The Cookie Lady: ISC Class 12 English notes, workbook answers
Get notes, summary, questions and answers, workbook solutions (Beeta Publication/Morning Star), critical analysis, word meanings, extras, and pdf of Philip K. Dick’s story The Cookie Lady: ISC Class 12 English (Prism). However, the notes should only be treated for references and changes should be made according to the needs of the students.
Summary
The story opens with young Bubber Surle walking down the street as other neighbourhood boys taunt him about visiting an elderly woman they refer to as his “lady friend.” Bubber ignores them and continues to the run-down home of Mrs. Drew, known around the neighbourhood as the “Cookie Lady.” She greets Bubber warmly, having just baked fresh cookies for him, his favourite treat.
As Bubber sits eating cookies in her living room, Mrs. Drew asks him to read aloud from his school books, claiming she enjoys being read to since her eyesight is failing. As he reads in a dull monotone, Mrs. Drew sits very close by, observing him intently. A strange transformation begins occurring – Mrs. Drew starts growing younger, her withered skin plumping up and wrinkles disappearing as she seems to feed off Bubber’s youthful energy. However, the transformation is only temporary and she becomes old again as soon as Bubber leaves.
Bubber’s parents dislike him spending time with the eccentric Cookie Lady. They notice he comes home exhausted and tells him that he can visit her only one last time. Bubber tells Mrs. Drew this next visit will be his last per his parents’ orders. Mrs. Drew is distraught and begs Bubber to stay and read to her. She moves her chair even closer to the boy and touches his arm, intensifying the rejuvenating effect. Lost in her own restoration, Mrs. Drew becomes a vivacious, dark-haired beauty, the withered old woman totally transformed. Oblivious, Bubber simply finishes the cookies and leaves.
As Bubber struggles home through the cold dusk, he becomes increasingly weak and ill, needing to frequently stop and rest. His concerned parents hear faint tapping at the front door and open it to find a bundle of dry weeds blowing in the wind. The implication is that Mrs. Drew’s selfish rejuvenation completely drained Bubber’s life force, leaving only his depleted remains.
Workbook answers
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Why did Bernard visit the old lady regularly after school?
(a) To look after her
(b) To provide company to her
(c) To satiate his desire for cookies
(d) To get motherly affection from her.
Answer: (c) To satiate his desire for cookies
2. On reaching the old lady’s house, Bernard’s heart began thudding with anticipation for
(a) meeting the old lady.
(b) earning money by doing chores
(c) being able to see the old lady
(d) getting his favourite cookies
Answer: (d) getting his favourite cookies
3. The old lady used to prolong Bernard’s stay in her house by
(a) taking extra time for making the cookies.
(b) asking him to read something to her.
(c) telling him stories from the books she had
(d) All of the above
Answer: (b) asking him to read something to her.
4. Why did the old lady sit on her porch?
(a) To look out for someone to give her company
(b) To siphon away someone’s life force to become young again
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) To sit in the sun and get warmth.
Answer: (a) To look out for someone to give her company
5. How did the old lady feel a change occurring in her body?
(a) By siphoning away Bernard’s life force
(b) By enjoying Bernard’s company
(c) By getting inspiration from the books Bernard used to read to her.
(d) All of the above.
Answer: (a) By siphoning away Bernard’s life force
6. What is suggested by Bernard’s act of filling his pockets with cookies?
(a) His desire to take them home for his parents
(b) His craving for freshly-baked cookies
(c) His desire to please the old lady
(d) His desire to take them for his friend Ernie.
Answer: (b) His craving for freshly-baked cookies
7. Why did tears blur Mrs Drew’s eyes?
(a) To realise the consequences of her sinister plan
(b) Because her youth and vigour had vanished.
(c) To realise that she had annoyed Bernard
(d) To see Bernard had taken away all the cookies
Answer: (b) Because her youth and vigour had vanished.
8. How did the old lady react when Bernard told him that it was his last visit to her house?
(a) She felt dizzy and sat down
(b) She took him into the kitchen
(c) She took a harsh, frightened breath
(d) She began reading something by Trollope
Answer: (c) She took a harsh, frightened breath
9. Which figure of speech is used in the line given below?
‘Against the window a fly buzzed.’
(a) Simile
(b) Metaphor
(c) Personification
(d) Onomatopoeia
Answer: (d) Onomatopoeia
10. Why did not Bernard notice the change in Mrs Drew’s appearance?
(a) He was only interested in his cookies
(b) Only Mrs Drew could see it.
(c) She did not allow him to see her by locking herself in her bedroom
(d) She went outside her house.
Answer: (a) He was only interested in his cookies
11. Which figure of speech is used in the line given below?
…his face fat and dull, a dead white.
(a) Simile
(b) Personification
(c) Metaphor
(d) Metonymy
Answer: (c) Metaphor
12. What kind of atmosphere has the author created while Bernard was returning home after visiting the old lady for the last time?
(a) Eerie and grievous
(b) Exciting, full of fun
(c) Hopeful of a new beginning
(d) Joyful and interesting
Answer: (a) Eerie and grievous
Complete the sentences
1. Ernie Mill laughed and laughed on seeing Bubber going towards the old lady’s house because ______
Answer: he was mocking Bernard and laughingly asked him why he would visit the old lady.
2. Bubber’s mouth began to water on reaching Mrs Drew’s house because ______
Answer: he could get the wonderful warm smell of the freshly baked cookies she made.
3. When Bubber had finished eating the cookies, he glanced toward the kitchen again because ______
Answer: he was looking at the rest of the cookies on a big blue plate on the stove, wanting more.
4. The old lady asked Bubber to stay and talk to her for a while because ______
Answer: she was a lonely woman who lacked companionship and found comfort in having someone to talk to or read to her.
5. When Bernard left Mrs Drew’s house after having filled his pockets with cookies, he felt tired because ______
Answer: Mrs Drew had been temporarily draining his youthful energy and life force while he was in her house.
6. Tears blurred the old lady’s eyes when Bernard left her house because ______
Answer: the youth and vigour she had temporarily gained from his presence vanished as soon as he left, leaving her old and frail again.
7. Bernard always felt washed out, tired and exhausted after visiting the old lady because ______
Answer: Mrs Drew was a psychic vampire who was unknowingly sucking out his life force in exchange for the cookies.
8. The sight of a woman drinking a big chocolate soda made Bernard to increase his pace a little towards his destination because ______
Answer: it triggered his own craving, making his mouth water and confirming his decision to go to Mrs Drew’s house for cookies.
9. The old lady had removed the table and the lamp from the living room because ______
Answer: she wanted to move her chair closer to the couch to be nearer to Bernard, which would allow her to better absorb his youthful energy.
10. The old lady trembled with fear when she touched her forehead and found her skin dry and brittle like old paper because ______
Answer: she was terrified by the thought that this was Bernard’s last visit, meaning she would lose her only chance to regain her youth permanently.
11. When Bernard visited the old lady’s house for the last time, she hurriedly went to her bedroom because ______
Answer: she wanted to gaze at her reflection in the mirror to confirm that her transformation into a young and lovely woman was complete and permanent.
12. Mrs Drew laughed gaily when she bid good-bye to Bernard on his last visit to her house because ______
Answer: she had successfully accomplished her sinister plan, permanently draining all of Bernard’s youthfulness to make herself young again, and felt no remorse for her actions.
Short Answer Questions
1. Who was Mrs Drew? Why did Bernard visit her house everyday after school?
Answer: Mrs Drew, also known as the Cookie Lady, was the antagonist of the story. She is described as an old, dried-up lady, like the weeds that grew in front of her house, with a thin, fragile body, mottled skin, and gray hair. She was a lonely woman who lived all alone in a shabby, unpainted, and dilapidated house. In the story, she is a psychic vampire who exploits a chubby, food-loving teenager named Bernard for her own selfish motives.
Bernard visited Mrs Drew’s house every day after school because he had an irresistible craving for her freshly baked cookies. He was a perpetually hungry teenager who could do anything for a plate of cookies. The wonderful warm smell of the cookies would make his mouth water, and he regularly visited her house simply to eat his favourite cookies and satisfy this craving.
2. How did Mrs Drew lure Bernard into her trap? Why did she do so?
Answer: Mrs Drew lured Bernard into her trap by tempting him with his favourite, freshly baked cookies with nuts and raisins in them. She had first called to him one day when she was sitting on her porch and he was passing by, luring him by pointing to the cookies by her rocker. She continued to provide him with these delicious cookies, which were his weakness, every time he visited.
Mrs Drew did this to fulfil her sinister motive of regaining her youth. She had been living alone for a long time and felt the need to become young again, perhaps to regain the societal acceptance she once had. To accomplish this, she needed to exploit a soft target. She found this in Bernard and planned to suck out his youthfulness and life force to transform herself into a young lady.
3. What changes did Mrs Drew notice in herself for the first time when Bernard sat near her and read from his Geography book?
Answer: When Bernard sat near her and read from his book, Mrs Drew keenly watched him and felt something happening to her. She began to change, with her gray wrinkles and lines diminishing. As she sat in her chair, she felt herself growing younger and regaining her vigour. Her thin, fragile body started filling out with youth again.
Her gray hair thickened and darkened as colour returned to the wispy strands. Her arms filled out, and the mottled flesh turned a rich hue. She felt a warm fullness, a breath of warmth inside her cold body for the first time in years. This transformation would end when Bernard stopped reading and left, but it happened almost every time he visited and sat near her.
4. How did Bernard’s parents react when he came back home totally exhausted?
Answer: Whenever Bernard returned home totally exhausted after visiting Mrs Drew’s house, his parents, May and Ralf Surle, showed their concern. They realised that he was always washed out and tired after visiting the “crazy old lady.”
His father, Ralf, forbade him from visiting her house anymore, stating that he did not care how many cookies she gave him because he came home too tired. However, when Bernard mentioned he had promised Mrs Drew he would return, his mother allowed him to go one last time. Although they were concerned, they never tried to find out the reason for his loss of energy, nor did they help him overcome his craving for cookies.
5. Explain briefly how did the Cookie lady accomplish her sinister motive?
Answer: The Cookie Lady accomplished her sinister motive on Bernard’s last visit. When Bernard announced that his father had forbidden him from visiting her anymore, Mrs Drew was petrified and got the shock of her life. Realising she would lose her chance to regain her youth, she decided to implement her sinister plan immediately.
She asked him to read from a book, and as he did, she sat very close to him and gently touched his arm. By doing this, she sucked out all of his youthfulness. She felt his life energy flow through her fingers and into her arm, transforming her into a young, lovely lady. She gained what she desired, and in the process, turned poor Bernard into a bundle of weeds and rags that was blown away by the wind.
Long Answer Questions
1. Describe the character of Mrs Drew as portrayed in the story, The Cookie Lady.
Answer: Mrs Drew is the antagonist of the story, an old lady who exploits a chubby, food-loving teenager named Bernard for her own selfish motive. Physically, she is described as an old, dried-up lady, similar to the weeds that grew in front of her house. She has a thin, fragile body, mottled skin, and gray hair, and lives all alone in a shabby, unpainted house that looks like a little gray box.
Mrs Drew appears to be a lonely woman who lacks love and companionship. Living in a deserted house, she rarely meets anyone except the postman who delivers her pension cheque and the garbage collectors. To seek company, she often sits on her porch. She feels comfortable, peaceful, and relaxed whenever Bernard visits and likes his company so much that she prolongs his stay by making him read from books, in which she has no real interest.
Her loneliness and memories of her youth induce in her an evil thought to regain her youth and societal acceptance. This sinister motive turns her into a selfish woman with no scruples. She identifies Bernard as a soft target and lures him to her house with freshly baked cookies, which are his weakness. She discovers that his proximity allows her to regain her youth temporarily. When Bernard informs her that it will be his last visit, she is shocked and decides to implement her sinister plan immediately. By touching his arm, she sucks out all his youthfulness, permanently transforming herself into a young woman while turning Bernard into a bundle of weeds and rags. She shows no remorse and laughs gaily as she bids him a final good-bye.
2. “Bernard became a victim of his temptations.” Explain the above statement in a paragraph of about 200-250 words with reference to the story, The Cookie Lady.’
Answer: The statement that Bernard became a victim of his temptations is accurate. Bernard, the protagonist, is an overweight, chubby, and simple teenager who cannot resist the temptation of freshly baked cookies. This craving is his primary weakness. On the other hand, the old lady, Mrs Drew, also has a temptation, which is the carnal desire to regain her lost youth. It is this temptation that leads her to call Bernard to her house by pointing to the cookies by her rocker. Bernard falls for his temptation for cookies and begins visiting Mrs Drew every day after school. Once he has tasted her cookies, nothing can stop him from returning, not the mockery of his friend Ernie Mill nor the advice of his parents. He is so engrossed in his craving for cookies that he willingly waits for them and reads to Mrs Drew from books. His focus on satisfying his temptation is so complete that he fails to see her evil designs or notice the physical changes that occur in her during his visits. He does not even understand why he feels so drained, tired, and exhausted after leaving her house. Mrs Drew exploits this weakness, luring him with his favourite food to siphon away all his youthfulness to fulfill her own desire to become a young woman of thirty. In the end, Bernard’s inability to control his temptation leads to his destruction, as he is turned into a speck of dust, a life ruined for the sake of cookies.
3. What do you think would have happened to the Cookie Lady after Bernard’s last visit to her house? Write your answer in about 250-300 words.
Answer: After Bernard’s last visit, I think Mrs Drew would have started an entirely new life. The story mentions that after she drained Bernard’s life force, her transformation into a young and lovely woman was permanent; it had not gone away as it did on previous occasions. She was filled with a bursting joy and excitement, looking at her full, rounded body and thinking of all the things she could now do.
Given her new state, she would have no reason to remain in the old, dilapidated house that was a symbol of her past decay and loneliness. I believe she would have left that shabby gray box behind, perhaps selling it or simply abandoning it. She would have moved to a new town or city where no one knew her as the strange, dried-up old lady. Her sinister motive was partly to regain the societal acceptance she had when she was young, so she would now seek it out.
As a young, attractive woman of about thirty, she could easily blend into society, find a job, make friends, and enjoy the life she had stolen. She had no remorse for her actions; she laughed gaily after sending the depleted Bernard away. This lack of conscience suggests she would live her new life without any guilt. It is also possible that if her stolen youth ever began to fade, her first instinct would be to find another innocent victim, proving that she was a true psychic vampire who would do anything to preserve herself.
4. How can you conclude that The Cookie Story’ is a horror story?’
Answer: ‘The Cookie Lady’ can be concluded as a horror story based on several key elements present in its narrative. The introduction itself labels it a horror story and describes Mrs Drew as a psychic vampire who trades cookies for the life-force of a young boy, Bernard, ultimately leaving him as a bundle of weeds and rags. This supernatural premise is a cornerstone of the horror genre.
The author skillfully blends fear and suspense to create an eerie atmosphere. The setting contributes significantly to this feeling; Mrs Drew’s house is described as a little gray box, shabby and unpainted, with an overgrowth of old, dry weeds that rustled and chattered in the wind. This imagery creates a sense of dread and foreboding from the very beginning, suggesting that something dangerous will happen inside.
The story uses various forms of imagery to create a feeling of creepiness. Visual imagery of the decaying house and the dark, windy night, and auditory imagery of the rustling weeds and the howling wind, all enhance the unsettling atmosphere. The climax of the story is pure horror: Bernard is not simply harmed but is supernaturally destroyed, his life force completely drained until he is reduced to a bundle of trash blown by the wind. His father discovers this “something gray and dry” bouncing against the porch, unable to recognize it as his son. This gruesome and unnatural fate for the protagonist solidifies the story’s classification as horror.
5. Imagine you are Bernard describe your last visit to Mrs Drew’s house.
Answer: My parents were very angry with me. Dad said I wasn’t to go to Mrs Drew’s house anymore because I always came home looking so tired and washed out. But I had promised her I would come back, so Mum said I could go one last time, just to tell her nicely that I couldn’t visit again. On my way, I saw a woman drinking a big chocolate soda, and my mouth started to water. I knew I had to have Mrs Drew’s cookies.
When I reached her house, it looked as strange as ever, with the dry weeds rustling in the wind. Mrs Drew seemed very happy to see me. She went to the kitchen to start the cookies, and I noticed she had moved her furniture. Her chair was right next to the couch, and the little table between them was gone. When I told her it was my last visit because my father had forbidden it, she looked terrified. Her whole body went rigid, and her hands trembled as she gave me a book to read.
As I read, she sat very close to me and then touched my arm. I didn’t think much of it and just kept reading. Soon after, she went to get the cookies. Her voice sounded different, deeper and not so dry, but I was too focused on the cookies to notice much. I ate as many as I could and stuffed the rest in my pockets. As I stood to leave, I felt terribly strange and my face felt dull and dead white. Mrs Drew just laughed as she said goodbye. The walk home was a nightmare. I was so tired I could barely move, and the cold wind pushed me around. I felt like I was falling apart, and then, I was. I became nothing but a bundle of old weeds and rags, blowing in the wind, tapping helplessly against my own front door.
Extra MCQs
1. What was Ernie Mill doing when he saw Bubber?
A. Delivering newspapers
B. Reading a book
C. Fixing papers for his route
D. Calling to his friends
Answer: C. Fixing papers for his route
35. When Bubber told Mrs Drew that this was his last visit to hers how did she react?
A. angrily
B. foolishly
C. behaved awkwardly
D. felt unhappy
Answer: D. felt unhappy
Extra questions and answers
1. What is the name of the young boy who visits Mrs. Drew?
Answer: The name of the young boy is Bernard, nicknamed Bubber.
43. Does the story ‘The Cookie Lady’ carry any meaning underneath? What is it?
Answer: Yes, beneath its horrifying plot, the story carries the message that innocent people like Bubber are often exploited by selfish and unscrupulous elements in society. The old lady represents the greed and exploitation facing innocence and gullibility in the modern world. Parents and guardians have a duty to guide and protect children from falling into such traps. The story is thus a critique of selfishness and suggests remaining vigilant in an increasingly materialistic world.
Get notes of other classes and subjects
Helpful in the last minute
It’s literally very helpful especially durings the exams thanks a lot🫀