The story “Thank You, Ma’am” is about kindness, trust, and second chances.
One night, a poor teenage boy named Roger tries to steal a purse from a large woman, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, as she walks alone on the street. But the attempt fails — the strap breaks and Roger falls down. Mrs Jones catches him tightly, scolds him, and asks him if he isn’t ashamed.
When he admits he is sorry, she doesn’t hand him over to the police. Instead, she drags him to her house to teach him a lesson. On the way, Roger begs her to let him go, but she refuses and takes him home.
At her house, she tells him to wash his dirty face and asks if he has anyone at home to care for him. When Roger says “No, ma’am”, she realises he is lonely and neglected.
When she asks why he tried to snatch the purse, Roger replies that he wanted to buy a pair of blue suede shoes. Mrs Jones doesn’t get angry. She says he could have simply asked her for the money instead of stealing.
She gives him food — lima beans, ham, cocoa, and cake — and treats him with affection. She doesn’t ask him many questions to embarrass him. Before he leaves, she gives him ten dollars to buy the shoes he wanted and advises him never to steal again because money got through wrong ways brings trouble.
Roger is deeply touched by her kindness. He wants to say something more than “Thank you, ma’am,” but words fail him. He feels grateful, ashamed, and changed forever. He never forgets her or the lesson she taught him.
Main idea:
Compassion and understanding can reform a person more effectively than punishment.
2. Textual Questions and Answers
1. How does the boy try to snatch the purse from the lady?
He runs up behind Mrs Jones and tries to pull her purse by its strap. The strap breaks, but he loses balance and falls on the sidewalk.
2. What did the lady do when the boy fell down?
She turns around, picks him up by his shirt front, and shakes him until his teeth rattle. Then she makes him pick up the purse and scolds him.
3. Why didn’t the woman turn the boy loose?
Because she knew he would run away. She wanted to teach him a lesson and help him change his behaviour.
4. Pick out the words that suggest the boy was frightened as the lady dragged him to her house.
Words like “frightened,” “sweat popped out on his face,” “he began to struggle” show that Roger was scared while being dragged home by Mrs Jones.
5. Why did Roger snatch the pocketbook?
He wanted to buy a pair of blue suede shoes but didn’t have money, so he tried to steal the purse.
6. Why was Roger awe-struck by Mrs Jones’s words?
He was surprised that she didn’t punish him. Instead, she spoke kindly and even said he could have asked her for money. Her kindness and trust left him speechless.
7. How does Mrs Jones treat Roger at the table?
She treats him with warmth and care. She cooks him supper, talks to him kindly, and doesn’t ask embarrassing questions. She treats him like a mother would treat her child.
8. Could Roger express his gratitude in any other way than by saying “Thank you, ma’am”?
No. Roger was so moved by her kindness that he couldn’t express his feelings in words. His simple “Thank you, ma’am” came from his heart and showed his deep respect and gratitude.
3. Let’s Rewind – Answers
1. What do Mrs Jones’s actions reveal about her attitude to the boy?
Her actions show that she is kind, understanding, and motherly. She believes in helping and guiding rather than punishing.
2. What, according to you, might the boy have learnt from his encounter with Mrs Jones?
He learned that honesty and kindness are better than stealing. He realised that good people still exist and that love can change a person.
3. Have you ever experienced unexpected kindness? How does it make you feel even now?
(Example answer)
Yes. Once I lost my wallet and a stranger returned it to me. I felt deeply thankful and inspired to help others the same way.
4. How does this story challenge conventional ideas of justice and punishment?
Instead of punishing the boy, Mrs Jones uses forgiveness and trust to correct him. The story shows that kindness can reform people more effectively than harsh punishment.
4. Activities and Answers
Activity 1 – Letter Writing
(Roger’s Letter – already printed in the textbook)
The sample in the book is perfect — it already follows the correct structure:
- Address
- Date
- Greeting
- Body (gratitude and lesson learned)
- Closing
If students are asked to write one, they can follow the same model.
Activity 2A – Email by Mrs Jones
Sample Email:
To: friend@example.com
Subject: A meaningful experience with a young boy
Dear Clara,
I want to share something special that happened yesterday. While I was walking home, a boy tried to steal my purse. I caught him and brought him to my house. Instead of scolding him, I talked to him kindly and gave him supper. He told me he wanted money to buy shoes. I realised he needed guidance more than punishment. So I gave him ten dollars and advised him to behave well. The gratitude in his eyes touched my heart deeply. I feel happy that I could help him choose the right path.
With love,
Luella
Activity 2B – Roger’s Thoughts
Roger’s Diary Entry:
“I feel ashamed of what I did. Trying to steal from Mrs Jones was a big mistake.
She could have sent me to jail but instead treated me with kindness.
Her words and care changed my heart. I will never steal again.
I will study hard, earn honestly, and make her proud one day.”
Let’s Play with Words – Prefix Activity
| Word | Antonym |
| equality | inequality |
| appear | disappear |
| possible | impossible |
| kind | unkind |
| understand | misunderstand |
Fill in the blanks:
- We should be kind to our fellow beings rather than unkind.
- Nothing is impossible if you decide to make it possible.
- Inequality can never be justified because equality is the birthright of all human beings.
Let’s Analyse – Nouns
| Proper Noun | Common Noun | Collective Noun | Abstract Noun |
| Roger | boy | pair | kindness |
| Mrs Jones | woman | family | honesty |
| Luella | purse | crowd | compassion |
Determiners (Matching Examples)
| Determiner | Noun | Phrase |
| A | boy | a boy |
| An | orchestra | an orchestra |
| The | speech | the speech |
| This | duty | this duty |
| That | child | that child |
| These | speeches | these speeches |
| Those | boys | those boys |
| My / her / his | duty | his duty |
| Some | children | some children |
| Many | duties | many duties |
| Five | boys | five boys |
| First | speech | first speech |
Fill in the blanks with determiners:
Roger tried to snatch Mrs Jones’s purse, but she stopped him.
Strangely, she didn’t punish him but helped him realise his mistake.
She gave him an opportunity to correct his mistake because she felt he had taken to stealing only because of his circumstances.
Many children like Roger get carried away by their wishes which they feel they are unable to fulfil.
But, if elders take the trouble to correct them, it will encourage them to avoid such tendencies.
A society that is devoid of moral values is a curse to humanity.
In fact, it is the values that make a person human and humane.
So, let’s be compassionate to our fellow-beings and help each other because sticking together in times of need is one of the most important human values.
Activity – Sentence Functions
| Type | Function | Example |
| Declarative / Assertive | Statement | Roger was a poor boy. |
| Interrogative | Question | Why did Mrs Jones help Roger? |
| Imperative | Request / Order | Come with me to my house. |
| Exclamatory | Strong emotion | What a wonderful moment! |
Reported Speech Activity
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
| Mrs Jones: “I will get you something to eat.” | Mrs Jones told me that she would get me something to eat. |
| Roger: “That’s very kind of you.” | I told her that it was very kind of her. |
| Mrs Jones: “You can wait at the table.” | She said that I could wait at the table. |
| Roger: “I will certainly wait, ma’am.” | I told her that I would certainly wait. |
Reporting Dialogue Exercise
Roger said that he would remember that day forever.
Mrs Jones said that she wouldn’t forget it either.
Theme / Moral of the Story
- Forgiveness can change hearts.
- Kindness is stronger than punishment.
- Empathy builds better humans.