Summary - Mrs. Packletide's Tiger

Key Points of the Story

• Mrs. Packletide wants to shoot a tiger in order to outdo her social rival, Loona Bimberton.
• Her motive is jealousy and the desire for social admiration rather than any practical reason such as protection or sport.
• She offers money to villagers who help her get a tiger; the villagers accept and set a plan in motion.
• The villagers find an old, harmless tiger that mostly hunts small animals such as goats.
• During the hunt, Mrs. Packletide fires her rifle but the tiger actually dies of fright rather than from the bullet.
• The villagers and Mrs. Packletide allow the public impression to be that she killed the tiger so that the promised reward can be claimed.
• Mrs. Packletide enjoys the false fame and believes she has triumphed over Loona.
• Miss Mebbin, Mrs. Packletide's companion, discovers the truth and uses it for blackmail; Mrs. Packletide pays to keep the secret.
• The story satirises vanity, jealousy and false pride and ends with Mrs. Packletide deciding hunting is too expensive and giving it up.

Detailed Summary

Mrs. Packletide's Motivation

• Mrs. Packletide desires to shoot a tiger not for courage or conservation, but to gain social status and to humiliate her rival, Loona Bimberton.
• Loona Bimberton has recently attracted attention by flying in an aeroplane; this public admiration makes Mrs. Packletide envious and anxious to equal or surpass her.
• The underlying motive is selfish and vain: Mrs. Packletide expects praise, admiration and a feeling of superiority if she is seen as a successful hunter.

Planning the Hunt

• To ensure success, Mrs. Packletide publicly offers a reward of ₹1000 to any village or person who will help her shoot a tiger and deliver proof.
• A village finds an elderly tiger that has become senile in its habits and now preys only on small livestock, like goats. The villagers recognise this tiger as easy to lure.
• The villagers secretly protect and feed the tiger, arranging circumstances so it will approach a bait-a tethered goat-when Mrs. Packletide arrives.
• Mrs. Packletide plans a showy trip: she arranges a grand lunch, invites people, and intends to present Loona with a tiger-claw brooch as a boastful gift to underline her "success".

The Hunting Night

• On the appointed night, Mrs. Packletide and her companion, Miss Mebbin, hide in a tree overlooking the tethered goat which is used as bait.
• Miss Mebbin is portrayed as practical, cautious and money-minded; she is concerned with the monetary reward and the logistics of the plan more than with glory.
• When the tiger approaches the bait, Mrs. Packletide fires her rifle; the animal collapses and dies immediately.
• Everyone present assumes the tiger has been shot by Mrs. Packletide; photographs are later taken to record the triumph.

Truth Behind the Tiger's Death

• After the tiger falls, Miss Mebbin examines the scene and notices that the goat is wounded but the tiger has no bullet wound.
• They realise-quietly and between themselves-that the tiger died of fright rather than from the shot fired by Mrs. Packletide.
• Despite knowing the real cause of death, they do not reveal the truth. Mrs. Packletide accepts the public credit and the fame that follows.

Fame, Rivalry and the Brooch

• Photographs of Mrs. Packletide posed with the dead tiger appear in newspapers; she basks in the social approval and notoriety.
• Loona Bimberton is upset by the news, but responds with formal civility; she sends a thank-you note for the tiger-claw brooch Mrs. Packletide intended as a taunting gift.
• Mrs. Packletide believes she has successfully outdone Loona and enjoys the social advantage that she sought.

Miss Mebbin's Blackmail and the Cottage

• Miss Mebbin hints that revealing how the tiger really died would be amusing, and she uses this knowledge to her advantage.
• She mentions that she would like a cottage but cannot afford one; this becomes the basis of her demand.
• To keep the secret and avoid public humiliation, Mrs. Packletide agrees to buy the cottage for Miss Mebbin.
• Miss Mebbin takes possession of the cottage and names it "Les Fauves" (French for "The Wild Beasts"), thereby benefiting from the deception she helped conceal.

Ending and Moral

• After paying for the cottage and keeping her secret safe, Mrs. Packletide tells others that hunting is too expensive and vows never to hunt again.
• The story ends as a satire: it exposes the vanity, jealousy and pride that drive people to dishonest acts and the high personal cost of maintaining appearances.
• The final moral is that social one-upmanship and the pursuit of admiration can lead to farce, expense and moral compromise.

Difficult Words

• Aviator: A person who flies an aircraft.
• Antecedents: One's previous history or background.
• Propitious: Favorable or likely to lead to good results.
• Rendezvous: A planned meeting at an agreed time and place.
• Tethered: Tied up or secured so it cannot wander off.
• Mortal: Related to death; liable to die.
• Connived: Secretly allowed something to happen; cooperated by omission.
• Senile: Showing the weaknesses associated with old age, especially mental decline.
• Disagreeably: In an unpleasant or offensive way.
• Emotions: Strong feelings such as joy, anger, jealousy or pride.
• Indulges: Allows oneself to enjoy something, often excessively.
• Expenses: Costs or money spent to achieve something.
• Speculation: Forming a theory or guess without firm evidence.
• Wealthy: Having a large amount of money or valuable possessions.
• Accompanied: Being with someone; going together with.