Summary- The Tiger King Class 12 English Vistas

Key Points of the Story 

• The story mocks the wilfulness and arrogance of those in power. 
• The writer of the story takes us to the days when the king ruled. 
• They also lived under the thumb rule of the British. The rulers were uninterested in serving the people and spent their time on foolish pursuits. 
• They bent the law to suit their interest. Besides, the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram tries to disprove his fate that the chief astrologer predicted that a tiger would kill him. 
• So, he tries to belie the prediction and hunts down 99 tigers successfully. 
• But the 100 tigers although not made of flesh and blood take his life. 
• As one of the silvers of woodcut his right hand and because of infection, he dies.

Detailed Summary 

Once, a high-ranking British officer visited the state and expressed his desire to go tiger hunting. However, the maharaja declined the officer's request. To avoid any repercussions from the British officer, the Maharaja sent 50 diamond rings worth Rs 3 lakh to the officer's wife.
Over the next ten years, the maharaja successfully hunted 70 tigers in Pratibandapuram. However, as no more tigers were left in the region to complete his goal of hunting 100 tigers, he decided to marry a woman from a royal state with more tigers. During his visits to his in-laws, he ensured he killed 5-6 tigers each time, bringing his total to 99 tigers.
Frustrated by not finding the 100th tiger, the maharaja became violent and threatened his Dewan. To save himself from the king's anger, the Dewan obtained an old tiger from a circus and placed it in the forest. He informed the Maharaja about the tiger, who went on a hunt, shot the tiger, and felt victorious. However, unbeknownst to him, his bullet missed, and the tiger collapsed out of fear. To conceal this truth, the attendants killed the tiger and presented it in a grand procession.
The maharaja remained joyful until he bought a wooden tiger as a gift for his son on his birthday. The wooden tiger had rough edges, and while playing with it, the young prince got a woodcut on his hand, which later led to an infection and his untimely death. Fatefully, the 100th tiger, though made of wood, took its revenge and indirectly caused the king's demise.

Conclusion 

Theme

The central theme of the story is fate and arrogance. It explores how humans, especially those in power, attempt to challenge their destiny, only to succumb to it in unexpected ways. The narrative also highlights the futility of human ambition, particularly when it is driven by vanity and the abuse of authority. The story serves as a critique of the arrogance of rulers who prioritize personal whims over the welfare of their people.

Difficult Words

• Strategic - calculated 
• Stuka bomber - a German bomber aircraft that was used in the Second World War
• indomitable - undefeatable
• The final abode - refers to the final residence of the soul – heaven.
• Demise - death 
• Foretold - predicted
• Compelled - forced
• Transfixed - cause (someone) to become motionless with horror.
• Stupefaction - shock
• Enunciated - say or pronounce clearly. 
• Incredible - unbelievable
• 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
• Proclamation - a public or official announcement
• Fling - throw
• Confiscated - taken with authority
• Ambition - a strong desire to do or achieve something.
• Bare - here, unarmed
• Firm - determined
• Resolve - decision
• Boar - pig
• Durai - tamil word meaning chief or leader
• Carcass - the dead body of an animal. 
• Relented - relaxed his decision 
• Deliberations - discussions 
• Dispatched - sent 
• Unforeseen - unplanned, accidental 
• Hurdle - problem
• Standstill - stop 
• Extinct - having no living members.
• Hara-kiri - a ritual of suicide practiced in Japan. 
• Brandishing - waving as a threat or in anger or excitement
• Shuddering - tremble with fear 
• Summoned - called 
• Investigate - find out 
• Adorned - decorated  
• Fever pitch - extreme  
• Anxiety - curiosity 
• Tally - count 
• Savage - uncontrolled   
• Wary - be cautious 
• Gloom - sadness 
• Dispelled - removed
• Exemption - freedom  
• Wantonly - carelessly 
• Flout - to go against something or someone  
• Fury - anger
• Bafflement - confusion
• Mounted - increased 
• Discontented - unhappy  
• Catastrophic - causing sudden great damage or suffering  
• Supplication - pray 
• Elation - joy 
• Procession - parade
• Suppurating - a wound full of pus 
• Sore - painful inflammation