The Cookie Thief | Enhanced English Alive Coursebook | Literature | English | Class 8
The woman waiting at the airport
a. had a lot of time before her flight.
b. was getting late.
c. wanted to watch a film to pass the time.
a. had a lot of time before her flight.
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The man sitting beside her
a. wanted to read her book.
b. started to eat cookies from the packet between them.
c. wanted to talk to her.
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Sign up nowThe woman thought if she were not so nice,
a. She would hit the man.
b. She would give the man cookies.
c. She would not buy cookies.
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Sign up nowThe woman thought that the man
a. was too bold and rude.
b. eating her cookies, probably he was hungry.
c. Was crazy and had no brains.
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Sign up nowGrabbed a cookie or two from the bag between,
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.
a. Where was the cookie bag put?
b. What did the woman try to ignore?
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Sign up now‘If mine are here,’ she moaned with despair,
‘Then the others were his and he tried to share!’a. What does mine refer to here?
b. Who does he refer to? What did he try to share?
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Sign up nowWhat was the woman doing to pass the time?
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Sign up nowWhy did the woman try to ignore the man when he started taking the cookies?
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Sign up nowWhy was the woman getting angrier by each passing minute?
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Sign up nowWhat did the man do with the last cookie?
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Sign up nowWhat was the woman’s opinion about the man initially?
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Sign up nowWhy did the woman gasp in surprise when she opened her bag on the flight?
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Sign up nowThe woman, who thought she was a very nice person, was not actually friendly with the man. On the contrary, the man behaved in a very friendly way with her. Compare and contrast the two people’s character based on how they behaved with each other.
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Sign up nowWhat were your feelings at the end of the poem? Were you also surprised by the ending?
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Sign up nowHave you ever faced a situation where you thought the other person was in the wrong, but actually, it was your fault? How did you make up for your mistake?
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Sign up nowImagine you take home someone else’s water bottle from school, thinking it to be yours. You realise it when you find two water bottles in your school bag at home. What would you do?
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Sign up nowHere are some words from the poem. Find two synonyms and two antonyms of each word in the table. Circle the synonyms and underline the antonyms.
1. Engrossed | absorbed | inattentive | immersed | uninterested |
2. Bold | fearless | timid | courageous | shy |
3. Diminish | decrease | strengthen | increase | dwindle |
4. Nerve | meekness | brazenness | audacity | timidity |
5. Gratitude | ingratitude | appreciation | obligation | thanklessness |
6. Despair | happiness | anguish | hopelessness | contentment |
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Sign up nowExtra Questions - The Cookie Thief | Enhanced English Alive Coursebook | Literature | English | Class 8
A woman was waiting at an airport one night
With hours to kill before her flight.
She hunted for a book in the airport shop,
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to plop.
A woman was waiting at an airport one night
With hours to kill before her flight.
She hunted for a book in the airport shop,
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to plop.
1. Where was the woman waiting one night?
2. What was the woman doing to kill time before her flight?
3. What did she buy from the airport shop?
4. After buying her items, what did the woman do?
5. Explain" hours to kill".
1. The woman was waiting at an airport one night.
2. The woman was hunting for a book to kill time before her flight.
3. She bought a book and a bag of cookies from the airport shop.
4. After buying her items, the woman found a place to sit (plop).
5. The phrase "hours to kill" means that she had a lot of spare time before her flight.
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She was engrossed in her book but happened to see
That the man beside her, as bold as could be,
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between,
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.
1. How did the man sitting beside her behave?
2. What did the man do with the bag of cookies?
3. Why did the woman try to ignore the man's actions?
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Sign up nowQuiz - The Cookie Thief | Enhanced English Alive Coursebook | Class 8 Literature | English
About the Poet - The Cookie Thief | Enhanced English Alive Coursebook | Class 8 Literature | English
The poet of "The Cookie Thief" is Valerie Cox. She is known for her simple, yet impactful style of writing. The best part about her poetry is that she often includes a twist at the end that makes us rethink our perspectives. In.....
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Themes - The Cookie Thief | Enhanced English Alive Coursebook | Class 8 Literature | English
1. Misperception and Judgement:
The main theme of the poem is misperception and premature judgement. The woman in the poem perceives that......
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1. The Cookies:
The cookies symbolize misunderstanding in the poem. The woman thinks the man is stealing her cookies, but they were......
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1. Rhyme: The poem uses a consistent AABB rhyme scheme which adds a rhythmic quality to the verse.
2. Metaphor: The cookie.........
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Unlock now 🔓Vocabulary - The Cookie Thief | Enhanced English Alive Coursebook | Class 8 Literature | English
1. Engrossed: Deeply absorbed in something.
- Sentence: She was engrossed in her new book and didn't hear the phone ring.
2. Gusty: Showing courage and boldness.
- Sentence: His gusty decision to start a new company surprised everyone.
3. Diminished: Made smaller or less.
- Sentence: The water .......................
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