Lesson and Explanation

THE Maharaja of Pratibandapuram is the hero of this story. He may be

identified as His Highness Jamedar-General, Khiledar-Major, Sata Vyaghra
Samhari, Maharajadhiraja Visva Bhuvana Samrat, Sir Jilani Jung Jung
Bahadur, M.A.D., A.C.T.C., or C.R.C.K. But this name is often shortened to
the Tiger King.
The writer introduces the main character of the story – the king of
Pratibandapuram. The king is a hero due to his bravery. He is given a list
of titles to emphasize on his greatness. To sum up all the titles in one, the
king is called “The Tiger King”. The reason for him being called so shall be
revealed in the lesson ahead.
 

 
 
I

have come forward to tell you why he came to be known as Tiger King. I
have no intention of pretending to advance only to end in a strategic
withdrawal. Even the threat of a Stuka bomber will not throw me off track.
The Stuka, if it likes, can beat a hasty retreat from my story.
 
Pretending: behaving so as to make it appear that something is the case
when in fact it is not
Strategic: calculated
Stuka bomber: a German bomber aircraft that was used in the second
world war
 
The writer tells us that he would let us know why the king was called ‘The
Tiger King’.  He further promises the reader that he will not go back on his
promise even if he is under the threat of an attack by a Stuka Bomber
aircraft. Instead, he says that the Stuka bomber aircraft can go back
because he is not scared of it and he will tell the reader why the king was
called the tiger king.
 
Right at the start, it is imperative to disclose a matter of vital importance
about the Tiger King. Everyone who reads of him will experience the
natural desire to meet a man of his indomitable courage face-to-face. But
there is no chance of its fulfillment. As Bharata said to Rama about
Dasaratha, the Tiger King has reached that final abode of all living
creatures. In other words, the Tiger King is dead.
 
Indomitable: undefeatable
Final abode: refers to the final residence of the soul – the heaven.
 
The writer says that before elaborating about the tiger king one important
thing about him was that any person who read about the tiger king would
be very excited to meet a man of such undefeatable courage. But he says
that there is no chance of meeting the tiger king as the tiger king is already
dead and he has reached heaven.
 
The manner of his death is a matter of extraordinary interest. It can be
revealed only at the end of the tale. The most fantastic aspect of his
demise was that as soon as he was born, astrologers had foretold that one
day the Tiger King would actually have to die.
 
Demise: death
Foretold: predicted
 
The manner in which the tiger king died was very interesting. The writer
could tell us about it only at the end of the story but he adds that a very
interesting fact about the tiger king’s death was that when the tiger king
was born, astrologers had predicted at that time that one day the tiger king
would die. This prediction is meaningless because as a matter of fact
everyone has to die one day.
 
“The child will grow up to become the warrior of warriors, hero of heroes,
champion of champions. But...” they bit their lips and swallowed hard.
When compelled to continue, the astrologers came out with it. “This is a
secret which should not be revealed at all. And yet we are forced to speak
out. The child born under this star will one day have to meet its death.”
 
Compelled: forced
 
The writer gives an elaborate description of what the astrologers predicted
at the time of the birth of the tiger king. They said that the child would grow
up to become a brave warrior, a hero and a champion but after that they
stopped and bit their lips in order to show their reluctance to speak. When
the astrologers were forced to continue, they said that what they would
reveal just now was a secret. They said that the child that is the tiger king
was born under such a star (that means when he was born the star which
was up there in the sky was such) that any person who was born at that
time had to meet his death one day. Again, this prediction is meaningless
because as a fact everyone has to meet his death one day.
 
At that very moment a great miracle took place. An astonishing phrase
emerged from the lips of the ten-day old Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur, “O wise
prophets!’’
 
Everyone stood transfixed in stupefaction. They looked wildly at each other
and blinked.
‘‘O wise prophets! It was I who spoke.’’
 
This time there were no grounds for doubt. It was the infant born just ten
days ago who had enunciated the words so clearly.
 
The chief astrologer took off his spectacles and gazed intently at the baby.
 
‘‘All those who are born will one day have to die. We don’t need your
predictions to know that. There would be some sense in it if you could tell
us the manner of that death,’’ the royal infant uttered these words in his
little squeaky voice.
 
Transfixed: cause (someone) to become motionless with horror, wonder, or
astonishment.
Stupefaction: shock
Enunciated: say or pronounce clearly.
 
As the astrologers reveal their secret prediction, a miracle took place. The
10- day old tiger king whose name was Jilani Jung Jang Bahadur spoke
up. All the listeners were surprised to see a 10- day old baby speak. The
tiger king called out to the wise astrologers and the main astrologer
removed his spectacles and looked intently at the little baby. The tiger king
said in its squeaky voice that all those who are born have to die one day
and he did not need their predictions to know this fact. He added that if
they told him the manner of his death, that would make some sense to him.
 
The chief astrologer placed his finger on his nose in wonder. A baby barely
ten days old opens its lips in speech! Not only that, it also raises intelligent
questions! Incredible! Rather like the bulletins issued by the war office, than
facts.
 
The chief astrologer took his finger off his nose and fixed his eyes upon the
little prince.
 
‘‘The prince was born in the hour of the Bull. The Bull and the Tiger are
enemies, therefore, death comes from the Tiger,’’ he explained.
 
Incredible: unbelievable
 
The chief astrologer was amazed to see a 10- day old baby speak and ask
intelligent questions. It was unbelievable for him just like the news which
came from the wars. He took off his finger from his nose and looked
carefully at the little prince. Then he added that as the tiger king was born
in the hour of the bull which was an enemy of the tiger, hence, the tiger
king would die due to a tiger.
 
You may think that crown prince Jung Jung Bahadur was thrown into a
quake when he heard the word ‘Tiger’. That was exactly what did not
happen. As soon as he heard it pronounced, the crown prince gave a deep
growl. Terrifying words emerged from his lips.
 
‘‘Let tigers beware!’’
 
The writer says that the reader may feel that the tiger king trembled upon
hearing the name of a tiger but actually that did not happen. On the other
hand, as soon as the Crown Prince Jung Jang Bahadur heard the name of
a tiger he made a deep growing sound and spoke terrifying words. He said
that all the tigers should beware.
 
This account is only a rumour rife in Pratibandapuram. But with hindsight
we may conclude it was based on some truth.
 
Rumour: a currently circulating story or report of uncertain or doubtful truth.
Rife: widespread, prevalent
Hindsight:  to understand an event or situation only after it has happened
 
Further the writer says that this story is a rumour that was heard by him in
Pratibandapuram but if we look at the happenings of the past we could
conclude that these rumours were based on true happenings.
 
II
 
Crown prince Jung Jung Bahadur grew taller and stronger day by day. No
other miracle marked his childhood days apart from the event already
described.
 
The Crown Prince Jung Jung Bahadur grew taller and stronger as the days
passed by there were no other miracles in his childhood.
 
The boy drank the milk of an English cow, was brought up by an English
nanny, tutored in English by an
Englishman, saw nothing but English films — exactly as the crown princes
of all the other Indian states did. When he came of age at twenty, the State,
which had been with the Court of Wards until then, came into his hands.
 
Court of wards: The Court of Wards was a legal body created by the East
India Company. Its purpose was to protect heirs and their estates when the
heir was deemed to be a minor and therefore incapable of acting
independently.
 
As a boy, he drank the milk of an English cow, was brought up by an
English governess, got lessons in English by an Englishman and watched
English films just like the Crown princes of other Indian states did. When
the Crown Prince Jung Jung Bahadur turned twenty years of age, the royal
state which had been in the custody of the court of wards was given to him.
 
But everyone in the kingdom remembered the astrologer’s prediction. Many
continued to discuss the matter. Slowly it came to the Maharaja’s ears.
 
All the people who lived in the kingdom were aware of the astrologer’s
prediction. Many of the people discussed these predictions and one day,
King Jung Jung Bahadur came to know of it.
 
There were innumerable forests in the Pratibandapuram State. They had
tigers in them. The Maharaja knew the old saying, ‘You may kill even a cow
in self-defence’. There could certainly be no objection to killing tigers in
self-defence. The Maharaja started out on a tiger hunt.
 
The Pratibandapuram state had many forests which had a number of tigers
in them. The Maharaja was aware of an old saying that you could kill even
a cow in order to protect yourself. So, he felt that the cow which was
considered to be a holy animal could also be killed by a Hindu in order to
save himself, then no one would object if he killed a tiger in order to protect
himself. So, Maharaja Jung Jung Bahadur started out on a tiger hunting
expedition.
 
The Maharaja was thrilled beyond measure when he killed his first tiger. He
sent for the State astrologer and showed him the dead beast.
 
He was very excited when he killed the first tiger. He called for the state
astrologer and showed him the dead tiger.
 
‘‘What do you say now?’’ he demanded.
 
‘‘Your majesty may kill ninety-nine tigers in exactly the same manner.
But...’’ the astrologer drawled.
 
‘‘But what? Speak without fear.’’
 
“But you must be very careful with the hundredth tiger.’’
 
‘‘What if the hundredth tiger were also killed?’’
 
The king asked the astrologer for his comments and The Astrologer replied
that the king could kill ninety nine tigers in exactly the same way as he had
killed the first one and he stopped speaking. The king encouraged the
astrologer to continue without fear. So, the astrologer said that the king had
to be very careful with the hundredth Tiger that he hunted. The king asked
him that what would happen if he killed the hundredth tiger also.
 
‘‘Then I will tear up all my books on astrology, set fire to them, and…’’
 
‘‘And…’’
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
‘‘I shall cut off my tuft, crop my hair short and become an insurance agent,’’
the astrologer finished on an incoherent note.
 
Tuft: a bunch or collection of threads, grass, hair, etc., held or growing
together at the base.
Incoherent: unclear, confused
 
The Astrologer replied that he would tear all his books of astrology and set
them on fire. He continued that he shall cut off his hair and would change
his profession from an astrologer to an insurance agent as he would not
remain a good astrologer any longer.
 

III
 
From that day onwards it was celebration time for all the tigers inhabiting
Pratibandapuram.
 
The State banned tiger hunting by anyone except the Maharaja. A
proclamation was issued to the effect that if anyone dared to fling so much
as a stone at a tiger, all his wealth and property would be confiscated.
 
Proclamation: a public or official announcement 
Fling: throw
Confiscated: taken with authority
 
From that day the tigers in Pratibandapuram had a nice time as the
kingdom banned tiger hunting by anyone except the Maharaja. No one was
allowed to kill a tiger other than the Maharaja himself. The law was so strict
that an official announcement was made that if anyone was caught killing a
tiger or even throwing a stone at a tiger, his wealth and property would be
taken away by the kingdom of Pratibandapuram.
 
The Maharaja vowed he would attend to all other matters only after killing
the hundred tigers. Initially the king seemed well set to realise his ambition.
 
Ambition: a strong desire to do or achieve something.
 
The king of Pratibandapuram took an oath that he would attend to all other
matters of the kingdom only after he had killed 100 tigers. In the beginning
it seems that he would achieve his target very fast.
 
Not that he faced no dangers. There were times when the bullet missed its
mark, the tiger leapt upon him and he fought the beast with his bare hands.
Each time it was the Maharaja who won.
 
Bare: here, unarmed
 
It was not that he feared the tiger. When the king went on his hunting
expeditions, he faced danger many times. At times, his Bullet missed its
target and the tiger jumped upon him. The king would fight with the tigers
barehanded but each time he won and killed the tiger.
 
At another time he was in danger of losing his throne. A high-ranking British
officer visited Pratibandapuram. He was very fond of hunting tigers. And
fonder of being photographed with the tigers he had shot. As usual, he
wished to hunt tigers in Pratibandapuram. But the Maharaja was firm in his
resolve. He refused permission. ‘‘I can organise any other hunt. You may
go on a boar hunt. You may conduct a mouse hunt. We are ready for a
mosquito hunt. But tiger hunt! That’s impossible!’’
 
Firm: determined
Resolve: decision
Boar: pig
 
The writer tells us another instance when King Jung Jung Bahadur was
about to lose his throne. A high ranking British officer visited
Pratibandapuram. He was fond of hunting tigers and he wanted to get
himself photographed with the dead tigers. He wanted to hunt tigers in
Pratibandapuram also but as the Maharaja had banned killing tigers by any
other person, he did not give permission to this British official also. He
offered him to go on any other hunting like mouse or even a mosquito hunt
but he refused to arrange a tiger hunting for this British officer.
 
The British officer’s secretary sent word to the Maharaja through the dewan
that the durai himself did not have to kill the tiger. The Maharaja could do
the actual killing. What was important to the durai was a photograph of
himself holding the gun and standing over the tiger’s carcass. But the
Maharaja would not agree even to this proposal. If he relented now, what
would he do if other British officers turned up for tiger hunts?
 
Durai: tamil word meaning chief or leader
Carcass: the dead body of an animal.
Relented: relaxed his decision
 
The British official’s secretary send a message to the Maharaja that the
Durai that is the official himself did not want to kill the tiger. The king could
kill the tiger, he only wanted to get himself photographed with the dead
body of a tiger. But the king did not agree to this proposal also. He said
that if he relaxed his decision and allowed the official to get himself
photographed with the dead tiger, then other British officers would also
come to Pratibandapuram in order to fulfill their wish of hunting a tiger.
 
Because he prevented a British officer from fulfilling his desire, the
Maharaja stood in danger of losing his kingdom itself.
 
The Maharaja and the dewan held deliberations over this issue. As a result,
a telegram was despatched forthwith to a famous British company of
jewellers in Calcutta. ‘Send samples of expensive diamond rings of
different designs.’
 
Deliberations: discussions
Dispatched: sent
 
As the king had refused a British officer from fulfilling his wish, he was in
danger of losing his kingdom. The king had discussions with his Minister
over this issue. The king sent a telegram to a famous British company of
Jewellers based in Calcutta. He asked them to send samples of expensive
diamond rings of different designs.
 
Some fifty rings arrived. The Maharaja sent the whole lot to the British
officer’s good lady. The king and the minister expected the duraisani to
choose one or two rings and send the rest back. Within no time at all
the duraisani sent her reply: ‘Thank you very much for your gifts.’
Duraisani: Tamil word for wife of the chief.
 
In two days a bill for three lakh of rupees came from the British jewellers.
The Maharaja was happy that though he had lost three lakh of rupees, he
had managed to retain his kingdom.
 
The Jeweller sent fifty rings and the Maharaja sent all of them to the British
officer’s wife. He wanted to please her in order to make good the damage
that he had done by refusing the official from going on a tiger hunt in his
kingdom. The king had expected that the British officer’s wife would choose
one or two rings and return the others but she just sent a reply saying
thanks for the gifts and she kept all the rings. After two days the British
jewelers sent a bill of three lakh rupees for the fifty diamond rings they had
sent. The Maharaja was happy that he had saved his kingdom for a sum of
three lakh rupees.
 
IV
 
The Maharaja’s tiger hunts continued to be highly successful. Within ten
years he was able to kill seventy tigers. And then, an unforeseen hurdle
brought his mission to a standstill. The tiger population became extinct in
the forests of Pratibandapuram. Who knows whether the tigers practised
birth control or committed harakiri? Or simply ran away from the State
because they desired to be shot by British hands alone?
 
Unforeseen: unplanned, accidental
Hurdle: problem
Standstill: stop
Extinct: having no living members.
Hara-kiri: a ritual of suicide practiced in Japan.
 
The king was very successful in his tiger hunting missions. In a span of ten
years he had killed seventy tigers. An unplanned problem stopped his
mission. The problem was that there were no more tigers in
Pratibandapuram. The writer creates humour when he says that maybe the
tigers practiced birth control activities and did not produce offsprings or
maybe they committed suicide. He also adds that it could be that they ran
away from Pratibandapuram because they did not want to be killed by an
Indian and on the other hand they want it to be killed by a Britisher.
 

One day the Maharaja sent for the dewan. ‘‘Dewan saheb, aren’t you
aware of the fact that thirty tigers still remain to be shot down by this gun of
mine?’’ he asked brandishing his gun.
 
Brandishing: waving as a threat or in anger or excitement
 
Shuddering at the sight of the gun, the dewan cried out, ‘‘Your Majesty! I
am not a tiger!’’
 
Shuddering: tremble with fear
 
‘‘Which idiot would call you a tiger?’’
 
“No, and I’m not a gun!’’
 
“You are neither tiger nor gun. Dewan saheb, I summoned you here for a
different purpose. I have decided to get married.’’
 
Summoned: called
 
One day the king called his minister and waved his gun towards him. He
said that he was yet to kill thirty more tigers. The Minister was scared when
he saw the gun and he cried to the king that he was not a tiger as he
feared that the king might aim his gun at him. The king said that he was not
foolish that he would mistake the minister for a tiger. The Minister was so
scared that he added that he was neither a gun. The king said to him that
he knew that he was neither a tiger not a gun but on the other hand, the
king had called his minister for another work - the king wanted to get
married.
 
The dewan began to babble even more. ‘‘Your Majesty, I have two wives
already. If I marry you ...’’
 
Babble:  to talk or say something in a quick, confused, excited, or silly way
 
‘‘Don’t talk nonsense! Why should I marry you? What I want is a tiger...’’
 
‘‘Your Majesty! Please think it over. Your ancestors were married to the
sword. If you like, marry the gun. A Tiger King is more than enough for this
state. It doesn’t need a Tiger Queen as well!’’
 
The Minister was so confused that he started speaking something in a silly
way. He said that the king already had two wives and if the Minister
married the king…. the king interrupted the Minister and scolded him for
speaking nonsense. He said that he had no reason to marry the Minister
and he did not want to marry the Minister. He said that he wanted a tiger so
the writer again creates humour when he says that the Minister told the
king that he should think over his decision. The minister adds that the
king’s ancestors were married to the sword and so, if he wanted he could
marry the gun. But marrying a tiger and getting a ‘Tiger Queen’ for the
kingdom of Pratibandapuram was not a good thought. He added that a
Tiger King was enough for the state and they did not need a Tiger Queen.
 
The Maharaja gave a loud crack of laughter. ‘‘I’m not thinking of marrying
either a tiger or a gun, but a girl from the ranks of human beings. First you
may draw up statistics of tiger populations in the different native states.
Next you may investigate if there is a girl I can marry in the royal family of a
state with a large tiger population.’’
 
Investigate: find out
 
This was very hilarious and the Maharaja started laughing. He said that he
did not want to marry either a tiger or a gun but he wanted to marry a girl
from another Kingdom. He asked his minister to make a list of all the
kingdoms and the number of tigers they had. Next, the Minister was
supposed to find out if there was a girl worth marrying in the royal family of
a state which had a large number of tigers.
 
The dewan followed his orders. He found the right girl from a state which
possessed a large number of tigers.
 
Maharaja Jung Jung Bahadur killed five or six tigers each time he visited
his father-in-law. In this manner, ninety-nine tiger skins adorned the walls of
the reception hall in the Pratibandapuram palace.
 
Adorned: decorated
 
The Minister followed the orders and he found the right girl from a state
which had a large number of tigers. So every time king Jung Jung Bahadur
visited his father-in-law, he would kill five or six tigers in the kingdom. In
this manner, the king killed ninety-nine tigers and the skins of the tigers
decorated the walls of the lobby hall of the Pratibandapuram palace.
 
V
 
The Maharaja’s anxiety reached a fever pitch when there remained just one
tiger to achieve his tally of a hundred.
 
Fever pitch: extreme
Anxiety: curiosity
Tally: count, total
 
As the Maharaja has killed ninety-nine tigers, he was to kill just one more
to complete his total of hundred tigers. He became very anxious and
curious to kill the hundredth tiger.
 
He had this one thought during the day and the same dream at night. By
this time the tiger farms had run dry even in his father-in-Iaw’s kingdom. It
became impossible to locate tigers anywhere. Yet only one more was
needed. If he could kill just that one single beast, the Maharaja would have
no fears left. He could give up tiger hunting altogether.
 
All through the day and night he kept on dreaming of killing the hundredth
tiger. The tiger population in the king’s father-in-law’s kingdom had also
finished. He could not find a single tiger anywhere. The king was very
desperate for one single tiger that he could hunt after which he would give
up hunting as he would not fear tigers any longer.
 
But he had to be extremely careful with that last tiger. What had the late
chief astrologer said? “Even after killing ninety-nine tigers the Maharaja
should beware of the hundredth...’’ True enough. The tiger was a savage
beast after all. One had to be wary of it. But where was that hundredth tiger
to be found? It seemed easier to find tiger’s milk than a live tiger
.
Savage: uncontrolled
Wary: be cautious
 
He was reminded of the late astrologer’s words that he was supposed to
be very careful with the hundredth tiger that he hunted and the king agreed
that tigers were uncontrolled animals and so he had to be cautious of it.
But he was not able to find the hundredth tiger that he could kill. The writer
again creates humour by saying that it was easier to find tiger’s milk in the
kingdom rather than an alive tiger.
 
Thus the Maharaja was sunk in gloom. But soon came the happy news
which dispelled that gloom. In his own state sheep began to disappear
frequently from a hillside village.
 
Gloom: sadness
Dispelled: removed
 
It was first ascertained that this was not the work of Khader Mian Saheb or
Virasami Naicker, both famed for their ability to swallow sheep whole.
Surely, a tiger was at work. The villagers ran to inform the Maharaja. The
Maharaja announced a three-year exemption from all taxes for that village
and set out on the hunt at once.
 
Exemption: freedom
 
This made the king very sad. He sadness came to an end when he got the
news that in a hillside village, sheep was disappearing very fast. There
were two people in the kingdom- Khader Mian Sahib and Virasami Naicker
who could swallow whole sheep. As this was not their job, so it was
calculated that there was a tiger at work. The villagers were very excited
and they informed the king about it. The Maharaja was so happy that he
exempted the villages from all taxes for three years and set out to hunt this
tiger.
 
The tiger was not easily found. It seemed as if it had wantonly hid itself in
order to flout the Maharaja’s will.
 
Wantonly: carelessly
Flout: to go against something or someone
 
The Maharaja was equally determined. He refused to leave the forest until
the tiger was found. As the days passed, the Maharaja’s fury and obstinacy
mounted alarmingly. Many officers lost their jobs.
 
Fury: anger
Obstinacy: firmness
Mounted: increased
 
The king could not locate the tiger easily and it seemed as if the tiger was
hidden in order to go against the king’s desire of killing the tiger. But the
king was very determined he did not leave the forest until he would find the
tiger. With the passing days he became very angry and was firm to kill the
tiger. In his anger he removed many officers from his Kingdom.
 
One day when his rage was at its height, the Maharaja called the dewan
and ordered him to double the land tax forthwith.
 
Rage: anger
 
‘‘The people will become discontented. Then our state too will fall a prey to
the Indian National Congress.’’
 
Discontented: unhappy
 
One day, in his fury he called the Minister and ordered him to increase the
land tax to double. He felt that by doing this, the people would become
unhappy and his kingdom would become a part of the Indian National
Congress.
 
‘‘In that case you may resign from your post,’’ said the king.
 
The dewan went home convinced that if the Maharaja did not find the tiger
soon, the results could be catastrophic. He felt life returning to him only
when he saw the tiger which had been brought from the People’s Park in
Madras and kept hidden in his house.
 
Catastrophic: causing sudden great damage or suffering
 
By doing so the Minister would also resign from his post. This was the
king’s way of threatening the Minister. The Minister realized that the king
was very angry and he thought that if the tiger was not found soon, it could
lead to destruction. The Minister found that the tiger that had been brought
from the People's Park in Madras was hidden in his house, he felt relieved.
 
At midnight when the town slept in peace, the dewan and his aged wife
dragged the tiger to the car and shoved it into the seat. The dewan himself
drove the car straight to the forest where the Maharaja was hunting. When
they reached the forest the tiger launched its satyagraha and refused to get
out of the car.
The dewan was thoroughly exhausted in his efforts to haul the beast out of
the car and push it down to the ground.
 
Haul: pull or drag with effort or force
 
The Minister along with his wife pulled the tiger into his car and drove the
car to the forests where the Maharaja was hunting. The tiger did not come
out of the car and the Minister had a tough time pushing the tiger out of the
car into the forest.
 
On the following day, the same old tiger wandered into the Maharaja’s
presence and stood as if in humble supplication, “Master, what do you
command of me?’’ It was with boundless joy that the Maharaja took careful
aim at the beast. The tiger fell in a crumpled heap.
 
Supplication: pray
 
The next day the same tiger was spotted by the Maharaja. He was very
happy to see the hundredth tiger and he aimed at the tiger. The tiger fell
down as if it had been shot dead by the king. He was overjoyed to have
killed the hundredth tiger and had fulfilled his wow.
 
‘‘I have killed the hundredth tiger. My vow has been fulfilled,’’ the Maharaja
was overcome with elation.
 
 Ordering the tiger to be brought to the capital in grand procession, the
Maharaja hastened away in his car.
 
Elation: joy
 
Procession: parade
 
The king was happy to have killed the hundredth tiger. He ordered that the
tiger should be brought to the capital in a grand procession and went away
in his car.
 
After the Maharaja left, the hunters went to take a closer look at the tiger.
The tiger looked back at them rolling its eyes in bafflement. The men
realised that the tiger was not dead; the bullet had missed it. It had fainted
from the shock of the bullet whizzing past. The hunters wondered what they
should do. They decided that the Maharaja must not come to know that he
had missed his target. If he did, they could lose their jobs. One of the
hunters took aim from a distance of one foot and shot the tiger. This time
he killed it without missing his mark.
 
Bafflement: confusion
 
After the king had left the hunters took a closer look at the tiger and saw
that it was alive. They realized that the king’s bullet had missed the tiger.
The tiger had nearly fainted due to the shock as the bullet had passed
close to it. The hunters were confused what to do and so, one of them
aimed at the tiger and shot it dead.
 
Then, as commanded by the king, the dead tiger was taken in procession
through the town and buried. A tomb was erected over it.
 
Then the hunters followed the king’s orders and took the dead tiger to the
town in a procession. It was buried and a beautiful tomb was erected on
the tiger’s grave.
 
A few days later the Maharaja’s son’s third birthday was celebrated. Until
then the Maharaja had given his entire mind over to tiger hunting. He had
had no time to spare for the crown prince. But now the king turned his
attention to the child. He wished to give him some special gift on his
birthday. He went to the shopping centre in Pratibandapuram and searched
every shop, but couldn’t find anything suitable. Finally he spotted a wooden
tiger in a toyshop and decided it was the perfect gift.
 
After a few days, the maharaja’s son’s third birthday was celebrated. Till
that time the king had been so engrossed in tiger hunting that he had never
spent any time with his family. Now, as he had fulfilled his wow of killing
hundred tigers, he gave his attention to his child. King Jung Jung Bahadur
wanted to give a special gift to his son on his birthday and so he went to
the shopping centre in Pratibandapuram. He searched every shop but
could not find any suitable gift for his son. Finally, he saw a wooden tiger in
a toy shop and considered it to be the perfect gift.
 

 
The wooden tiger cost only two annas and a quarter. But the shopkeeper
knew that if he quoted such a low price to the Maharaja, he would be
punished under the rules of the Emergency. So, he said, ‘‘Your Majesty,
this is an extremely rare example of craftsmanship. A bargain at three
hundred rupees!’’
 
Annas: currency used in the olden times. 1 anna = 1/16 rupee.
 
The wooden tiger cost only two and a quarter annas but the shopkeeper
knew that if he quoted such a low price to the king, he would punish him.
So, the shop owner told the king that the wooden tiger was a perfect
example of craftsmanship and that it cost a mere three hundred rupees.
 
‘‘Very good. Let this be your offering to the crown prince on his birthday,’’
said the king and took it away with him. On that day father and son played
with that tiny little wooden tiger. It had been carved by an unskilled
carpenter. Its surface was rough; tiny slivers of wood stood up like quills all
over it. One of those slivers pierced the Maharaja’s right hand. He pulled it
out with his left hand and continued to play with the prince.
 
Slivers: shavings
 
The king was very happy and he said that this was the shop owner’s gift to
the Crown Prince. He took the tiger with him. The king and his son played
with the wooden tiger. The tiger had been made by an unskilled carpenter
and it had tiny shavings of wood pricking out of it. One of the shavings
pierced the maharaja’s right hand. The Maharaja pulled it out and continue
to play with the prince.
 
The next day, infection flared in the Maharaja’s right hand. In four days, it
developed into a suppurating sore which spread all over the arm.

 
 
Suppurating: a wound full of pus
Sore: painful inflammation
 
 
The next day, there was a lot of infection in the maharaja’s right hand due
to that shaving of wood that had pricked his hand. In a period of four days,
the infection turned into a wound full of pus and spread all over the king’s
right arm.
 
Three famous surgeons were brought in from Madras. After holding a
consultation they decided to operate. The operation took place.
 
The three surgeons who performed it came out of the theatre and
announced, “The operation was successful. The Maharaja is dead.”
 
In this manner the hundredth tiger took its final revenge upon the Tiger
King.
 

Three famous surgeons were called from Madras and they decided to
operate upon the king. After the operation the surgeons came out of the
theater and said that the operation was successful and the Maharaja was
dead.
 
Here the surgeons’ words are contradictory because if the king died, it
meant that the operation was unsuccessful whereas they said that it was
successful. Actually, they were supporting the words of the astrologer. The
wooden tiger was the hundredth tiger that had killed the king Jung Jung
Bahadur and thus, made the astrologer’s prediction true. So, in this manner
the hundredth tiger took revenge upon the tiger king and killed him.
 
 
Summary –
 
The tiger King is the story of king Jung Jung Bahadur of Pratibandapuram,
a brave warrior whose death had been predicted when he was born. The
chief astrologer had predicted as the royal child was born in the hour of the
bull, the tiger being its enemy, death would come to the child by a tiger.
The brave prince asked all tigers to beware of him. He came to be known
as ‘tiger king’.
 
The prince became king at the age of twenty and considering killing a cow
in self defense to be lawful, went on a tiger killing spree. He was warned of
danger from the hundredth tiger that he encountered. As all the tigers in his
kingdom had been killed by him but still he had to kill more, he married into
a state having a high population of tigers.
 
When his killings reached ninety nine, he desperately sought the next hunt.
Fearing the king’s harshness, the minister planted an old tiger in the forest
for him to kill. The king fired at it but the tiger escaped the bullet
miraculously. The royal hunters feared the king and so did not inform him;
rather they killed the beast themselves.
 
The king was satisfied that he had evaded death and now celebrated his
son’s third birthday. He got a wooden toy tiger as a gift for the prince.
Although it was poorly done, the shopkeeper, fearing punishment under the
rules of emergency charged a high price. As both the king and his son were
playing with the tiger, one of the thin pieces of wood that were erupting out
of the wooden tiger like feathers pierced the king’s right hand.
 
The wound became infectious, spread through his arm and as he was
being operated upon, he died.
So, ironically, the hundredth tiger killed the king and eventually took its
revenge.
 
Question and answers -
 
1. 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?
A.The king was full of pride. He thought he could achieve anything, even
overpower death. He tried to prove the predictions of the royal astrologer
as false. He had predicted death for the king by a tiger. As the king killed
one, he cautioned him against the hundredth tiger that he came across.
 
Ironically, the king killed the hundredth tiger also and overpowered death
but as it was destined to be, the tiger escaped the bullet miraculously. He
had killed ferocious tigers of flesh and blood but his satirical death came by
a wooden toy tiger which he had got as a birthday gift for his son. A tiny
piece of wood from the toy wounded the tiger king’s hand and finally killed
him. This was an unexpected end of the mighty maharaja ‘the tiger king’.
 
 
2. What is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to
the willfulness of human beings?
A. The author is indicating that the king being mighty, killed so many
innocent animals merely to prove the astrologer wrong or to overcome his
fear without realizing the severity of his actions. He did not accept destiny
which has its own ways as death struck upon him by a lifeless, wooden
tiger.
 
 
3. 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?
A. The king’s minions feared him and tried to please him. They wanted to
keep him happy and so, spoke what was pleasing to the king’s ears.
 
The astrologer was initially reluctant to predict the king’s future. It was
when the king asked him ‘to speak without fear’ that he spoke.
 
The minister did not advise the king not to kill so many innocent animals;
rather he searched for a kingdom with a high population of tigers for the
king to kill.
 
The royal hunters did not inform the king about the hundredth tiger being
alive as they feared losing their job.
 
The shopkeeper sold the toy tiger to the king at a high price because he
feared punishment.
 
In today’s political order also, we can see that the people who are in
subordination try to please their seniors in order to retain their positions.