Lesson-2

The Tiger King

By Kalki

The Tiger King Introduction

The plot is a satire on the rich and powerful kings of old. To disprove the fortune teller's prophecies, the king of Pratibandapuram mindlessly kills ninety-nine tigers, but the hundredth one, the cause of the king's death, escapes his bullet. Finally, an inanimate tiger made of wood kills the king. As a result, despite the king's efforts to disprove it, the prophecy proves to be right.

The Tiger King Summary

The storey of King Jung Jung Bahadur of Pratibandapuram, a brave warrior whose death was predicted when he was born, is told in The Tiger King. The chief astrologer predicted that because the royal child was born during the hour of the bull, and the tiger was its enemy, the child would be killed by a tiger. All tigers were warned to be fully aware of the brave prince. He became known as the "Tiger King."

At the age of twenty, the prince became king and, believing that killing a cow in self-defense was legal, went on a tiger killing spree. The hundredth tiger he encountered warned him of danger. Because he had killed all the tigers in his kingdom but still needed to kill more, he married into a state with a large tiger population. When his tally of killings reached ninety-nine, he was desperate for the next hunt. Fearing the king's wrath, the minister planted an old tiger in the forest for him to hunt down. The king fired at it, but the tiger miraculously escaped the bullet. Because the royal hunters feared the king, they did not inform him and instead killed the beast themselves.

The king was relieved to have escaped death and was now celebrating his son's third birthday. As a gift for the prince, he give a wooden toy tiger. Despite the fact that it was poorly done, the shopkeeper charged a high price because he was afraid of being prosecuted under the emergency rules. One of the thin pieces of wood that were erupting from the wooden tiger like feathers pierced the king's right hand while both the king and his son were playing with it. The wound became infected, spread through his arm, and he died while being operated on. As a result, the hundredth tiger killed the king and eventually exacted its revenge.

The Tiger King Lesson 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 author introduces the story's main character, the king of Pratibandapuram. Because of his bravery, the king is a hero. He is given a list of titles in order to highlight his greatness. To encapsulate all of the titles, the king is known as "The Tiger King." The reason for his nickname “ will be revealed in the following lesson.

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 author promises to explain why the king was called "The Tiger King." He also promises the reader that he will not break his promise, even if he is threatened by an attack by a Stuka Bomber aircraft. Instead, he says that the Stuka bomber aircraft can return because he is not afraid of them, and he will explain to the reader why the king is known as 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.

Before elaborating on the tiger king, the writer states that any person who reads about him would be very excited to meet a man of such unbeatable courage. However, he says that there is no chance of meeting the tiger king because the tiger king is already dead and has gone to 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 way the tiger king died was very interesting. The writer could only tell us about it at the end of the storey, but he adds that a very interesting fact about the tiger king's death was that when the tiger king was born, astrologers predicted that the tiger king would die one day. This prediction is meaningless because everyone must die at some point.

“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 author provides a detailed description of what astrologers predicted at the time of the tiger king's birth. They told the child that he would grow up to be a brave warrior, a hero, and a champion, but then they stopped and bit their lips to show their reluctance to speak. When the astrologers were forced to continue, they stated that what they were about to reveal was a secret. They claimed that the tiger king's child was born under such a star (meaning that when he was born, the star in the sky was such) that any person born at that time had to die one day. Again, this prediction is meaningless because everyone must die at some point.

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.

A miracle occurred as the astrologers revealed their secret prediction. Jilani Jung Jang Bahadur, the 10-day-old tiger king, spoke up. Everyone in the audience was shocked when they heard a 10-day-old baby speak. The tiger king summoned the wise astrologers, and the main astrologer removed his spectacles and gazed intently at the small baby. The tiger king said in a squeaky voice that everyone born has to die one day, and he didn't need their predictions to know that. He went on to say that if they told him how he died, it would make 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 shocked when he saw a 10-day-old baby speaking and asking intelligent questions. It was unbelievable to him, much like the news from the wars. He removed his finger from his nose and looked the little prince in the eyes. Then he added that because the tiger king was born during the hour of the bull, which was the tiger's enemy, the tiger king would die as a result of 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!’’

According to the author, the reader may believe that the tiger king trembled upon hearing the name of a tiger, but this was not the case. When Crown Prince Jung Jang Bahadur heard the name of a tiger, he made a deep growing sound and spoke terrifying words. He warned all tigers to be cautious.

This account is only a rumor 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

Furthermore, the writer says that this is a rumour that he heard in Pratibandapuram, but if we look at past events, we can conclude that these rumours were based on true events.

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.

There were no other miracles in his childhood for Crown Prince Jung Jung Bahadur, who grew taller and stronger as the days passed.

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 English cow milk, was raised by an English governess, received English lessons from an Englishman, and watched English films, just like the Crown princes of other Indian states. The royal state, which had been in the custody of the court of wards, was given to Crown Prince Jung Jung Bahadur when he turned twenty years old.

But everyone in the kingdom remembered the astrologer’s prediction. Many continued to discuss the matter. Slowly it came to the Maharaja’s ears.

The prediction of the astrologer was known to everyone in the kingdom. Many people discussed these predictions, and King Jung Jung Bahadur knew of them one day.

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 state of Pratibandapuram had many forests with tigers in them. The Maharaja was aware of an old proverb that said you could kill a cow to protect yourself. So he reasoned that if a Hindu could kill a cow, which was considered a sacred animal, to save himself, no one would object if he killed a tiger to protect himself. As a result, Maharaja Jung Jung Bahadur started 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.

When he killed the first tiger, he was overjoyed. He summoned the state astrologer and showed the dead tiger to him.

‘‘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 thoughts, and the astrologer replied that the king could kill ninety-nine tigers in the same manner in which he had killed the first one, and he stopped speaking. The king urged the astrologer to keep going without fear. As a result, the astrologer advised the king to exercise extreme caution when hunting the hundredth Tiger. The king inquired as to what would happen if he also killed the hundredth tiger.

‘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 up all of his astrology books and set them on fire. He went on to say that he would cut his hair and change his profession from astrologer to insurance agent because he could no longer be a good astrologer.

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

The tigers in Pratibandapuram had a good time after that because the kingdom prohibited tiger hunting by anyone other than the Maharaja. Except for the Maharaja, no one was permitted to kill a tiger. 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, the kingdom of Pratibandapuram would take away his wealth and property.

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 swore an oath that he would attend to all other kingdom matters only after he had killed 100 tigers. At first glance, he appears to be on track to meet his goal quickly.

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

He wasn't afraid of the tiger. Many times when the king went on hunting expeditions, he was in danger. His bullet occasionally missed its target, and the tiger jumped on him. The king would fight the tigers barehanded, but he would always win and kill 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 author tells us about another time when King Jung Jung Bahadur was on the verge of losing his throne. A senior British officer paid a visit to Pratibandapuram. He enjoyed hunting tigers and wanted to be photographed with the dead tigers. He wanted to hunt tigers in Pratibandapuram as well, but because the Maharaja had prohibited anyone else from killing tigers, he refused permission to this British official as well. He offered to take him on any other hunting trip, such as a mouse or mosquito hunt, but he refused to arrange a tiger hunt 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 informed the Maharaja that the Durai, or official, did not want to kill the tiger. The king could kill the tiger; all he wanted was to be photographed with the tiger's dead body. However, the king also refused to accept this proposal. He stated that if he relaxed his decision and allowed the official to be photographed with the dead tiger, other British officers would travel to Pratibandapuram to fulfil their desire to hunt 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

The king was in danger of losing his kingdom because he refused to allow a British officer to fulfil his wish. The king discussed the matter with his Minister. The king sent a telegram to a well-known British jewellers based in Calcutta. He requested that they send him samples of expensive diamond rings in various 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.’

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.

  • Duraisani: Tamil word for wife of the chief.

The jeweller sent fifty rings, which the Maharaja gave to the British officer's wife. He wanted to please her in order to make reparation for refusing to allow the official to go on a tiger hunt in his kingdom. The king had expected the British officer's wife to choose one or two rings and return the others, but she simply replied, "Thank you for the gifts," and kept all of them. The British jewellers sent a bill for three lakh rupees for the fifty diamond rings they had sent after two days. The Maharaja was overjoyed that he had saved his kingdom for 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's tiger hunting missions were a huge success. He had killed seventy tigers in ten years. His mission was halted due to an unplanned problem. The issue was that Pratibandapuram had no more tigers. When the author says that the tigers may have practised birth control and did not produce offspring, or that they may have committed suicide, he creates a sense of humour. He also speculates that they fled Pratibandapuram because they did not want to be killed by an Indian, but rather because they wanted 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.

Shuddering at the sight of the gun, the dewan cried out, ‘‘Your Majesty! I am not a tiger!’’

‘‘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.’’

  • Brandishing: waving as a threat or in anger or excitement
  • Shuddering: tremble with fear
  • Summoned: called

One day, the king summoned his minister and pointed his gun at him. He stated that he had thirty more tigers to kill. When he saw the gun, the Minister became terrified and told the king that he was not a tiger, fearing that the king would point his gun at him. The king stated that he was not so stupid as to mistake the minister for a tiger. The Minister was so terrified that he added, "I'm not a gun." The king told him that he knew he wasn't a tiger or a gun, but on the other hand, the king had summoned his minister for another task – the king wanted to marry.

The dewan began to babble even more. ‘‘Your Majesty, I have two wives already. If I marry you …’’

‘‘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!’’

  • Babble:  to talk or say something in a quick, confused, excited, or silly way

The Minister was so confused that he began speaking in a stupid way. He stated that the king already had two wives, and if the Minister married the king.... the king interrupted and scolded him for speaking nonsense. He stated that there was no reason for him to marry the Minister and that he did not want to marry the Minister. He stated that he desired a tiger, so the writer adds humour by stating that the Minister advised the king to reconsider his decision. The minister adds that the king's ancestors were married to the sword, so he could marry the gun if he so desired. However, marrying a tiger and having a 'Tiger Queen' for the kingdom of Pratibandapuram was a bad idea. He went on to say that the state was fine with a Tiger King and didn't 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 kinda hilarious, and the Maharaja burst out laughing. He stated that he did not want to marry a tiger or a gun, but rather a girl from another Kingdom. He asked that his minister compile a list of all the kingdoms and the number of tigers they possessed. The Minister was then supposed to find out if there was a suitable bride in the royal family of a state with 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 carried out the orders and found the right girl from a state with a high density of tigers. So, whenever King Jung Jung Bahadur paid a visit to his father-in-law, he would kill five or six tigers in the kingdom. In this manner, the king killed ninety-nine tigers, whose skins 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

The Maharaja had already killed 99 tigers and needed only one more to bring his total to 100. He became extremely anxious and curious about killing 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.

He kept dreaming of killing the hundredth tiger all day and night. The tiger population in the king's father-in-kingdom law's had also reached its peak. He couldn't find a tiger anywhere. The king was desperate for just one tiger to hunt, after which he would stop hunting because tigers no longer frightened him.

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 he hunted, and the king agreed that tigers were uncontrollable animals and that he needed to be cautious of them. However, he was unable to find the hundredth tiger that he could kill. The writer creates humour once more by stating that it was easier to find tiger's milk in the kingdom 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.

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.

  • Gloom: sadness
  • Dispelled: removed
  • Exemption: freedom

This saddened the king. He was overcome with sadness when he found that sheep were disappearing at an alarming rate in a hillside village. There were two people in the kingdom who could swallow whole sheep: Khader Mian Sahib and Virasami Naicker. Because this was not their job, it was assumed that a tiger was at work. The villagers were overjoyed, and they informed the king. The Maharaja was so delighted that he exempted the villages from all taxes for three years and set out to hunt the tiger.

The tiger was not easily found. It seemed as if it had wantonly hid itself in order to flout the Maharaja’s will.

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.

  • Wantonly: carelessly
  • Flout: to go against something or someone
  • Fury: anger
  • Obstinacy: firmness
  • Mounted: increased

The king had difficulty locating the tiger, and it appeared that the tiger had been hidden in order to frustrate the king's desire to kill the tiger. But the king was committed, and he refused to leave the forest until he found the tiger. With the passage of time, he grew increasingly enraged and determined to kill the tiger. In his rage, he dismissed a number of 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.

‘‘The people will become discontented. Then our state too will fall a prey to the Indian National Congress.’’

  • Rage: anger
  • Discontented: unhappy

In his rage, he summoned the Minister and ordered that the land tax be doubled. He believed that by doing so, the people would be dissatisfied, and his kingdom would become a member 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

In doing so, the Minister would resign from his position. The king was threatening the Minister in this way. The Minister realised the king was furious, and he feared that if the tiger was not found soon, it would lead to disaster. When the Minister found that the tiger he had brought from Madras' People's Park had been 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 and his wife loaded the tiger into the Minister's car and drove it to the forests where the Maharaja was hunting. The tiger refused to come out of the car, and the Minister struggled to push the tiger out of the car and 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 Maharaja saw the same tiger the next day. He was overjoyed to see the hundredth tiger and aimed at it. The tiger collapsed, as if it had been shot by the king. He was overjoyed to have killed the hundredth tiger and completed 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 overjoyed at having killed the hundredth tiger. He then drove away in his car, ordering that the tiger be brought to the capital in a grand procession.

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 realized 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 examined the tiger closely and found that it was still alive. The king's bullet had missed the tiger, they realised. The tiger had nearly fainted from the shock of the bullet passing so close to it. The hunters were at a loss for what to do, so one of them fired a shot at the tiger, killing it.

Then, as commanded by the king, the dead tiger was taken in procession through the town and buried. A tomb was erected over it.

The hunters then carried the dead tiger to town in a procession, as per the king's orders. It was buried, and a lovely tomb was built over 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 celebrated his third birthday. Until that point, the king had been so preoccupied with tiger hunting that he had spent no time with his family. After completing his wow of killing a hundred tigers, he turned his attention to his child. King Jung Jung Bahadur wanted to give his son a special gift for his birthday, so he went to the Pratibandapuram shopping centre. He looked in every store but couldn't find a suitable gift for his son. Finally, he came across a wooden tiger in a toy store and thought it would make a 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 the king would punish him if he quoted such a low price to the king. So the shopkeeper told the king that the wooden tiger was a work of art and that it cost only 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 overjoyed and stated that this was the shop owner's gift to the Crown Prince. He brought the tiger along with him. The king and his son entertained themselves by playing with the wooden tiger. The tiger had been crafted by an unskilled carpenter, and it was riddled with tiny shavings of wood. The maharaja's right hand was pierced by one of the shavings. The Maharaja drew it out and continued 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 maharaja's right hand was infected the next day as a result of the shaving of wood that had pricked it. Over the course of four days, the infection turned into a pus-filled wound that 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 well-known surgeons from Madras were summoned and decided to operate on the king. Following the operation, the surgeons emerged from the operating room and announced that the operation had been a success and that the Maharaja had died.

The surgeons' words are contradictory in this case because if the king died, it meant that the operation was a failure, whereas they claimed that it was a success. They were actually supporting the astrologer's words. The wooden tiger was the hundredth tiger to kill King Jung Jung Bahadur, confirming the astrologer's prediction. As a result, the hundredth tiger exacted revenge on the tiger king and killed him.

About the Author

Ramaswamy Aiyer Krishnamurthy (9 September 1899 – 5 December 1954) was a Tamil writer, journalist, poet, critic, and activist for Indian independence. 'Kalki' was his pen name. He wrote 120 short stories, ten novelettes, five novels, three historical romances, editorials and political essays, and hundreds of film and music reviews.