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The Tiger King
Page No: 8 Read and Find Out
1. Who is the Tiger King? Why does he get that name?
Answer: Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur, the king of Pratibandapuram, is
known as the Tiger King. At the time of his birth the astrologers (fortune-
tellers) declared (announced) that the prince would have to die one day.
The ten-day-old prince asked the astrologers (fortune-tellers) to reveal
(disclose) the manner (way) of his death. The wise men were baffled
(confused) at this miracle (wonder). The chief astrologer (main fortune-
teller) said that the cause of his death would be a tiger. The young
prince growled (roared) and uttered (spoke) terrifying (frightening)
words: 'Let tigers beware!' He decided to kill one hundred tigers. He
thus got the name 'Tiger King'.
Page No: 10
1. What did the royal infant grow up to be?
Answer: The royal infant (baby prince) grew up to be the king of
Pratibandapuram who was obsessed (fixated) with the idea of killing
one hundred tigers. He wanted to do so to disprove (refute) the
prophecy (prediction) which said that his death would come from the
hundredth tiger. This made him kill all the tigers of Pratibandapuram. He
even married for the sake of this ambition (goal). He came to be known
as the Tiger King.
Page No: 13
1. What will the Maharaja do to find the required number of tigers to
kill?
Answer: To get the required number of tigers to kill, the Maharaja will
ask his dewan (chief minister) to find a suitable (appropriate) girl for him
to marry. A suitable (appropriate) girl for matrimonial alliance (marriage
partnership) should be the one who would not only come from a royal
family but also would belong to a state with a large tiger population. As
Pratibandapuram had no more tigers left, a province (region) that
belonged to his father-in-law would certainly provide him with an
opportunity (chance) to kill more tigers and reach his aim (goal) of killing
one hundred tigers.
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Page No: 14
1. How will the Maharaja prepare himself for the hundredth tiger
which was supposed to decide his fate?
Answer: The Maharaja would be extremely careful while dealing with
the hundredth tiger which was supposed to be the reason for his death.
On encountering (meeting) the hundredth one, he will take a careful aim
at the tiger and will shoot it. When it falls in a crumpled (collapsed) heap
(pile), he would be filled with joy (happiness) and will leave the place
hastily (quickly).
Page No: 15
1. What will now happen to the astrologer? Do you think the
prophecy was indisputably disproved?
Answer: The astrologer (fortune-teller) dies before the king of
Pratibandapuram gets an opportunity (chance) to kill one hundred
tigers. Disproving (refuting) his prophecy (prediction) seems to be the
sole (only) reason for the king's existence (life). Except for killing
hundred tigers, everything else takes a back-seat (secondary
importance) for the king. The prophecy (prediction) cannot be
indisputably (undeniably) disproved (refuted) as the king was ultimately
(finally) killed by a tiger, though neither by a real one nor by the
hundredth one. Looking at the weak, old and almost lifeless tiger that
was the hundredth one, no one would have thought that it would escape
the king’s bullet by fainting (collapsing) at the shock of the bullet
whizzing (speeding) past. It was the “tiny little wooden tiger” from the
toy shop that caused the death of the Tiger King.
Page No: 17 Reading with Insight
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?
Answer: The story "The Tiger King" is a supreme (excellent) example
of dramatic irony (situation where the audience knows more than the
character). Dramatic irony refers to a situation where the complete
significance (meaning) of a character's words or actions is transparent
(clear) to the audience but is not known to the character. The character
acts in a way grossly (extremely) inappropriate to the actual
circumstances (situation) or expects the opposite of what fate (destiny)
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holds in store for him. Kalki has used a very dexterous (skillful) use of
dramatic irony in the story. After killing the first tiger the King flaunts
(shows off) its dead body before the astrologer (fortune-teller) to show
that he is more powerful than the tiger. However, the astrologer
(fortune-teller) warns the king that he should be "careful with the
hundredth tiger". The king chooses to prove the astrologer (fortune-
teller) wrong once again and makes frantic (desperate) efforts to kill
hundred tigers. Thus, having shot at the old tiger, the Tiger King
believes he has killed the hundredth tiger. But the reader as well as the
king's officers and minions (followers) soon come to know that the
emaciated (weak) tiger does not get killed but only has fainted
(collapsed). The king gets happy of killing the tiger but in actual
ignorance (unawareness) of this ironical (unexpected) fate (destiny) the
prediction (prophecy) proves to be right and mere sliver (splinter) on
wooden tiger's body causes his dramatic (striking) death. Quite
ironically (unexpectedly) the hundredth tiger kills the king instead and
astrologer's predictions (prophecies) stand vindicated (proven true).
2. What is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent
animals to the willfulness of human beings?
Answer: Through this satirical (mocking) story the author has rightly
portrayed (shown) how human beings have subjected (exposed)
innocent animals to untold (immense) torture (cruelty) and death,
merely (only) to fulfill their own whims and fancies (desires). The
maharaja’s indiscriminate (careless) killing of tigers led to their
extinction (disappearance) in some states, but the maharaja was
oblivious (unaware) to the grave (serious) consequences (results) his
action was leading to. In order to prove an astrologer (fortune-teller)
wrong the maharaja went on a killing spree (rampage) proving his
dominance (control) over the hapless (unfortunate) animals. He wished
to show his superiority (supremacy) as a human being and exercised
(used) his power to kill hundred unlucky tigers.
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?
Answer: Maharaja’s minions (followers) were subservient (obedient)
and sycophantic (flattering). Most of them were scared of Maharaja and
tried to keep him in good humour (mood) by obeying his orders. They
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did not dare to disobey him as his displeasure (anger) could mean loss
of their jobs or even loss of their lives. The astrologer (fortune-teller)
was afraid of predicting (foretelling) his death. However, Maharaja had
asked him to speak without any fear. Dewan (chief minister) who should
have advised the king not to kill the tigers did not dare to go against his
wishes and aided (helped) his marriage to a princess whose father’s
kingdom possessed (had) a large number of tigers. Being afraid of
losing his job, he presented an old tiger to satisfy the whims (desires) of
his Maharaja. Likewise, the hunters chose not to inform him of the
survival (living) of the 100th tiger and instead killed it themselves fearing
(worrying) that they might lose their jobs. Even the shopkeeper, who
sold the king a cheap wooden toy tiger, quoted (stated) a higher price
lest (for fear that) he should be punished under the rules of emergency
(crisis). So it is evident (clear) that the king’s minions (followers) were
driven by fear rather than by any feelings of sincerity (honesty) towards
their ruler. Today’s political order is no different. We know too well that
many of the people in power are not there because of their ability
(capability) but because of their influence (authority) and power.
Moreover, others pander (cater) to them for their own vested interests
(personal benefits) rather than for the good of the country.
4. 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 few instances (examples) of game hunting
in the present times. Even the affluent (wealthy) have been involved in
instances (examples) that illustrate (show) the callousness (cruelty) of
human beings towards wildlife.
Salman Khan – Black Buck poaching case.
Nawab Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi - Antelope case.
Salman Khan is a Bollywood celebrity (famous person) and is fond
(keen) of game hunting. He poached (illegally hunted) three Chinkaras
in two separate incidents (events). Black Buck is an endangered (at-
risk) species. Despite knowing it Salman killed them. A case was lodged
(filed) against him but he was acquitted (cleared).
Nawab Pataudi, the great cricketer, was also in the news for killing the
rare species (type) of antelopes.
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