CBSE Class 12 English The Tiger King Worksheet

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS :

Question. What ended the Maharaja’s gloom about the hundredth tiger ?
Answer : Sheep began to disappear from a hillside village in the Maharaja’s own state. It was thought to be the work of a tiger. The villagers ran to inform the Maharaja. In his joy, the Maharaja exempted all their taxes for three years.

Question. How did the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram meet his death ?
Answer : The Maharaja had got his son a tiny wooden tiger as a birthday gift. It was of a very poor quality. Tiny slivers of wood stood all over it. One of these pierced the Maharaja’s right hand. In four days, the infection spread all over the arm. Three famous surgeons declared after the operation, “The operation was successful. The Maharaja is dead.”

Question. What was it that filled the chief astrologer with wonder ?
Or
What made the chief astrologer place his finger on his nose ? 
Answer : The astrologers had made a prediction that the royal infant would have to die one day. At this, the ten-day-old infant spoke up. He said that all those who are born will one day have to die. There could be some sense in their predictions if they could tell the manner of that death. Hearing such words of wisdom from a ten-day-old baby, the chief astrologer placed his finger on his nose in wonder.

Question. Why did the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram decide to kill tigers ?
Or
What led Maharaja to start out on a tiger hunt ? 
Answer : The Maharaja had come to know of the chief astrologer’s prediction that his death would come from a tiger. He thought of an old saying, “You may kill even a cow in self-defence.” So the Maharaja saw nothing wrong in killing tigers in self-defence.

Question. What problem did the Maharaja have to face when he had killed seventy tigers ? How did he solve it ? 
Answer : With the killing of the seventieth tiger, the tigers in the Maharaja’s kingdom became extinct. He had yet to shoot down thirty more. To solve this issue, he decided to marry a girl in some royal family of a state having a large tiger population.

Question. What did the chief astrologer say about the manner of the Tiger King’s death ?
Answer : The chief astrologer said that the prince was born in the hour of the Bull. The bull and the tiger are enemies. Therefore, the prince’s death will come from a tiger.

Question. When did the crown prince become the Maharaja of the Pratibandapuram State ? What prediction reached his ears ?
Answer : The crown prince became the Maharaja when he came of age at twenty. Until then, the state had been with the Court of Wards. People often talked of the chief astrologer’s prediction that the king’s death would come from a tiger. Slowly, it came to the Maharaja’s ears.

Question. Why did the Tiger King decide to get married ? 
Or
What considerations influenced the Tiger King to get married ?
Answer : Tigers in the Maharaja’s kingdom had become extinct. He had yet to shoot down thirty more. So he decided to marry a girl in some royal family of a state that had a large tiger population.

Question. The manner of the Tiger King’s death is a matter of extraordinary interest. Comment. 
Answer : This story underlines the fact that what is allotted can’t be blotted. The Tiger King tried to blot what was allotted and in the process, blotted himself in the same way that had been allotted. And nothing could be more interesting than the manner in which he met his fate.

Question. What did the ten-day-old Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur say to the astrologers ?
Answer : The astrologers foretold that one day the baby would have to die. At this, the baby spoke up. Everyone was surprised. He said that all those who are born will one day have to die. Thus there could be some sense in their predictions if they could tell the manner of that death.

Question. What did the state astrologer say when the Maharaja showed him the first tiger he had killed ?
Answer : The state astrologer said very slowly and humbly, “Your majesty may kill ninety-nine tigers in exactly the same manner, but you must be very careful with the hundredth tiger.”

Question. When he was only ten days old, a prediction was made about the future of the Tiger King. What was ironic about it ? 
Answer : It was predicted that the Tiger King’s death would come from the hundredth tiger he would hunt. With this thing on his mind, the Tiger King started killing tigers one after the other. After he had killed exactly one hundred tigers, he felt himself safe now. But ironically, soon after, his death comes from a tiger only. And it comes not from a real tiger, but from a sliver of a toy tiger.

Question. How did the Tiger King acquire his name ? 
Answer : The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram has been called the Tiger King. The chief astrologer had said that his death would come from the hundredth tiger he would hunt. With an aim to kill a hundred tigers, the Maharaja started hunting tigers one after the other. Thus he came to be called the Tiger King.

Question. What were the astrologers forced to do and why ?
Answer : As soon as the Tiger King was born, the astrologers foretold that one day he would actually have to die. They were compelled to explain what they meant by their forecast. Then they said, ‘‘The child born under this star will one day have to meet its death.”

Question. What happened when the hundredth tiger came into the Maharaja’s presence ?
Answer : The old tiger stood as if in humble submission. With boundless joy, the Maharaja took aim and fired. The old tiger fell in a heap. The Maharaja shouted that he had fulfilled his vow. He gave orders to bring the tiger to the capital in a grand procession. Then he hurried away in his car.

Question. How did the 10-day-old baby (the future Tiger King) react when he heard the chief astrologer’s prediction ? 
Answer : The chief astrologer had said that the prince’s death would come from a tiger. Hearing this, the prince was not afraid at all. Rather he gave a deep growl and said in terrifying words, “Let tigers beware !”

Question. What proclamation was issued by the Maharaja in his state and why ?
Answer : It was proclaimed that none but the Maharaja could hunt tigers in the state. If anyone threw even a stone at a tiger, all his wealth and property would be confiscated. The Maharaja made this proclamation as he first wanted to fulfil his own vow of killing a hundred tigers.

Question. What did the astrologers foretell as soon as the Tiger King was born ?
Answer : They foretold that the child would grow up to become the warrior of warriors. He will be the hero of heroes, and champion of champions. But they added that one day the Tiger King would actually have to die.

Question. What kind of life was enjoyed by the crown prince Jung Bahadur till he reached the age of twenty ?
Answer : The crown prince enjoyed all the comforts and luxuries of a king’s family. He had an English nanny to take care of him. He drank the milk of an English cow. He was taught English by an Englishman. He watched only English movies.

Question. Why did a British officer visit Pratibandapuram ?
Answer : The British officer visited Pratibandapuram because he was very fond of hunting tigers. But more than that, he wanted to be photographed with the tigers he had shot.

Question. Did the prophecy of the astrologer come true at the end of the story ? How ?
Answer : The chief astrologer had prophesied that the Maharaja’s death would come from a tiger. As we know from the story, the death did come from a tiger, though it was a wooden tiger, a toy.

Question. What sort of hunts did the Maharaja offer to organize for the high-ranking British officer ?
What trait of the officer does it reveal ?
Answer : The British officer wanted to hunt some tigers in the forests of the Maharaja’s state. But the Maharaja was firm in his resolve of killing a hundred tigers. So he refused the officer any such permission. However, he offered to organize for the officer some other hunts like — boar hunt, mouse-hunt, mosquito-hunt, etc. This episode reveals the vanity of the persons in high position. It also reveals their love of idle pursuits and frivolous pastimes.

Question. When did the Maharaja decide to double the land tax for a village ? 
Answer : After the killing of ninety-ninth tiger, it became very difficult to find the hundredth tiger. It seemed the hundredth tiger had hid himself somewhere. One day when the Maharaja’s wrath was at its height, he called the dewan. He ordered him to double the land tax of the village where the tiger was hiding.

Question. What did the British officer’s secretary tell the Maharaja ? Why did the Maharaja refuse permission ? 
Answer : The secretary told the Maharaja that the British officer was fond of hunting; and even more than that, he wanted himself photographed with a gun in his hand, and standing over the tiger’s carcass. The Maharaja refused any permission for hunting or being photographed because he feared that other British officers could then turn up with a similar demand.

Question. What happened to the tiger provided by the dewan ? 
Answer : The tiger provided by the dewan was very old. It stood before the Maharaja in humble submission. With boundless joy, the Maharaja took aim and fired. The old tiger fell in a heap. The Maharaja shouted that he had fulfilled his vow. He gave orders to bring the tiger to the capital in a grand procession. Then he hurried away in his car.

Question. What did the Maharaja do when he had killed his first tiger ?
Answer : The Maharaja was filled with great joy and pride. He sent for the state astrologer. He showed him the dead beast and asked, “What do you say now ?”

Question. When was the Tiger King in danger of losing his kingdom ? 
Or
How did the Maharaja deal with a high-ranking British officer who wanted to shoot a tiger ?
Answer : A high-ranking British officer came to the state. He wanted to hunt tigers there. He loved to be photographed with the tigers he had shot. But the Maharaja firmly refused any such
permission. Thus there could be a danger of his losing the kingdom. 

Question. Why did the dewan decide to give up his own tiger to be killed by the Maharaja ?
Answer : The Maharaja was in a great fury when he failed to find the hundredth tiger. Many officers had to lose their job. The Maharaja asked the dewan also to resign. In order to save his job, the dewan decided to arrange a tiger of his own and give it up for the Maharaja.

Question. What did the hunters do with the hundredth tiger after the Maharaja had left ?
Answer : The hunters found that the tiger was not dead. The bullet had missed it. The old tiger had fainted from the sharp sound of the bullet. But they didn’t want the Maharaja to know of it. So one of them took aim and shot the tiger dead.

Question. Even though the Maharaja lost ₹ 3 lac, he was still happy. Why ?
Or
Why did the Maharaja have to pay a bill of three lakh rupees to the British jewellers ?
Answer : The Maharaja was in danger of losing his kingdom because he had offended a high-ranking British officer by refusing to let him hunt in his kingdom. In order to appease the officer, the Maharaja sent diamond rings for the officer’s wife. These rings cost him ₹ 3 lac. But he was happy because he had averted the danger of losing his kingdom.

Question. Why was the Maharaja so anxious to kill the hundredth tiger ? 
Answer : The Maharaja had started killing tigers one after the other and killed ninety-nine tigers. But he could not find the hundredth one. Therefore, he became anxious to kill the hundredth one so that the danger on his life could be averted.

Question. How did the Tiger King celebrate his victory over the killing of the hundredth tiger ?
Answer : There were great celebrations when the hundredth tiger was killed. The dead body of the tiger was taken in a procession through the town. Then the tiger was buried and a tomb was raised over it.

Question. How did the Maharaja avert the danger of his losing the kingdom ?
Answer : The Maharaja got fifty samples of expensive diamond rings. He sent them to the British officer’s wife. He hoped that she would choose one or two and send the rest back. But the lady kept all those and sent her reply, “Thank you very much for your gifts.’’ The gifts cost the Maharaja three lakh rupees.

Question. What was the dewan’s tiger like ? How did he take it into the forest ?
Answer : It was an old tiger. It had been brought from the People’s Park in Madras. The dewan took the tiger into the forest. He loaded it in his car and left it where the Maharaja was hunting.

Question. What gift did the Maharaja get for his son on his third birthday ?
Answer : The Maharaja found a wooden tiger at a toyshop. It cost only two annas and a quarter. But the shopkeeper called it a rare example of craftsmanship. He quoted three hundred rupees as its minimum price. “Very good. Let this be your offering to the crown prince on his birthday,” said the king and took it away with him.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS :

Question. What rumour was rife in Pratibandapuram about the crown prince Jung Jung Bahadur ?
Answer : As soon as the crown prince was born, the astrologers made a prediction. They said that the child would grow up to be a great warrior, but one day he would have to die. The child was now ten days old. When he heard this, he at once spoke up, ‘‘All those who are born will one day have to die. There would be some sense in it if you could tell us the manner of that death.” Everyone was surprised to hear these words from the infant’s mouth. Now the chief astrologer tried to give his explanation. He said that the prince was born in the hour of the Bull. The bull and the tiger are enemies. Therefore, the death will come from a tiger. On hearing this, the crown prince was not at all afraid. Rather he spoke in a terrifying voice, “Let tigers beware !” All this account was only a rumour. But everyone in Pratibandapuram would talk of it and call it a miracle. They remembered the astrologer’s prediction and would often discuss it. When the crown prince came of age and became the Maharaja of the state, the rumour came to his ears also.

Question. Describe the efforts made by the Tiger King to achieve his target of killing a hundred tigers. 
Answer : The Tiger King came to know of the prediction made by the chief astrologer that his death would come from a tiger. The king went hunting and killed a tiger. He called the chief astrologer and told him that his prediction has proved wrong. But the astrologer said that the king could kill ninety-nine tigers in the same manner, but he would have to be very careful with the hundredth. Now the Tiger King took a vow that he would attend to the state matters only after killing a hundred tigers. He also proclaimed that none but the king could hunt tigers in his kingdom. In ten years, he was able to kill seventy tigers. But now no tigers were left in the forests of his kingdom. He married a girl from a royal family and started hunting tigers in the kingdom of his father-in-law. In this way, he killed ninety-nine tigers. No tiger was left in that kingdom also. Somehow, the kingdom’s Dewan got a sickly tiger for the king. The king took a careful aim and fired. The tiger fell in a heap. Thus the king thought that he had killed a hundred tigers. Actually, it was not the king’s shot that had killed the tiger, but the sharp sound of the bullet which the old tiger could not stand and fell down terrified. Later the tiger was killed by the king’s hunters.

Question. What is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the wilfulness of human beings ?
Answer : The author brings out the cruelty and heartlessness of human beings towards innocent animals. The behaviour of the Tiger King is an indirect comment on this cruelty and heartlessness. The astrologers had only predicted that the king’s death would come from a tiger. Instead of keeping himself safe and away from tigers, the king chooses to go hunting and kill the tigers in his kingdom. No tiger has ever done any harm to any person or thing in his state. Yet the king chooses to kill them mercilessly. He kills so many that no tigers are left in the forests of his kingdom. Now he marries a girl from a royal family. His sole purpose is to kill the tigers in his fatherin-law’s kingdom. He kills all the tigers there also. At last the dewan has to arrange an old tiger for the king to hunt. The old tiger stands humbly before the king, yet the king shows no pity. He takes a careful aim and fires. Thus the author exposes the folly, cruelty and heartlessness of human beings with regard to their behaviour towards innocent animals.

Question. Even today, so many among us believe in superstitions. An astrologer predicted about the Tiger King that he would be killed by a tiger. He ‘killed’ one hundred tigers, yet was himself killed by a tiger. How did the superstitious belief weigh on the king’s mind ? 
Answer : The king was a thoroughly superstitious person. He literally believed the astrologer’s prediction that his death would come from the hundredth tiger he would hunt. This superstition weighed on his mind so much that he started killing the tigers in his kingdom one after the other. He knew no rest till he had ‘killed’ the hundredth tiger. And when he had done this, he was filled with great joy. He bought his son a tiny wooden tiger as a birthday gift. It was of a very poor quality and had tiny slivers of wood all over it. One of these pierced the king’s right hand. In four days, the infection spread all over the arm. The king was operated on, but was found dead after the operation. The king’s death clearly had no relation with the hundredth tiger. His death came not from the tiger, but from an infection that had developed in his body. The king’s death would still have occurred even if he had killed no tiger at all.

Question. How did the Maharaja come in danger of losing his throne and how did he avert this danger ?
Answer : Once a high-ranking British officer visited the Maharaja’s state. He wished to hunt tigers in the state. He also wished to be photographed with the tigers he had shot. But the Maharaja refused his permission. The British officer’s secretary sent word through the dewan. He said that the officer did not have to kill the tiger. The Maharaja could do the actual killing. The officer only wanted to have himself photographed, holding the gun and standing over the tiger’s dead body. But the Maharaja did not agree even to this proposal. Thus he stood in danger of losing his kingdom. He had consultations with his dewan. The Maharaja arranged for fifty expensive diamond rings. He sent all these to the officer’s wife. He hoped that she would choose one or two and send the rest back. But the lady kept all those and sent her reply, “Thank you very much for your gifts.” The Maharaja had to pay three lakh rupees for the rings. But he was able to retain his kingdom.

Question. The story, ‘The Tiger King’, is a satire on the conceit of those in power. How does the author employ the literary device of dramatic irony in the story ?
Answer : The story is indeed a satire on the conceit of those in power. The Tiger King has been used as the symbol of this conceit. The astrologers tell him that his death will come from a tiger. After the king has killed a tiger, he is filled with conceit. He calls the state astrologer and says proudly, “What do you say now ?” The astrologer says humbly, “Your majesty may kill ninety-nine tigers in the same manner, but you must be very careful with the hundredth tiger.” The proud king vows that only after killing a hundred tigers, he will attend to any other thing. Did the king think that death would not come to him after that ? And very foolishly, he starts hunting tigers to achieve his goal. After the hundredth has been killed (though not by him), he feels that he has no fear of any tiger now. But ironically, his death comes soon after from a tiger only. And it comes not from a real tiger, but from a sliver of a toy tiger. Thus the author has satirised the conceit of those in power through the device of dramatic irony.

Question. Give a brief account of how the hundredth tiger was found and hunted down.
Answer : The Maharaja spent many days in the forest. He was very angry when he couldn’t get the hundredth tiger for his hunting. In his anger, he asked the dewan to resign. In order to save his job, the dewan did all he could to find a tiger. At last, he got an old tiger from the People’s Park in Madras. At night, he loaded it in his car and left it near the place where the Maharaja was hunting. In the morning, the old tiger wandered into the Maharaja’s presence. He stood there very humbly. In great joy, the Maharaja took a careful aim and fired. The tiger fell in a heap. He gave orders to bring the tiger to the capital in a grand procession. After the Maharaja had left in his car, the hunters found that the tiger was still alive. The Maharaja’s bullet had missed its aim. No one wanted the Maharaja to come to know of it because it could make him very angry. So one of the hunters took aim and shot the tiger dead. As ordered by the king, it was taken in a procession through the town and buried. A tomb was raised over it.

Question. Giving a bribe is an evil practice. How did the Tiger King bribe the British officer to save his kindom ? How do you view this act of his ? 
Answer : The British officer wanted to hunt tigers in the Tiger King’s state. In fact, he only wanted to be photographed holding the gun and standing over a tiger’s dead body. The actual killing could be done by the Tiger King himself. But the king didn’t agree even to this. However, he didn’t want to annoy the British officer since then he stood in the danger of losing his kingdom. In order to placate the officer, he sent fifty expensive diamond rings to the officer’s wife. He hoped that she would choose one or two and send the rest back. But the lady kept all those and sent her reply, “Thank you very much for your gifts.” No doubt, it was an act of bribery, but giving bribe is as big an evil act as accepting it. The king’s act of offering the bribe springs from his concern for his own life, but the officer’s act of accepting the bribe shows his meanness as well as his greed.

Question. How did the Tiger King meet his end ? What is ironical about his fate ?
Or
How did the hundredth tiger take its revenge upon the Tiger King ?
Answer : It was the third birthday of the Maharaja’s son. So far the king had no time to spare for his son. He had given all his mind to tiger hunting. But now he wanted to give his son a special gift. He searched every shop in the town. Finally, he found a wooden tiger in a toyshop. The king thought it was a perfect gift. That day, both the father and the son kept playing with that wooden toy. It had been made by an unskilled carpenter. It had tiny slivers all over its surface. One of these pierced the Maharaja’s right hand. He pulled it out, but infection developed in the king’s hand. In four days, it spread all over the arm. Three famous surgeons decided to operate. When they came out of the operating theatre, they announced, “The operation was successful. The Maharaja is dead.” Thus the hundredth tiger took its revenge upon the Tiger King.

Question. How would you describe the behaviour of the Maharaja’s minions towards him ? Do you find them truly sincere towards him or are they driven by fear when they obey him ? Do we find a similarity in today’s political order ?
Answer : The Maharaja’s minions are not at all sincere towards him. They seem to be selfish, cowardly and perfect blockheads. They have no sense at all. They are only guided by fear in their actions. It is clear from the way the dewan behaves. When the Maharaja says that he has decided to get married, the foolish dewan thinks that the king wants to marry him and be his wife. He says, “Your Majesty, I have two wives already.” When the Maharaja says that he wants a tiger, the foolish dewan now thinks that the king wants to marry a tiger. He says, “A Tiger King is enough for this state. It doesn’t need a Tiger Queen as well !” The dewan’s fear comes to light when the king is unable to spot the hundredth tiger. In deep rage, he asks the dewan to resign. In his fear, the dewan arranges for an old tiger from the People’s Park in Madras. He carries it in his car to the forest so that the king can hunt it. All this clearly shows that the king’s minions were foolish and cowardly. They were not at all sincere. The relation between the Tiger King and his minions is a reflection of our present-day political order also. The minions of our political leaders are just a copy of the king’s dewan.

Question. The chief astrologer’s prediction about the death of the Tiger King came to be true. Do you agree with this statement ? Explain why or why not.
Answer : The chief astrologer had warned the Maharaja to be careful about the hundredth tiger. But the Maharaja was not careful. The hundredth tiger happened to be an old tiger. It stood before the Maharaja as if in humble submission. With boundless joy, the Maharaja took aim and fired. The old tiger fell in a heap. Without caring whether the tiger had actually been killed or not, he left the place in great joy. He gave orders to bring the tiger to the capital in a grand procession. After the Maharaja had left, the hunters found that the tiger was not dead. The Maharaja’s bullet had missed it. The old tiger had fainted from the sharp sound of the bullet. But they did not want the Maharaja to know of it. So one of them took aim and shot the tiger dead. Now all that follows results from the Maharaja’s disregard of the warning of the astrologer. The hundredth tiger literally becomes the cause of the Maharaja’s death.

EXTRA QUESTIONS :

Question. How will the Maharaja prepare himself for the hundredth tiger which was supposed to decide his fate ?
Answer : The Maharaja still remembered the astrologer’s words. So he had to be extremely careful with the hundredth tiger. He thought to himself, ‘‘The tiger is a savage beast. One has to be wary of it.’’ However, he was determined to seek the hundredth tiger and kill it. And after that, he could give up tiger hunting altogether.

Question. How would you describe the behaviour of the Maharaja’s minions towards him ? Do you find them truly sincere towards him or are they driven by fear when they obey him ? Do we find a similarity in today’s political order ?
Answer : The Maharaja’s minions are not at all sincere towards him. They seem to be selfish, cowardly and perfect blockheads. They have no sense at all. They are only guided by fear in their actions. It is clear from the way the dewan behaves. When the Maharaja says that he has decided to get married, the foolish dewan thinks that the king wants to marry him and be his wife. He says, ‘‘Your Majesty, I have two wives already.’’ When the Maharaja says that he wants a tiger, the foolish dewan now thinks that the king wants to marry a tiger. He says, ‘‘A Tiger King is enough for this state. It doesn’t need a Tiger Queen as well !’’ The dewan’s fear comes to light when the king is unable to spot the hundredth tiger. In deep rage, he asks the dewan to resign. In his fear, the dewan arranges for an old tiger from the People’s Park in Madras. He carries it in his car to the forest so that the king can hunt it. All this clearly shows that the king’s minions were foolish and cowardly. They were not at all sincere. The relation between the Tiger King and his minions is a reflection of our present-day political order also. The minions of our political leaders are just a copy of the king’s dewan.

Question. What did the royal infant grow up to be ?
Answer : The royal infant grew taller and stronger day by day. The boy drank the milk of an English cow. He was brought up by an English nurse. He was tutored in English by an Englishman. He saw nothing but English films. When he was twenty years old, he became the king of the State.

Question. We need a new system for the age of ecology — a system which is embedded in the care of all people and also in the care of the earth and all life upon it. Discuss.
Answer : Knowledge of ecology is probably more important today than at any other time. Ecology is concerned with the way living things share the earth we live on. Under normal conditions, the living things of any community go through a cycle of birth, reproduction, eating and being eaten. This cycle is called ‘the balance of nature’. It keeps communities fairly stable. When this balance is disturbed due to the immense increase or decrease of a species, starvation or disease sets in. This is what is happening in the present-day world. Human population has increased so much that our natural resources, our forest wealth and our wildlife are depleting very fast. Global warming has become the biggest threat for all life on this earth. Therefore, it is need of the hour to evolve a new system which can take care of all people and also all life on this earth.

Question. What will now happen to the astrologer ? Do you think the prophecy was indisputably proved ?
Answer : The astrologer had warned the Maharaja to be careful about the hundredth tiger. ‘‘What if the hundredth tiger were also killed ?’’ the Maharaja had said. At this, the astrologer’s reply was : ‘‘Then I will tear up all my books on astrology and set fire to them. I shall cut off my tuft, crop my hair short and become an insurance agent.’’ But I don’t think such a thing would happen because the old astrologer must be dead already. Also, I don’t think the prophecy was proved indisputably true because it was not the hundredth tiger that killed the Maharaja. We can only say that the Maharaja was killed because of the hundredth tiger. Without ascertaining that the tiger was actually killed, he left the forest and started celebrating his success.

Question. Who is the Tiger King ? Why does he get that name ?
Answer : The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram has been called the Tiger King. When he came to the throne, he heard about a prophecy that had been made at the time of his birth. The chief astrologer had said that the crown prince’s death would come from a tiger. After he had become the king, he went on a tiger hunt and killed a tiger. Now he called the chief astrologer and said proudly, ‘‘What do you say now ?’’ The chief astrologer said, ‘‘Your majesty may kill ninety-nine tigers in exactly the same manner, but you must be very careful with the hundredth tiger.’’ Now the Maharaja took a vow that he would attend to all other matters only after killing a hundred tigers. And he started killing tigers one after the other. Thus he came to be called the Tiger King.

Question. Can you relate instances of game-hunting among the rich and the powerful in the present times that illustrate the callousness of human beings towards wildlife ?
Answer : There have been a number of instances of game-hunting among the rich and the powerful in recent times. There were reports about a known film actor hunting a deer of the protected species. Then there were reports of a former nawab having indulged in illegal game-hunting. In spite of the fact that the government has banned game-hunting all over the country, such reports keep pouring in.

Question. The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power. How does the author employ the literary device of dramatic irony in the story ?
Answer : The story is indeed a satire on the conceit of those in power. The Tiger King has been used as the symbol of this conceit. The astrologers tell him that his death will come from a tiger. After the king has killed a tiger, he is filled with conceit. He calls the state astrologer and says proudly, ‘‘What do you say now ?’’ The astrologer says humbly, ‘‘Your majesty may kill ninety-nine tigers in the same manner, but you must be very careful with the hundredth tiger.’’ The proud king vows that only after killing a hundred tigers, he will attend to any other thing. Did the king think that death would not come to him after that ? And very foolishly, he starts hunting tigers to achieve his goal. After the hundredth has been killed (though not by him), he feels that he has no fear of any tiger now. But ironically, his death comes soon after from a tiger only. And it comes not from a real tiger, but from the sliver of a toy tiger. Thus the author has satirised the conceit of those in power, through the device of dramatic irony.

Question. What will the Maharaja do to find the required number of tigers to kill ?
Answer : He would try to establish relations with a royal family that had a large number of tigers in its state. He would try to find such a girl and marry her. Then he would be free to hunt in the state of his father-in-law.

Question. What is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the wilfulness of human beings ?
Answer : The author brings out the cruelty and heartlessness of human beings towards innocent animals. The behaviour of the Tiger King is an indirect comment on this cruelty and heartlessness. The astrologers had only predicted that the king’s death will come from a tiger. Instead of keeping himself safe and away from tigers, the king chooses to go hunting and kill the tigers in his kingdom. He kills so many that no tigers are left in the forests of his kingdom. Now he marries a girl from a royal family. His sole purpose is to kill the tigers in his father-in-law’s kingdom. He kills all the tigers there also. At last, the dewan has to arrange an old tiger for the king to hunt. The old tiger stands humbly before the king, yet the king shows no pity. He takes a careful aim and fires. Thus the author exposes the folly, cruelty and heartlessness of human beings with regard to their behaviour towards innocent animals. And then there is the case of the British officer also. He wants to have a tiger killed simply because he wants himself photographed holding the gun and standing over the dead tiger.

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