NCERT Textbook: A Tiger in The House | English An Alien Hand Class 7 PDF Download

 Page 1


Grandfather finds a tiny tiger-cub in the forest and brings
him home.
Grandmother calls him Timothy and brings him up like a
human child.
Timothy is playful and naughty. His companions are Toto, the
monkey,  a puppy and other members of the household.
TIMOTHY, the tiger-cub, was discovered by Grandfather in
the Terai jungle near Dehra.
One day, when Grandfather was strolling down the forest
path at some distance from the rest of the party, he
discovered a little tiger about eighteen inches long, hiding
among the intricate roots of a banyan tree. Grandfather
picked him up, and brought him home. He had the
distinction of being the only member of the party to have
bagged any game, dead or alive.
At first the tiger-cub, who was named Timothy by
Grandmother, was brought up entirely on milk given to
him in a feeding-bottle by our cook, Mahmoud. But the
milk proved too rich for him, and he was put on a diet of
raw mutton and cod-liver oil, to be followed later by a more
tempting diet of pigeons and rabbits.
Timothy was provided with two companions—Toto, the
monkey, who was bold enough to pull the young tiger by the
Reprint 2024-25
Page 2


Grandfather finds a tiny tiger-cub in the forest and brings
him home.
Grandmother calls him Timothy and brings him up like a
human child.
Timothy is playful and naughty. His companions are Toto, the
monkey,  a puppy and other members of the household.
TIMOTHY, the tiger-cub, was discovered by Grandfather in
the Terai jungle near Dehra.
One day, when Grandfather was strolling down the forest
path at some distance from the rest of the party, he
discovered a little tiger about eighteen inches long, hiding
among the intricate roots of a banyan tree. Grandfather
picked him up, and brought him home. He had the
distinction of being the only member of the party to have
bagged any game, dead or alive.
At first the tiger-cub, who was named Timothy by
Grandmother, was brought up entirely on milk given to
him in a feeding-bottle by our cook, Mahmoud. But the
milk proved too rich for him, and he was put on a diet of
raw mutton and cod-liver oil, to be followed later by a more
tempting diet of pigeons and rabbits.
Timothy was provided with two companions—Toto, the
monkey, who was bold enough to pull the young tiger by the
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37
A Tiger in the House
tail, and then climb up the curtains if Timothy lost his temper;
and a small mongrel puppy, found on the road by Grandfather.
At first Timothy appeared to be quite afraid of the puppy,
and darted back with a spring if it came too near. He would
make absurd dashes at it with his large forepaws, and then
retreat to a ridiculously safe distance. Finally, he allowed
the puppy to crawl on his back and rest there!
One of Timothy’s favourite amusements was to stalk
anyone who would play with him, and so, when I came to
live with Grandfather, I became one of the tiger’s favourites.
With a crafty look in his glittering eyes, and his body
crouching, he would creep closer and closer to me, suddenly
making a dash for my feet, rolling over on his back and
kicking with delight, and pretending to bite my ankles.
He was by this time the size of a full-grown retriever, and
when I took him out for walks, people on the road would give
us a wide berth. When he pulled hard on his chain, I had
difficulty in keeping up with him. His favourite place in the
house was the drawing-room, and he would make himself
darted: moved or rushed suddenly retreat: go back stalk: move stealthily
towards crafty: cunning retriever: a breed of dog (trained to retrieve game
in hunting) give us a wide berth: keep a safe distance from us
Reprint 2024-25
Page 3


Grandfather finds a tiny tiger-cub in the forest and brings
him home.
Grandmother calls him Timothy and brings him up like a
human child.
Timothy is playful and naughty. His companions are Toto, the
monkey,  a puppy and other members of the household.
TIMOTHY, the tiger-cub, was discovered by Grandfather in
the Terai jungle near Dehra.
One day, when Grandfather was strolling down the forest
path at some distance from the rest of the party, he
discovered a little tiger about eighteen inches long, hiding
among the intricate roots of a banyan tree. Grandfather
picked him up, and brought him home. He had the
distinction of being the only member of the party to have
bagged any game, dead or alive.
At first the tiger-cub, who was named Timothy by
Grandmother, was brought up entirely on milk given to
him in a feeding-bottle by our cook, Mahmoud. But the
milk proved too rich for him, and he was put on a diet of
raw mutton and cod-liver oil, to be followed later by a more
tempting diet of pigeons and rabbits.
Timothy was provided with two companions—Toto, the
monkey, who was bold enough to pull the young tiger by the
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37
A Tiger in the House
tail, and then climb up the curtains if Timothy lost his temper;
and a small mongrel puppy, found on the road by Grandfather.
At first Timothy appeared to be quite afraid of the puppy,
and darted back with a spring if it came too near. He would
make absurd dashes at it with his large forepaws, and then
retreat to a ridiculously safe distance. Finally, he allowed
the puppy to crawl on his back and rest there!
One of Timothy’s favourite amusements was to stalk
anyone who would play with him, and so, when I came to
live with Grandfather, I became one of the tiger’s favourites.
With a crafty look in his glittering eyes, and his body
crouching, he would creep closer and closer to me, suddenly
making a dash for my feet, rolling over on his back and
kicking with delight, and pretending to bite my ankles.
He was by this time the size of a full-grown retriever, and
when I took him out for walks, people on the road would give
us a wide berth. When he pulled hard on his chain, I had
difficulty in keeping up with him. His favourite place in the
house was the drawing-room, and he would make himself
darted: moved or rushed suddenly retreat: go back stalk: move stealthily
towards crafty: cunning retriever: a breed of dog (trained to retrieve game
in hunting) give us a wide berth: keep a safe distance from us
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38
An Alien Hand
comfortable on the long sofa, reclining there with great dignity,
and snarling at anybody who tried to get him off.
Timothy had clean habits, and would scrub his face
with his paws exactly like a cat. He slept at night in the
cook’s quarters, and was always delighted at being let out
by him in the morning.
1. “He had the distinction of being the only member of the party to
have bagged any game.. .”
The phrase in italics means
(i) Grandfather was the most distinguished member of the party.
(ii) Grandfather was the only sportsperson in the party.
(iii) Grandfather was the only successful member of the hunting
party.
Mark the right answer.
2. Complete the following sentences.
(i) Toto climbed up the curtains when —————————
———————————————————————
(ii) ———————————————————————
————————, I became one of the tiger’s favourites.
(iii) Timothy  had clean habits, —————————————
———————————————————————
As Timothy grows up, he becomes less friendly and rather
dangerous.
Grandfather decides to transfer him to the zoo.
Six months later, Grandfather pays Timothy a visit.
Timothy is happy to see Grandfather. Or is he?
“One of these days,” declared Grandmother in her
prophetic manner, “we are going to find Timothy sitting
on Mahmoud’s bed, and no sign of the cook except his
clothes and shoes!”
Reprint 2024-25
Page 4


Grandfather finds a tiny tiger-cub in the forest and brings
him home.
Grandmother calls him Timothy and brings him up like a
human child.
Timothy is playful and naughty. His companions are Toto, the
monkey,  a puppy and other members of the household.
TIMOTHY, the tiger-cub, was discovered by Grandfather in
the Terai jungle near Dehra.
One day, when Grandfather was strolling down the forest
path at some distance from the rest of the party, he
discovered a little tiger about eighteen inches long, hiding
among the intricate roots of a banyan tree. Grandfather
picked him up, and brought him home. He had the
distinction of being the only member of the party to have
bagged any game, dead or alive.
At first the tiger-cub, who was named Timothy by
Grandmother, was brought up entirely on milk given to
him in a feeding-bottle by our cook, Mahmoud. But the
milk proved too rich for him, and he was put on a diet of
raw mutton and cod-liver oil, to be followed later by a more
tempting diet of pigeons and rabbits.
Timothy was provided with two companions—Toto, the
monkey, who was bold enough to pull the young tiger by the
Reprint 2024-25
37
A Tiger in the House
tail, and then climb up the curtains if Timothy lost his temper;
and a small mongrel puppy, found on the road by Grandfather.
At first Timothy appeared to be quite afraid of the puppy,
and darted back with a spring if it came too near. He would
make absurd dashes at it with his large forepaws, and then
retreat to a ridiculously safe distance. Finally, he allowed
the puppy to crawl on his back and rest there!
One of Timothy’s favourite amusements was to stalk
anyone who would play with him, and so, when I came to
live with Grandfather, I became one of the tiger’s favourites.
With a crafty look in his glittering eyes, and his body
crouching, he would creep closer and closer to me, suddenly
making a dash for my feet, rolling over on his back and
kicking with delight, and pretending to bite my ankles.
He was by this time the size of a full-grown retriever, and
when I took him out for walks, people on the road would give
us a wide berth. When he pulled hard on his chain, I had
difficulty in keeping up with him. His favourite place in the
house was the drawing-room, and he would make himself
darted: moved or rushed suddenly retreat: go back stalk: move stealthily
towards crafty: cunning retriever: a breed of dog (trained to retrieve game
in hunting) give us a wide berth: keep a safe distance from us
Reprint 2024-25
38
An Alien Hand
comfortable on the long sofa, reclining there with great dignity,
and snarling at anybody who tried to get him off.
Timothy had clean habits, and would scrub his face
with his paws exactly like a cat. He slept at night in the
cook’s quarters, and was always delighted at being let out
by him in the morning.
1. “He had the distinction of being the only member of the party to
have bagged any game.. .”
The phrase in italics means
(i) Grandfather was the most distinguished member of the party.
(ii) Grandfather was the only sportsperson in the party.
(iii) Grandfather was the only successful member of the hunting
party.
Mark the right answer.
2. Complete the following sentences.
(i) Toto climbed up the curtains when —————————
———————————————————————
(ii) ———————————————————————
————————, I became one of the tiger’s favourites.
(iii) Timothy  had clean habits, —————————————
———————————————————————
As Timothy grows up, he becomes less friendly and rather
dangerous.
Grandfather decides to transfer him to the zoo.
Six months later, Grandfather pays Timothy a visit.
Timothy is happy to see Grandfather. Or is he?
“One of these days,” declared Grandmother in her
prophetic manner, “we are going to find Timothy sitting
on Mahmoud’s bed, and no sign of the cook except his
clothes and shoes!”
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39
A Tiger in the House
Of course, it never came to that, but when Timothy was
about six months old a change came over him; he grew
steadily less friendly. When out for a walk with me, he would
try to steal away to stalk a cat or someone’s pet dog.
Sometimes at night we would hear frenzied cackling from
the poultry house, and in the morning there would be
feathers lying all over the verandah. Timothy had to be
chained up more often. And finally, when he began to stalk
Mahmoud about the house with what looked like villainous
intent, Grandfather decided it was time to transfer him
to a zoo.
Reserving a first class compartment for himself and
Timothy—no one would share a compartment with them —
Grandfather took him to Lucknow where the zoo authorities
were only too glad to receive as a gift a well-fed and fairly
civilised tiger.
About six months later, when my grandparents were
visiting relatives in Lucknow, Grandfather took the
opportunity of calling at the zoo to see how Timothy was
getting on. I was not there to accompany him but I heard
all about it when I returned to Dehra.
Arriving at the zoo, Grandfather made straight for the
particular cage in which Timothy had been interned. The
tiger was there, crouched in a corner, full-grown and with a
magnificent striped coat.
“Hello Timothy!” said Grandfather and put his arm
through the bars of the cage.
The tiger approached the bars, and allowed Grandfather
to put both hands around his head. Grandfather stroked
the tiger’s forehead and tickled his ears, and, whenever he
growled, smacked him across the mouth, which was his
old way of keeping him quiet.
frenzied: loud and frantic cackling: noise (made by hens) villainous
intent: wicked and dangerous plan or idea interned: kept smacked:  hit
lightly
Reprint 2024-25
Page 5


Grandfather finds a tiny tiger-cub in the forest and brings
him home.
Grandmother calls him Timothy and brings him up like a
human child.
Timothy is playful and naughty. His companions are Toto, the
monkey,  a puppy and other members of the household.
TIMOTHY, the tiger-cub, was discovered by Grandfather in
the Terai jungle near Dehra.
One day, when Grandfather was strolling down the forest
path at some distance from the rest of the party, he
discovered a little tiger about eighteen inches long, hiding
among the intricate roots of a banyan tree. Grandfather
picked him up, and brought him home. He had the
distinction of being the only member of the party to have
bagged any game, dead or alive.
At first the tiger-cub, who was named Timothy by
Grandmother, was brought up entirely on milk given to
him in a feeding-bottle by our cook, Mahmoud. But the
milk proved too rich for him, and he was put on a diet of
raw mutton and cod-liver oil, to be followed later by a more
tempting diet of pigeons and rabbits.
Timothy was provided with two companions—Toto, the
monkey, who was bold enough to pull the young tiger by the
Reprint 2024-25
37
A Tiger in the House
tail, and then climb up the curtains if Timothy lost his temper;
and a small mongrel puppy, found on the road by Grandfather.
At first Timothy appeared to be quite afraid of the puppy,
and darted back with a spring if it came too near. He would
make absurd dashes at it with his large forepaws, and then
retreat to a ridiculously safe distance. Finally, he allowed
the puppy to crawl on his back and rest there!
One of Timothy’s favourite amusements was to stalk
anyone who would play with him, and so, when I came to
live with Grandfather, I became one of the tiger’s favourites.
With a crafty look in his glittering eyes, and his body
crouching, he would creep closer and closer to me, suddenly
making a dash for my feet, rolling over on his back and
kicking with delight, and pretending to bite my ankles.
He was by this time the size of a full-grown retriever, and
when I took him out for walks, people on the road would give
us a wide berth. When he pulled hard on his chain, I had
difficulty in keeping up with him. His favourite place in the
house was the drawing-room, and he would make himself
darted: moved or rushed suddenly retreat: go back stalk: move stealthily
towards crafty: cunning retriever: a breed of dog (trained to retrieve game
in hunting) give us a wide berth: keep a safe distance from us
Reprint 2024-25
38
An Alien Hand
comfortable on the long sofa, reclining there with great dignity,
and snarling at anybody who tried to get him off.
Timothy had clean habits, and would scrub his face
with his paws exactly like a cat. He slept at night in the
cook’s quarters, and was always delighted at being let out
by him in the morning.
1. “He had the distinction of being the only member of the party to
have bagged any game.. .”
The phrase in italics means
(i) Grandfather was the most distinguished member of the party.
(ii) Grandfather was the only sportsperson in the party.
(iii) Grandfather was the only successful member of the hunting
party.
Mark the right answer.
2. Complete the following sentences.
(i) Toto climbed up the curtains when —————————
———————————————————————
(ii) ———————————————————————
————————, I became one of the tiger’s favourites.
(iii) Timothy  had clean habits, —————————————
———————————————————————
As Timothy grows up, he becomes less friendly and rather
dangerous.
Grandfather decides to transfer him to the zoo.
Six months later, Grandfather pays Timothy a visit.
Timothy is happy to see Grandfather. Or is he?
“One of these days,” declared Grandmother in her
prophetic manner, “we are going to find Timothy sitting
on Mahmoud’s bed, and no sign of the cook except his
clothes and shoes!”
Reprint 2024-25
39
A Tiger in the House
Of course, it never came to that, but when Timothy was
about six months old a change came over him; he grew
steadily less friendly. When out for a walk with me, he would
try to steal away to stalk a cat or someone’s pet dog.
Sometimes at night we would hear frenzied cackling from
the poultry house, and in the morning there would be
feathers lying all over the verandah. Timothy had to be
chained up more often. And finally, when he began to stalk
Mahmoud about the house with what looked like villainous
intent, Grandfather decided it was time to transfer him
to a zoo.
Reserving a first class compartment for himself and
Timothy—no one would share a compartment with them —
Grandfather took him to Lucknow where the zoo authorities
were only too glad to receive as a gift a well-fed and fairly
civilised tiger.
About six months later, when my grandparents were
visiting relatives in Lucknow, Grandfather took the
opportunity of calling at the zoo to see how Timothy was
getting on. I was not there to accompany him but I heard
all about it when I returned to Dehra.
Arriving at the zoo, Grandfather made straight for the
particular cage in which Timothy had been interned. The
tiger was there, crouched in a corner, full-grown and with a
magnificent striped coat.
“Hello Timothy!” said Grandfather and put his arm
through the bars of the cage.
The tiger approached the bars, and allowed Grandfather
to put both hands around his head. Grandfather stroked
the tiger’s forehead and tickled his ears, and, whenever he
growled, smacked him across the mouth, which was his
old way of keeping him quiet.
frenzied: loud and frantic cackling: noise (made by hens) villainous
intent: wicked and dangerous plan or idea interned: kept smacked:  hit
lightly
Reprint 2024-25
40
An Alien Hand
He licked Grandfather’s hands and only sprang away
when a leopard in the next cage snarled at him. Grandfather
‘shooed’ the leopard away, and the tiger returned to lick
his hands; but every now and then the leopard would rush
at the bars, and he would slink back to his corner.
A number of people had gathered to watch the reunion
when a keeper pushed his way through the crowd and asked
Grandfather what he was doing.
“I’m talking to Timothy,” said Grandfather. “Weren’t you
here when I gave him to the zoo six months ago?”
“I haven’t been here very long,” said the surprised keeper.
“Please continue your conversation. But I have never been
able to touch him myself, he is always very bad tempered.”
“Why don’t you put him somewhere else?” suggested
Grandfather. “That leopard keeps frightening him. I’ll go
and see the Superintendent about it.”
slink: move noiselessly
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