English

The Tiger king

Summary of The Tiger King

The Tiger King, written by Indian writer Kalki Krishnamurthy, is a satirical story on pride and
power. It talks about a king in pre-independence India who was brought up in the most lavish
lifestyle. The one thing that worried him was the prediction made by his astrologers – the king’s
death would be caused by a tiger. When the king embraced adulthood, he resolved to kill tigers to
prove his astrologers wrong. But, as predicted, he faced his death at last in the form of an infection
caused by a sliver of a wooden toy tiger. The poor craftsmanship of the wooden tiger lead to the
death of the king.

CBSE Class 12 English The Tiger King Summary

The protagonist of the story is the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram. The story is about how he gets
the name ‘Tiger King’. Before the story starts, the writer tells us that the protagonist of the story is
presently dead. However, the interesting event that will help us understand the story is the
astrological prediction made after his birth.

When the king was just 10 days old, the astrologers predicted that the child would grow up to be a
very strong king and the greatest of warriors, champions, and heroes, but they hesitated to
announce that the king would meet his death one day. After hearing this, the ten-day-old baby
called the astrologers. For a moment, they were baffled about the source of the sound. The baby
directed their senses toward him and asked them to tell him the reason for his death. He reasoned
that death was a natural phenomenon and it did not need to be predicted.

The astrologers were surprised as well as intrigued by the baby’s behaviour. They announced that
since the king was born in the hour of the bull and since the bull and the tiger are enemies, the
king would be killed by a tiger. The prince growled deeply and threatened to kill all the tigers.

II

As time went by, the crown prince grew taller and stronger. He drank the milk of an English cow,
was brought up by an English nanny, was tutored by an Englishman and watched only English
films just like the other crown princes of Indian states. The responsibility of the state was handed
over to him when he became twenty years old. People started talking about the king’s tragic fate,
and it reached his ears. The king decided to kill the tigers in the forests of Pratibandapuram. The
Maharaj was thrilled when he killed the first tiger and showed its dead body to the State astrologer
challenging the prediction made for him. The astrologer clarified the prediction saying that he
would not face death while killing the first ninety-nine tigers, but he should be careful with
dealing with the hundredth tiger. To challenge the astrologer further, the king announced that the
hundredth tiger would also be killed. The astrologer replied that he would cut off his tuft, shorten
his hair and become an insurance agent.

III

From that day, the king announced that tigers in the forests of Pratibandapuram would be hunted
by none other than him. Anyone who dared even to harm a tiger would be punished. With his firm
resolve to kill the hundred tigers, he decided to return to his management of state affairs only after
it was accomplished. Sometimes, he missed the bullet while hunting but always managed to kill
the tiger with his bare hands.

The king almost faced the trouble of losing his throne once when a high-ranking British officer
expressed his desire to hunt tigers in the forests of Pratibandapuram, and he denied it. The officer
replied that he was not as much interested in killing the tiger as he was interested in a photograph
with the dead tiger. The king denied this as well and sent fifty samples of diamonds to his wife to
choose a gift of three. Next, he knew that the British officer’s wife had kept all the diamonds to
herself and sent him a letter thanking him for the gift.

Although the king had to pay a hefty bill, he was pleased that he was able to retain his kingdom.

IV

The Maharaja was successful in his attempts and killed seventy tigers within ten years. But a new
problem arose – the tiger population had become extinct. He called the dewan and asked him to
fix his marriage to a princess of a state with a huge tiger population. Thus, he got married and
killed five or six tigers each time he visited his in-laws. He decorated the walls of his palace with
the skins of ninety-nine dead tigers.

The Maharaja developed a sense of anxiety when he was not able to complete his count of
hundred tigers. Even the tigers in his father-in-law’s kingdom were all killed. Good news
embraced him when he got to know that sheep were disappearing from his state. He went out on a
frantic search for the last tiger. He could not find it, and it seemed like the tiger was teasing him
deliberately. He refused to leave the forest until the tiger was found. Many officers lost their jobs
due to the king’s strange behaviour.
Once the Maharaja called the dewan and asked him to increase the land tax by twice its value.
When the dewan pleaded with the king to see reason, he was left with a warning of losing his post.
The hopeless dewan dragged a tiger (from People’s Park in Madras) hidden in the palace with the
help of his wife and let him out at the spot where the king was hunting. The king aimed sharp, and
the tiger dropped down, only to be discovered alive by his men. They did not want to lose their
jobs. So, one of the hunters took good aim and shot the tiger dead. The king celebrated the death
of the hundredth tiger in grandeur. The king now peacefully returned to his family affairs.

A few days later, the king bought a wooden tiger for his son to play with. The shopkeeper feared
punishment and had sold it at a much higher value than its original price to the king. The toy was
not crafted well and had a lot of tiny slivers on it. One sliver pierced the king’s right hand while
playing. Within four days, it developed into an infection that spread all over his arm. Three
famous surgeons were brought in to operate on the king from Madras, but the surgery turned out
to be unsuccessful, and the king passed away. Thus, the hundredth ‘tiger’ took the life of the king,
and the prediction was true.

Conclusion of The Tiger King

The Tiger King Summary highlights the truth that however powerful one is, one cannot control
fate. Death is an inevitable part of human lives, and it cannot be averted no matter what we do.
The use of power and might can not change the course of our lives. We have to accept our lives in
whatever form they are. Also, the story uses a satirical tone while narrating the plot. It shows how
vain and self-centred people with power can be. The king could have ignored the prediction as
death was inevitable in his life, just as it was in others. But he could not resist his temptation to
use his power to challenge death. Instead of falling for that vain resolve, he could have used his
energy and time to look after his state affairs.

Frequently asked Questions on CBSE Class 12 English The

Tiger King

Q1

What is the main theme of the story ‘The Tiger King’?

The story is based on the consequences of arrogance and vanity that comes with
power in human beings. The king was so sure of his capabilities that he went on
to eliminate the reason for his death by killing tigers instead of focusing on handling
his state affairs.

Q2

What is ironic about the ending of ‘The Tiger King’?

The irony of the ending of ‘The Tiger King’ is that even though the king assumed
that he was able to kill a hundred tigers, his death was caused by a sliver from
a wooden tiger that pierced his hand.

Q3

How did the tiger king die?

The king’s hand developed an infection due to a sliver from a wooden tiger toy
that spread to other body parts and rendered his condition fatal.