Short Answer Questions (with Solutions) - Mrs. Packletide's Tiger | Literature Reader Class 10 PDF Download

Read the following extracts and answer the questions.

Q 1. “In a world swayed by hunger and love, Mrs. Packletide was an exception, her motives were largely governed by ...”

(a) How was Mrs. Packletide an ‘exception’?

Ans: Mrs. Packletide was obsessed with hatred of Loona, which was not normal.

(b) What were Mrs. Packletide’s motives?

Ans: Mrs. Packletide’s motives were to hunt a tiger and more fame than Loona Bimberton.

(c) What governed her ‘motives’?

Ans: Her motives were governed by extreme hatred of Loona.

Q 2. ‘Favoured rendez vous of an animal of respectable antecedents’.

(a) Explain ‘rendez vous’.

Ans: It means ‘meeting place’.

(b) Point out the humor  in the above statement.

Ans: Even the tiger to be shot had to be from the family of famous killers. No other tiger could prove useful.

(c) What were the qualifications of the animal mentioned?

Ans: The tiger selected for the hunt was old, sick, and was from a background of great killers.

Q 3. Mothers carrying their babies home through the jungle after the day’s work in the fields hushed their singing lest they might curtail the restful sleep of the venerable herd-robber.

(a) What were the steps taken by the mothers for the animal?

Ans: The mothers did not sing lullabies to their children, so as not to disturb the tiger’s sleep.

(b) Point out the literary device in ‘venerable herd robber’.

Ans: This is an oxymoron, when contradictory elements are brought together to prove something. On one hand, the tiger is a robber and, on the other, he is respectable also.

(c) How did all this care benefit the animal?

Ans: The tiger had his full sleep, was not disturbed so that he is ready for the final day of shooting.

Q 4. Louisa adopted a protective elder sister attitude towards money in general.

(a) Explain ‘protective’ elder sister attitude.

Ans: Louisa was so miserable and never allowed money to leave her as an elder sister would protect a younger sibling.

(b) What does the above reflect about Louisa’s character?

Ans: She was a most greedy, miserly and stingy person.

(c) How did she manipulate this quality of hers?

Ans: She derived maximum benefit from her manipulative and greedy nature by saving maximum money from being wasted in tips etc.

Q 5. The luncheon party she declined, there are limits beyond which repressed emotions become dangerous.

(a) Explain ‘repressed emotions.’

Ans: This term refers to the emotions or feelings that have been hidden for a long time.

(b) Why did Loona decline the invitation?

Ans: Loona couldn’t tolerate Mrs. Packletide’s fame after the tiger-hunt. So she declined to be a part of such festivity.

(c) How do such emotions become dangerous?

Ans: Many times emotions cannot be controlled and they may overflow, causing embarrassments or lead to strifes.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q 1. What was precisely the motive for Mrs. Packletide to shoot a tiger?

Ans: Mrs. Packletide was not compelled by any adventurous feelings and she was least inclined towards any such kind of dangerous activities. Her sole aim was to counter Loona Bimberton’s fame, who had flown in an aircraft. So Mrs. Packletide wanted to hunt a tiger and get her photos in magazines, to make Loona jealous.

Q 2. What was Loona’s adventure? How did Mrs. Packletide react to it?

Ans: Loona had flown in an aircraft 11 miles with an Algerian pilot, so she had graced the cover pages of some magazines. Mrs. Packletide had been smitten by jealousy. So, to outshine Loona, she decided to do something more adventurous like a tiger hunt.

Q 3. How did circumstances prove favorable ?

Ans: Circumstances were favorable because an old and sick tiger was reportedly inhabiting the neighboring village. He was of a royal background to suit Mrs. Packletides’s style. And the villagers also agreed to cooperate for the lure of a thousand rupees, as their earning.

Q 4. Why is Mrs. Packletide compared to ‘Nimrod’?

Ans: Nimrod was a legendary hunter. Mrs. Packletide was not at all adventurous and had no inclination towards such a sport. The writer has used this comparison to create mockery and lash at such vain females.

Q 5. How did Mrs. Packletide plan to celebrate after hunting the tiger?

Ans: Mrs. Packletide had decided to throw a luncheon party at Curzon Street, with a lot of media around. The tiger skin would be publicly displayed and Loona would be the guest of honor. But all the talk would center around Mrs. Packletide’s tiger hunt. This would irritate and humiliate Loona.

Q 6. What were the two reasons for which the villagers agreed to help Mrs. Packletide?

Ans: The villages were ecstatic to earn a thousand rupees. Moreover, they were happy and excited at the prospect of watching this tiger-hunt. This would provide them with the much-needed thrill that was sadly lacking in their lives.

Q 7. Why was the tiger called ‘herd-robber’ and ‘venerable’?

Ans: The tiger would attack and eat the goats of the villagers. So they hated him and called him a herd robber. The same tiger was old and that is why he is called venerable, in mock respect.

Q 8. What was the greatest worry for the villagers?

Ans: The tiger selected for the hunt was so old and sick that the villagers were really worried that he should not die before the tiger-hunt. So they took all kinds of precautions to keep him healthy and fresh before the hunt.

Q 9. “I suppose we are in some danger.” Why does Louisa make this remark and what does it reflect about her nature?

Ans: Louisa was very money-minded and she did not wish to perform even a tiny bit of extra work, over she was paid for. When both Louisa and Mrs. Packletide was seated on the platform, waiting for the tiger to arrive, then Louisa made the above remark. Basically she wished to ensure whether there was any danger to her life or not, from the tiger.

Q 10. Louisa had a ‘protective elder-sister attitude’ towards money. How?

Ans: Louisa could never part with money, like an elder sister’s protective attitude. Whether it was tips, her salary, or her blackmail for money, everything was thoroughly planned and worked out. She loved to cling to money, whatever the denomination of currency.

Q 11. Why did Loona avoid looking at the newspapers? How did she react to the tiger-claw brooch and the invitation to the luncheon party?

Ans: Loona also suffered a similar reaction at Mrs. Packletide’s achievement. She did not wish to see her photos in the newspapers. She was suffering from extreme pangs of jealousy. Loona could not refuse the gift of the tiger-claw brooch and she boycotted the luncheon invitation by declining it.

Q 12. Bring out the similarities in the characters of Mrs. Packletide and Loona Bimberton.

Ans: Both the ladies are vain, jealous and dominated my superfluous desires. They are social butterflies who spare no thought to civility or grace. Both of them could go to any limits to humiliate, embarrass or degrade each other. They are publicity-crazy and pretentious females who derive sadistic pleasure in hurting each other.

Q 13. How much money did Mrs. Packletide pay to the villagers and why?

Ans: Mrs. Packletide was very jealous of her friend, Loona Bimberton. Loona’s adventure of flying an airplane, made her feel belittle. In order to outdoor Loona, she decides to shoot a tiger and obtain a tiger skin. She offered a thousand rupees to anyone who would help her in hunting a tiger.

Q 14. How did Miss Mebbin exploit Mrs. Packletide? [C.B.S.E. 2011 (T-1)]
 Or
 How did Miss Mebbin blackmail Mrs. Packletide into gifting her a cottage?[C.B.S.E., 2011, T-1]

Ans: Miss Mebbin was very selfish and money-minded. She knew the fact that Mrs. Packletide had shot a goat and the tiger had succumbed due to heart failure, caused by the loud noise of the bullet. She threatened Mrs. Packletide with revealing the same secret to Loona. Thus she blackmailed her employer and got hush money to buy the week-end cottage.

Q 15. Depict the instances of humor in the chapter, Mrs. Packletide’s tiger? [C.B.S.E. 2011 (T-1)]

Ans: The writer uses various instances to create loads of humor throughout the story. The bare idea of tiger hunting on the part of a rich socialite, just to outshine her friend, is quite funny. The selection of tiger with royal past, the behavior of the tiger at the sight of the goat, killing of the goat instead of the tiger, Miss Mebbin’s money mindedness, etc. are instances of the humor created by the writer.