Q1: Why do people hunt? Complete the web chart giving various reasons for the same:
Ans:
Q2: Read these lines and guess the Anwers to the questions given below :
It was Mrs. Packletide's pleasure and intention that she should shoot a tiger …. The compelling motive ….was the fact that Loona Bimberton had recently …… personally procured tiger-skin and a heavy harvest of Press photographs could successfully counter that sort of thing.
Answer the following questions in your own words:
(a) Why did Mrs. Packletide want to kill a tiger?
Ans: Mrs. Packletide wanted to kill a tiger for pleasure and to compete with her friend Loona Bimberton who had procured a tiger-skin and gained great popularity.
(b) What does it tell you about her?
Ans: Mrs. Packletide appears to be jealous, attention-seeking, and competitive. Her desire to shoot a tiger not out of bravery or necessity, but purely to outshine her friend and gain popularity, shows that she is driven by envy and a need for recognition.
(c) What is the tone of the story writer?
Ans: The tone of the story writer is full of satire and humorous.
(d) Do you think she was successful in her mission?
Ans: In a way, yes. She was successful in outshining Loona Bimberton by killing a tiger and getting fame for doing that. But actually, she was a failure, as she missed her shot, and the tiger died due to heart failure.
(e) What do you think the story is all about?
Ans: The story is all about the pursuit of killing a tiger by Mrs. Packletide for pleasure and popularity.
Answer the following questions in your own words:
(a) Why did Mrs. Packletide wish to kill a tiger?
Ans: Mrs. Packletide was motivated to shoot a tiger out of jealousy towards Loona Bimberton, who had recently gained attention by flying eleven miles in an aeroplane with an Algerian aviator. Loona constantly talked about her adventure, which irritated Mrs. Packletide. To outshine her, Mrs. Packletide planned to shoot a tiger, display its skin prominently at a lunch party
(b) What made her decide to give a party in Loona Bimberton's honor? What did she intend to give Loona on her birthday?
Ans: Mrs.Packletide decided that once she shot a tiger, she would invite Loona Bimberton for a luncheon party. At the party she would display the newly-acquired tiger skin. The party would be an appropriate time to show off the tiger skin and talk about her tiger-shooting experience to Loona Bimberton. She intended to give a tiger-claw brooch to Loona Bimberton on her birthday.
(c) How was the tiger shooting arranged? What kind of a tiger was chosen for the purpose?
Ans: Mrs. Packletide offered a thousand rupees to the villagers to help to shoot a tiger. A platform was constructed in a comfortable and convenient place in a tree where Mrs. Packletide sat with her rifle and her paid companion, Miss Mebbin.
The tiger chosen for this purpose was weak, a diseased tiger who could not hunt wild animals due to old age.
(d) In what way did the villagers help Mrs. Packletide shoot the tiger?
Ans: The villagers made many arrangements for the hunting game. Children were posted night and day on the outskirts so that the tiger would not leave his domain. Goats were left in the forest in order to satisfy the animal. Women took care not to make noise while passing by, so that the tiger would not be disturbed. Last but not the least, the villagers offered support and assistance at night of the hunt. A platform had been constructed on a comfortable and convenient place on a tree for Mrs. Packletide and her paid companion. They remained there throughout the night.
(e) Who was Miss Mebbin? Was she really devoted to Mrs. Packletide? How did she behave during the tiger shooting?
Ans: Miss Mebbin was Mrs. Packletide’s paid companion. No she was not really devoted to Mrs. Packletide. She was very materialistic. She didn’t want to do more than she was paid for. In fact she also instigated Mrs. Packletide not to pay for the goat if the tiger did not eat it. She was not at all devoted to Mrs. Packletide. She was there only for the money.
(f) Mrs. Packletide was a good shot. Discuss.
Ans: Mrs. Packletide was daring and bold enough to go for hunting a tiger which was old and weak. She was not a good shot at all. Despite all the arrangements, she was not able to shoot the old tiger who was walking slowly. Instead, she shot the goat as she had missed her aim.
(g) What comment did Miss Mebbin make after Mrs. Packletide had fired the shot? Why did Miss Mebbin make this comment? How did Mrs. Packletide react to this comment?
Ans: Miss Mebbin said “How amused everyone would be if they knew what really happened”. She made this comment to make fun of Mrs. Packletides shooting. Miss Mebbin said so because the bullet had shot the goat, not the tiger. The tiger had succumbed to heart failure caused by the sound of firing accelerated by senile decay.
She made this comment to take advantage of the fact that the tiger was not killed by Mrs. Packletide. In fact, she wanted to exploit the situation. Mrs. Packletide was annoyed at the discovery.
(h) How did the villagers react to the tiger's death?
Ans: The villagers shouted happily. How the tiger was killed did not matter to them. They were only excited about their thousand rupees. They did not pay any heed to Miss Mebbin’s revelation that Mrs. Packletide had not killed a tiger but a goat.
(i) Do you think Mrs. Packletide was able to achieve her heart's desire? Give reasons for your answer.
Ans: Yes, I think Mrs. Packletide was able to achieve her heart's desire of killing a tiger and to show off that she was the possessor of a dead tiger. She wanted her photographs to be published in the newspapers. Her desire was accomplished positively. She was able to outdoor Loona Bimberton and she sent her a gift of a tiger-claw brooch.
(j) How did Miss Mebbin manage to get her weekend cottage? Why did she plant so many tiger lilies in her garden?
Ans: Louisa Mebbin blackmail Mrs. Packletide into buying her the weekend cottage or else she would have told Loona Bimberton that it was not the tiger but a mere goat that Mrs. Packletide had shot. The tiger lilies would always remind of how she had procured the cottage.
(k) "The incidental expenses are so heavy," she confides to inquiring friends. Who is the speaker? What is she referring to here?
Ans: Mrs. Packletide is the speaker. The lines are said in response to questions regarding why she did not hunt anymore. Mrs. Packletide refers to the expenses that she incurred when she hunted for the first time, she paid the villagers, she paid Louisa Mebbin and even had to buy her a cottage.
Q5. Discuss the following questions in detail and write the Ans:s in your notebooks:
(a) Do you think the tiger shooting organized by the villagers was a serious affair? Give reasons for your answer.
Ans: The tiger shooting organised by the villagers was not a serious affair at all. They knew it was an old senile tiger. It could not run or escape due to its weakness. So, it would be easy to kill it instantaneously. They posted their children to keep the tiger in the outskirts of the jungle so that it might not roam away to fresh hunting grounds. They left cheap goats to keep him satisfied with the present quarters lest he should die of old age before the appointed lady. In this way, they provided the favorable opportunity of shooting a tiger without over-much risk.
(b) Do you think the writer is trying to make fun of the main characters in the story i.e. Mrs. Packletide, Miss Mebbin and Loona Bimberton? Pick out instances from the story that point to this fact.
Ans: Yes, the writer is trying to make fun of the main characters in the story. Mrs. Packletide wanted to kill a tiger because of her jealousy and a desire to outshine Loona. Loona was a lady of boastful nature. She also grew jealous when she saw Mrs. Packletide's photo in the newspaper. She refused to attend the lunch party arranged in her honor by Mrs. Packletide. Miss Mebbin was a very manipulative, shrewd and materialistic lady. She adopted a protective elder-sister attitude towards money. Moreover, the shooting of an old and weak tiger, who has lost his strength and ferociousness is also very humorous. Its death due to heart failure instead of a bullet arouses laughter.
(c) A person who is vain is full of self-importance and can only think of himself/herself and can go to great lengths to prove his/her superiority. Do you think Mrs. Packletide is vain? Give reasons in support of your answer.
Ans: The story begins with Mrs. Packletide’s obsession to procure a tiger skin so that she can show it off to Loona Bimberton. To obtain the tiger skin Mrs. Packletide goes to extreme lengths; she offers a thousand rupees to the villagers to shoot a tiger without much risk or exertion. She acquires a paid companion, Louisa Mebbin, a witness to her extraordinary feat. She makes sure her pictures appear in international newspapers. Finally, she buys a weekend cottage for Louisa Mebbin to prevent her from telling anybody that it was not the tiger but a goat she had shot because the tiger merely died of a heart attack. All this proves that Mrs. Packletide was a vain woman.
(d) Sometimes writers highlight certain negative aspects in society or human beings by making fun of it. This is called satire. In your groups discuss whether you would classify this story as a satire. Give reasons to support your Ans:
Ans: The story is an excellent example of satire. The writer, Saki, has satirized the jealousy and vanity of the fair sex. They want to to show off their self-importance and think of themselves only. To prove their superiority, they can go to any length. The author not only makes fun of the situation but also of the characters. Mrs. Packeltide’s actions were largely directed by dislike of Loona Bimberton. The motive behind the tiger hunt was to show off to her. Loona Bimberton did not look at Mrs. Packletide’s pictures in the newspapers. Her letter of thanks for the tiger-claw brooch was a model of repressed emotions. She declined to attend the luncheon party because she wouldn’t be able to see people praising Mrs. Packletide. Both Louisa Mebbin and the villagers are only concerned about their remuneration. Louisa Mebbin even blackmailed Mrs. Packletide into buying her a cottage. The villagers happily believed that Mrs. Packletide had shot the tiger and not the goat lest they lose their fee. The whole situation of the tiger hunt is also laced with satire. An old tiger who had given up hunting was chosen for the purpose. The tiger dies of a heart-failure than a gunshot. The author paints a picture of a society that is essentially governed by wealth and mutual dislike for each other.
(e) How does the writer create humor in this story?
Ans: The author makes fun of each character and situation. The characters of Loona Bimberton, Mrs. Packletide, Louisa Mebbin and the villagers are all ridiculed for their peculiar character traits. The tiger hunt is mocked; an old, infirm tiger is chosen for the hunt making it the least dangerous expedition. The power of money is so strong that the villagers agree that it was not a goat but a tiger that was shot. Louisa Mebbin agrees to keep this a secret in return for money. Thus the author creates humor in the story by highlighting the negative aspects in society or human beings.
Q6. Choose extracts from the story that illustrate the character of the people listed in the table given below. There are some words given to help you. You may add words of your own. One has been done as an example:
vain, jealous, competitive, shrewd, manipulative, stingy, materialistic, spiteful
Ans:
Q7. There are many amusing lines in the story. Here are a few of them. Rewrite each one in ordinary prose so that the meaning is retained. One has been done for you as an example:
(a) It was Mrs. Packletide’s pleasure and intention that she should shoot a tiger.
Mrs. Packletide wanted to shoot a tiger
(b) Mrs. Packletide had already arranged in her mind the lunch she would give at her house in Curzon Street, ostensibly in Loona Bimberton's honor, with a tiger-skin rug occupying most of the foreground and all of the conversation.
Ans:
Mrs. Packletide had already imagined the lunch party she would have, supposedly in honor of Loona Bimberton, where she would display the tiger-skin rug and talk about the tiger hunt.
(c) 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.
Ans: Mothers, with their babies, after the day's work, walked past the jungle in complete silence so as not to disturb the sleep of the esteemed lion.
(d) Louisa Mebbin adopted a protective elder-sister attitude towards money in general, irrespective of nationality or denomination
Ans: Louisa Mebbin was very particular about money, irrespective of nationality or denomination.
(e) Evidently the wrong animal had been hit, and the beast of prey had succumbed to heart-failure, caused by the sudden report of the rifle, accelerated by senile decay.
Ans: It was clear that the wrong animal had been shot. The lion had died of a heart-failure caused by the gunshot and hastened by old age.
(f) As for Loona Bimberton, she refused to look at an illustrated paper for weeks, and her letter of thanks for the gift of a tiger-claw brooch was a model of repressed emotions
Ans: Loona Bimberton did not read the illustrated newspaper for weeks and her letter of thanks for the gift of a tiger-claw brooch was written in the form which could hide her true feelings.
Q 8. The story Mrs. Packletide's Tiger has a number of oxymorons. Can you identify them and write them down in your notebooks?
Ans:- An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines normally contradictory terms.
List of oxymorons used in the story:
- Over-much risk
- Elaborate carelessness
- Immeasurably nearer
- Gladly connived
- Pardonably annoyed
Writing Task
Q9: (a) Years later Mrs. Packletide writes her autobiography. As Mrs. Packletide, writeabout the tiger episode with the help of the clues given below.
Ans:
My friend Loona had managed to get a tiger skin, which brought her a lot of praise in the press. I felt jealous and decided to get one for myself. I told the villagers to make all the arrangements for a tiger hunt and promised to pay them a thousand rupees. I also insisted that my friend Mebbin come along with me. We both waited on a platform set up in a tree, aiming at a goat tied nearby to lure the tiger. When the tiger finally showed up, I fired at it. It leapt to one side and collapsed. Everyone cheered, thinking I had shot it. But Mebbin pointed out that the tiger hadn’t attacked the goat and had died simply from the shock of the gunshot — meaning I had actually missed my shot. Cleverly, Mebbin used this secret to blackmail me into buying her a summer cottage. So, although I did get the tiger skin, I had to pay a heavy price just to beat a competitor.
(b) In groups of four construct the dialogues and enact the following situations from the story :
- Mrs. Packletide and the headman of the village/other villagers discussing the details of the tiger shooting.
- Miss Mebbin blackmailing Mrs. Packletide into gifting her a cottage.
- Loona Bimberton and a lady-friend discussing Mrs. Packletide’s hunting success.
Ans:
- Mrs. Packletide : “I wish to shoot a tiger and I am sure this area is the most suitable place.” The village headman: “We can help you in the hunting, but it is not an easy job.” Mrs. Packletide “I will pay for the tiger”.
A villager: “we agree, but you will have to pay us one thousand rupees. We will surely arrange for a tiger and make all other arrangements.”
Mrs. Packletide: “I am ready to pay the amount.” - Miss Mebbin: “If you want me not to let out the secret, that the wrong animal was killed, then you have to buy me a summer cottage, which I so much desire.”
Mrs. Packletide: “I’ am sure you would not let me down. I will pay for the cottage.” - Loona Bimberton : “I cannot believe that Mrs. Packletide killed a tiger.” I don’t want to see the weekly.
A lady friend: “But I’m sure she did shoot.”
Listening Task
Q10: Listen to the passage on lion hunting and answer the questions given below :
1. The Maasai tribe in Africa hunt lions because
(i) they live near the forests of Africa
(ii) they view it as a sign of bravery and personal achievement
(iii) they are a hunting tribe
(iv)they adorn their bodies with body parts of the lion.
Answer: (ii) they view it as a sign of bravery and personal achievement
2. Solo hunting has been banned because
(i) it is dangerous
(ii) of the declining lion population
(iii) too many hunters have been killed
(iv) it creates pride in the minds of the successful hunters.
Answer: (ii) of the declining lion population
3. The hunting of lionesses is discouraged because
(i) they bear the cubs
(ii) they run much faster
(iii) they are more fierce
(iv) they cannot be spotted easily.
Answer: (i) they bear the cubs
4. The Maasai warriors chase a lion with rattle bells to
(i) awaken it
(ii) make it run faster
(iii) make it angry
(iv) frighten it.
Answer: (iv) frighten it.
5. The Maasai use three parts of the lion. They are
(i) the mane, tail and claws
(ii) the mane, nails and claws
(iii) the mane, tail and nails
(iv) the whiskers, tail and claws.
Answer: (i) the mane, tail and claws
6. The tail is given to
(i) the strongest warrior
(ii) the fastest warrior
(iii) the youngest warrior
(iv) the bravest warrior.
Answer: (i) the strongest warrior
