A. TEXTUAL ANSWERS SOLVED :
1. The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power . How does the author employ the literary device of dramatic irony in the story ?
Ans - The tiger king took a Vow to kill one hundred tiger to prove that the astrologer was wrong . He killed one tiger after another till no tigers were left . He had killed ninety-nine tigers , and was determined to kill the hundredth one to keep his Vow. He was happy to kill the Dewan's old and helpless tiger . But ironically the tiger was not killed . Here is the dramatic irony . While he the Tiger King thought he was safe , he was not . He was killed by a wooden toy-tiger in his own palace . The powerful king was so powerless . He could not escape is destiny .
2. What is the author's indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the will-fullness of human beings ?
Ans - Through the story ' The Tiger King ' the writer puts across his view that there is no excuse or justification for stalking and killing an animal . The Maharaja , the protagonist of the story , because of this blind faith , kills tigers mercilessly . Ironically , as a child he acknowledges that ' All those who are born will one day have to die ' but later sets out to try and become immortal by killing tigers indiscriminately . Hunting by humans operates perversely . Even more so in this case when the Maharaja's only need is to prove his masculinity and his dominance by killing hapless animals . The author also reaffrims a very valid reason against hunting - the extinction of species due to human activities . Asserting the 'right' to kill animals is like asserting the right to steal from future generations . That's what the Maharaja does - he steals from the future . The tiger population had become extinct in the territories where he had an access to kill . Hence the next generation would not have the ' right ' to see and learn from the beautiful Earth that they inherited , because it would have been left barren .
3. How would you describe the behaviour of the Maharaja's minions towards him ? Do you find them truly sincere towards him or are they driven by fear when they obey him ? Do we find a similarity in today's political order ?
Ans - The Maharaja's minions obey him both out of fear and their personal interest . Dewan is the chief among them . He never advises the king not to waste his time in killing innocent tigers . He does not carry out his duty as the Chief Minister to tell the king that important matters of the state are neglected because of his pursuit . He helps the king to find a princess whose father has tigers in his forests . He also sacrifices his old tiger to satisfy the king's whim because he is afraid of losing his own job . Even in today's political system we find time servers. People in power do not like those who can give them sincere advice . So the sincere people keep quiet , and the flatterers proper .
4. Can you relate instances of game- hunting among the rich and the powerful in the present that illustrate the callousness of human beings towards wildlife ?
Ans There have been a number of instances of game- hunting among the rich and powerful in recent times . There were reports about a known film actor hunting a deer of the protected species. Then there were reports of a former nawab having indulged in illegal game - hunting . In spite of the fact that the government has banned game - hunting all over the country , such report keep pouring in .
B. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS :
1. What did the chief astrologer profess to do if the Tiger King killed the hundredth tiger ?
Ans- The chief astrologer professed to cut off his tuft , crop his hair and become an insurance agent if the Tiger King succeeded in killing the hundredth tiger .
2. Why was it celebration time for all the tiger inhabiting at Pratibandapuram ?
Ans - It was a celebration time for all the tigers living in Pratibandapuram because the tiger king banned tiger hunting by anyone except himself and as such they would get the honour of being killed by the royal gun .
3. Why is it said that the Maharaja's tiger hunts were highly successful ?
Ans - The Maharaja's tiger hunts were highly successful for he was able to kill seventy tigers in ten years .
4. What was the price of the wooden toy tiger ?
Ans - The price of the wooden toy tiger was only two annas and a half .
5. How much did the Maharaja pay for the wooden toy tiger ?
Ans - For the wooden Toy Tiger the Maharaja paid no money rather he took it as a gift from the shopkeeper on his birthday .
C. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS :
1. Describe the comic scene between the Tiger King and his dewan ? What did the Tiger King actually wish to convey to the Dewan ?
Ans - After killing tigers no tiger was left in the forests of Pratibandapuram . The Tiger King who had vowed to kill hundred tigers was very much disturbed and so one day he sent for his dewan . As soon as the dewan appeared before him the Maharaja brandishing his gun asked him if he was not aware that thirty tigers still left to be shot by his gun . The way the Maharaja put the question made the poor dewan think that he was going to shoot him . So he pleaded the Maharaja to spare him as was not a tiger . The Maharaja then told him that he had no such intentions and told him that he had decided to get married . But the terror - stricken dewan thought that the Maharaja wanted him to marry again . The dewan then politely told the king that he could not do as he had already two wives . But before the Maharaja would explain the whole thing the dewan thought that the king wanted to marry a tiger . The dewan naturally told the tiger queen . The Maharaja then explained that he wanted to marry not a tiger but a girl from a royal family of a state with a large tiger population . So that he could fulfill his vow to kill a hundred tigers . He would be then able to kill some tigers each time he visited his father- in - law .
(b) How did the Tiger King finally die ?
Ans - The Tiger King did not know that he missed his target and that he actually did not kill the hundredth tiger . But he was under the impression that he killed the hundredth tiger . A few days after this incident there was the third birthday of his son . The Maharaja wanted to give him some special gift on his birthday . After a great deal of search in the market he spotted a wooden tiger in toy- shop and decided it was the perfect gift . The wooden tiger toy cost actually only two annas and a quarter but the shopkeeper charged rupees three hundred projecting the toy as a rare specimen of craftsmanship . That day while father and son were playing with the wooden tiger , one of the silvers of rough surface of the toys body pierced the Maharaja's right hand . The Maharaja pulled it out with his left hand and continued to play with the prince . The next day the infection spread and in four days it developed into a suppurating sore which spread all over his arm . Three renowed surgeons were called from Madras but they could not save the king. Thus the Tiger King died and death became from a tiger as predicted by the astrologer . The hundredth tiger took its final revenge upon the Tiger King .
