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    Chapter -2 the Tiger King_watermark

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    Dharun M

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    Chapter -2 the Tiger King_watermark

    Uploaded by

    Dharun M
    1 views4 pages

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    © © All Rights Reserved

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    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    1 views4 pages

    Chapter -2 the Tiger King_watermark

    Uploaded by

    Dharun M

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 4

    ENGLISH THE TIGER KING

    THE TIGER KING


    ~Summary~

    The Prophecy and Miracle about the Tiger King


    The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram is known by many names but is often called 'Tiger King'. The
    author says that everybody who reads about the Maharaja is tempted to meet him, but
    unfortunately cannot, because he is already dead. However, his myth continues to fascinate
    people.
    When he was born, the astrologers foretold that he would grow up to be a warrior of warriors
    and hero of heroes, but one day he would have to meet his death. At that very moment, a miracle
    took place. The baby prince, who was only ten-days old, began to speak aloud clearly and started
    questioning the astrologers. The prince first said that it was a commonly known truth that anyone
    who took birth in this world had to die one day, and no predictions were needed in the matter.
    He only wanted to know the manner of his death. The chief astrologer told him that because he
    was born in the hour of the bull, the reason of his death would be a tiger. The child was not even
    scared. In fact, he warned the tigers to be on their guard, and beware of him.
    The Prince's Childhood and the Killing of the First Tiger
    The crown prince grew taller and stronger day by day. His childhood was uneventful as compared
    to his birth. Like other princes in India, the prince drank the milk of an English cow, was looked
    after by an English nanny, tutored in English by an Englishman and saw nothing but English films.
    He was crowned the king at the age of twenty. The astrologer's prediction slowly reached his
    ears. He went on a tiger hunt and killed his first tiger. Elated by his feat, he sent for the state
    astrologer. The astrologer again warned the king that the prophecy was right. He might kill
    ninety-nine tigers but the hundredth tiger would prove to be fatal for him. If the king would
    succeed in killing the hundredth tiger, the astrologer promised to cut off his tuft of hair, burn all
    his astrology books and become an insurance agent.

    The Tiger Hunt Begins


    The Maharaja banned tiger hunting in his kingdom. A proclamation was issued that if anyone
    dared to fling so much as a stone at a tiger, all his wealth and property would be confiscated. The
    king was adamant to prove the prediction wrong and vowed to attend to all other matters only
    after killing a hundred tigers.
    ENGLISH THE TIGER KING

    The Maharaja faced many dangers on his quest; the bullet missed its mark, a tiger leapt upon
    him and he had to fight a beast with his bare hands etc. Each time, it was the Maharaja who won.

    The Maharaja Comes in Danger of Losing his Kingdom, Bribes to Save it


    A high ranking British officer visited Pratibandapuram with a wish to hunt tigers. He was very
    fond of getting his pictures clicked with his victims. The Maharaja was resolute. He refused
    permission. He felt that if he relented, other British officers too would turn up with the same
    request.
    Now, he stood in danger of losing his kingdom. After many deliberations with his dewan over the
    issue, they came up with a plan. Fifty diamond rings were sent to the officer's wife. The Maharaja
    expected that she would choose one or two rings, but the greedy lady kept the whole lot. The
    bribe cost him three lakh rupees, but his kingdom was saved.

    Scheme to kill the remaining Tigers


    The Maharaja's tiger hunts were very successful. Within ten years, he was able to kill seventy
    tigers. As a result, the tiger population became extinct in Pratibandapuram.
    The Maharaja devised a scheme for killing the remaining tigers. He called up the dewan and asked
    him to find a princess of a royal family in any other native state with a large tiger population. The
    dewan followed the order and found the right girl' for him. The Maharaja killed five or six tigers
    each time he visited his father-in-law. He managed to kill ninety-nine tigers and then
    unfortunately the tigers of his father-in-law's kingdom were all dead. Now, only one tiger
    remained to be killed.

    To Escape the Maharaja's Ire, the Dewan Arranges the Hundredth Tiger
    The Maharaja was sunk in gloom as he was unable to find the last tiger. Suddenly, there came
    the news that a tiger had been seen in a hillside village. The Maharaja was so happy at the news
    that he announced a three year exemption from all taxes for that village and set out on the hunt
    at once.
    The tiger, it seemed, kept himself hidden. The Maharaja's fury and obstinacy mounted
    alarmingly. He ordered that the land taxes would be doubled. The dewan tried to warn him that
    such a measure could prove to be catastrophic.
    The Maharaja became more outraged and asked the dewan to resign. The dewan, to save
    himself, decided to give up the old tiger that had been brought from the People's Park in Madras
    and kept hidden in his house.
    ENGLISH THE TIGER KING

    The Last Tiger


    The dewan and his wife dragged the old and weak tiger to their car and shoved it into the back
    seat. After much resistance from the tiger, the exhausted dewan was somehow able to leave the
    tiger in the forest in which the Maharaja had been hunting.
    The Maharaja was delighted to see the hundredth tiger. He took careful aim and shot at the
    beast. The tiger fell in a crumpled heap. The Maharaja was filled with boundless joy at fulfilling
    his vow. He ordered the tiger to be brought to the capital in a grand procession. After the
    Maharaja left, the hunters went to take a close look at the tiger. They were shocked to see that
    the tiger was still alive. The tiger had actually fainted from the shock of the bullet whizzing past
    him. They decided not to tell the Maharaja that he had missed his target. They feared losing their
    jobs. One of the hunters then killed the tiger himself.

    The Prophecy Proves to be True


    The dead tiger was taken in procession through the town and buried. A tomb was erected over
    it.
    After achieving the feat, the Maharaja turned his attention to his child. It was his third birthday
    and he wished to give him something special. He went for shopping but couldn't find anything
    worthy enough. Finally, he spotted a wooden tiger and brought it for his son.
    The wooden tiger was carved by an unskilled carpenter. Tiny slivers of wood stood up like quills
    all over it. One of the slivers pierced the Maharaja's right hand while he was playing with his son.
    He didn't mind it and pulled it out. The next day, infection spread in his hand. In four days, it
    developed into a festering sore which spread all over his arm. Three surgeons from Madras
    operated on him but were unable to save his life. Thus, the hundredth tiger took its revenge.

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