ST.
BEDE’S ACADEMY SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL,
SANTHOME, CHENNAI - 600 004
NOTES
SUBJECT : ENGLISH
TOPIC : THE TIGER KING
DATE:25.08.2025
The Tiger King by Kalki About the Author
Kalki is the pen-name of Ramaswamy Aiyer Krishnamurthy (9 September 1899
– 5 December 1954). He was a Tamil writer, journalist, poet, critic and Freedom
Movement activist. His writings include over 120 short stories, 10 novelettes,
five novels, three historical romances, editorials and political writings and
hundreds of films and music reviews. His works were nationalised by the
government of Tamil Nadu.
Introduction
The story is a satire on the rich and powerful kings of the olden times. In order to
prove the prophecies of the fortune teller wrong, the king of Pratibandapuram
mindlessly kills ninety nine tigers but the hundredth one, the cause of the king’s
death escapes his bullet. Ultimately, the king is killed by an inanimate tiger made
of wood. Hence, the prophecy turns to be true, despite the king’s efforts to prove
it wrong.
Summary
‘The Tiger King’ describes Maharaja Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur of
Pratibandapuram. When the king was just 10 days old, astrologers predicted that
he would be killed by a tiger. At this the 10-day-old prince, for a surprise to all,
uttered, ‘Let tigers beware!. The child grew like any other royal child, drinking
the milk of a white cow, looked after by an English nanny and watching English
movies.
At the age of 20, he was crowned the king and came to know about the
prediction relating to his death. From then, he started killing tigers and banned
the tiger hunt by any other person in the state. As per the astrologer he needed to
be careful with the hundredth tiger even if he had killed ninety-nine tigers.
Once a high ranking British officer visited his state and wanted to go for tiger
hunting. But his wish was declined and in order to secure his state from the
wrath of the British officer, the Maharaja sent 50 diamond rings worth Rs. 3
lakh to the officer’s wife.
The Maharaja killed seventy tigers in ten years and there was no tiger left in
Pratibandapuram. In order to achieve his target of killing hundred tigers, the
Maharaja decided to marry a girl from a royal state which had more tigers to
complete his target. Every time, when he used to visit his in-laws, he used to kill
5-6 tigers. In this way he could kill ninety-nine tigers but couldn’t find the
hundredth tiger. The Maharaja got furious for not finding the hundredth tiger
and threatened the Dewan, who in order to save himself, got an old tiger from
the circus and with great difficulty placed it in the forest.
The Maharaja shot this tiger and felt happy and victorious. But, in fact, the
bullet did not hit the tiger. The tiger collapsed out of fear. But none of the staff
wanted to take the risk of telling the Maharaja the truth. So they killed it and
brought it in a grand procession.
Finally, the Tiger King was happy and satisfied. On the third birthday of his
son, he bought a wooden tiger as a gift for his son. This was so poorly carved
that as the Tiger King was playing with it, a tiny sliver of the wood pierced his
right hand which later on developed an infection. He was operated upon and
during this, he died. Thus, ironically the hundredth tiger, i.e. the wooden tiger,
took its revenge on the Tiger King.
Conclusion of the Tiger King Summary
By means of the tiger king summary, the writer wants to say that no one can
change what’s written in destiny no matter what they do.
