VISTAS THE TIGER KING - KALKI Ramaswamy Krishnamurthy, better known by his pen name Kalki, was an Indian writer, journalist, poet, critic and Indian independence activis He was named after "Kalki", the tenth and last avatar of the Hindu God Vishnu. THE TIGER KING- JUST A GIST . BORN IN THE HOUR OF BULL; TIGER & BULL ARE ENEMIES; SO DEATH WOULD BE FROM TIGER [ PROPHECY] . GREW UP IN ENGLISH ATMOSPHERE; HAD MILK OF ENGLISH COW; ENGLISH NURSE TOOK CARE; ENGLISH MOVIES SAW; TUTORED IN ENGLISH . GREW UP; KILLED FIRST TIGER BUT STATE ASTROLOGER TOLD, HUNDREDTH TIGER WOULD KILL HIM; OR ELSE HE WOULD BURN BOOKS; CUT TUFT & BECOME AN INSURANCE AGENT. . FEAR OF LOSING KINGDOM WHEN REFUSED A BRITISH OFFICER TO HUNT A TIGER; OR EVEN GETTING A PHOTOGRAPH WITH DEAD TIGER . SENT FIFTY DIAMOND RINGS TO APPEASE; WIFE OF BRITISH OFFICER KEPT ALL; SENT RECEIPT BACK; BUT KINGDOM SAVED . KILLED SEVENTY TIGERS; MARRIED A GIRL OF KINGDOM WHERE HE KILLED MORE TIGERS; KILLED NINETY-NINE TIGERS . FIRST ANNOUNCED AWARD; THEN WARNED TO RAISE TAX TO GET LAST TIGER . DEWAN GOT OLD AND SICK TIGER FROM NATIONAL PARK; LEFT IT WHERE TIGER KING WAS HUNTING . TIGER KING AIMED AT TIGER; SHOT AT IT; MISSED AI, TIGER FELL DOWN UNCONSCIOUS DUE TO SOUND OF GUNSHOT; LATER MINIONS KILLED IT 10. TIGER KING BOUGHT TOY TIGER FOR SON'S THIRD BIRTHDAY; FINISHING NOT PROPER; A SLIVER ENTERED HIS ARM; INFECTION DEVELOPED; OPERATION DONE ; DIED; DOCTORS SAID; OPERATION SUCCESSFUL 11. ALL GOT RID OF THE CRUEL KINGPROPHECY; WOULD BECOME CHAMPION OF CHANPIONS; KING (OF KINGS; WARRIOR OF WARRIORS; HERO OF HEROES ; BUT ‘WILL OIE ONE OA; DEATH FROM A TIGER BECAUSE BORN INTHE 1. PROPHECY arte) ay) 2. BRINGING UP ig HOUR OF BUL AND BULL AND TIGER ARE ENEMIES 3, TATE ASTROLGER’S PROMISE q] BRINGING UP : GIVEN MILK OF AN ENGLISH COW, TAKEN CARE 4. FEAR OF LOSING KINGDOM The Tee King BY NGS URE TUTRED BY ENGUSH TTR; SHON THETIGER KING: a AY 5, KINGDOM SAVED NGUSH MOVIES 6, TIGER KING'S MARRIAGE 7. TIGER KING'S OBSESSION fe PROMISE: IF THE PROPHECY 1S UNTRUE; WOULD BURN HIS 8, DEATH OF LAST TIGER ‘BOOKS; CUT HIS TUF; AND BECOME ANINSURANCE AGENT 9, DEATH OF TIGER KING aly’ | pO, ras 1 FEAR DISALLOWED A BRITSH OFFICER TO HUNT TIGER OR GET LUST IR FOUND BY DEWAN IV RATONAL PARK BROUGHT CLICKED WITH A DEAD TIGER ; GOT ANGRY IN BACK SEAT OF CAR; LEFT AT THE PLACE WHERE TIGER KING WAS HUNTING; TIGER KING SHOT AT THE TIGER ; MISSED HIS. ‘SAVED: SENT FIFTY DIAMOND RINGS TO BRITISH OFFICER'S WIFE ; AIM ; TIGER FELL DOWN DUE TO LOUD SOUND OF BULLET; ‘SHEKEPT ALL AND SENT BACK RECEIPT LATER KILLED BY MINIONS MARRIAGE : KILLED 70 TIGERS; NO MORE TIGERS ; MARRIED A GIRL 1 DEATH : BOUGHT TOY WOODEN TIGER ON THE THIRD OFA ROYAL KINGDOM WHERE TIGERS WERE AVAILABLE ; PURPOSE | gipTHpay OF SON; FINSHING NOT GOOD; ONE SLIVER WASNOT TO BOMBAY SINTEAY AITTIO. PUNT TIGERS PIERCED HIS ARM; INFECTION DEVELOPED; SURGERY DONE; ‘OPERATION SUCCESSFUL; TIGER KING DIED; PEOPLE GOT RID (OBSESSION: FIRST ANNOUNCED AWARDS; THEN RAISED TAX; OFTHECRUELIING FORCED PEOPLE TO GET THELAST TIGER a GIST IN SLIDES SUMMARY IN POINTS The Tiger King is a short political satire on the pride and ego of kings in particular, and of all those in power in general. It also draws attention to the cruelty being meted out to animals and calls for measures to protect the tiger which is close to extinction. 1. BIRTH OF TIGER KING AND THE PROPHECY When the royal baby was born in the kingdom of Pratibandpuram, astrologers predicted about his future in an elaborate way. They told that the baby would grow up to be the king of kings, champions of champions, hero of heroes and warrior of warriors. They hesitated to disclose further and stopped by saying that he would die one day. To everyone's surprise, the infant enquired the manner of his death; all stood in bewilderment and stupefaction. The astrologers disclosed that the baby was born in the hour of the bull; tiger and bull are enemies, therefore, death would come from a tiger ! It was again a great surprise that the infant roared out and warmed tigers to bewarel!2. BRINGING UP OF TIGER KING * Being under the British, the royal baby was also brought up in a British atmosphere. He was provided with the milk of an English cow and an English nurse took care of him. An English tutor taught him and he was shown only English movies ! The baby rose to be a brave young man and took up the throne as Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur. He was reminded of the prophecy that was made in his childhood which surely hurt his ego and he hunted the first tiger. He called the State astrologer and proudly showed him the trophy of his victory. The State astrologer told him that he could kill ninety-nine tigers but the hundredth tiger would kill him ! He also said that if his prediction came untrue, he would cut his tuft, burn his books and become an insurance agent ! . HUNTING SPREE Hearing the State astrologer’s prediction, the king went ona hunting spree and mercilessly killed many tigers. Once a British officer wished to hunt tiger in his state but he refused. He also disallowed the British officer to get a photograph with the dead tiger hunted by the king and naturally offended the British officer and there was fear of his kingdom getting lost ! He sent fifty diamond rings to the British officer’s wife, thinking she would keep one or two. But she kept all and sent the receipt back and the king was able to save his kingdom with the loss of six lakh rupees. He came to be known as the tiger king. TIGER KING’S MARRIAGE After killing seventy tigers , there were no more tigers in and around the kingdom of the tiger king. So he decided to get married to a girl of such a kingdom where tigers were available ! He got such a kingdom and married the girl in order to hunt more tigers. He could kill ninety-nine tigers finally but the last tiger was no where to be found. CRUELTY OF TIGER KING + The tiger king had already mercilessly killed ninety nine tigers. * He started pestering the people to get him the last tiger. + He first announced award for the one who would get the last tiger and then threatened to raise the tax! He even warned the Dewan !6. DEATH OF THE LAST TIGER * The Dewan got an old and sick tiger from the National park and brought it in the backseat of his car. He left the tiger at a place where the tiger king was hunting. The tiger king was overjoyed to see the tiger and shot at it but missed the aim. The tiger fell down unconscious only due to the sound of the bullet ! The tiger king thought that the tiger was dead and ordered his minions to carry out a procession with the dead tiger. Later the minions saw that the tiger was not dead but out of fear of the tiger king, they didn’t disclose the fact and one of the minions killed it. . DEATH OF THE TIGER KING The tiger king purchased a wooden toy tiger on the third birthday of his son. The toy tiger was not having proper finishing and when the tiger king was playing with his son, one of the slivers from the toy tiger pierced his arm. There was an infection and doctors were called for the surgery. The surgery was done, the tiger king died and the doctors told that the operation was successful! Everyone got rid of a cruel king. The irony remains that the hundredth tiger, although a toy tiger, took away the tiger king's life making the prediction true ! Contact:preety0907@gmail.com Whatsapp:8758488368VISTAS THE TIGER KING -KALKI SHORT-TYPE QUESTIONS-ANSWERS Q1. What was the prophecy made when the tiger king was born? Ans: When the tiger king was born, the astrologers predicted that he would become hero of heroes, champion of champions, warrior of warriors and king of kings. 2. What surprised everyone when the prophecy was made at the birth of the tiger king? t ‘ans: When the tiger king was born , the astrologers predicted that he would gain lots ! | of name and fame as a king. But they also told that he would die one day. Everyone ! {was surprised when the infant opened his mouth in a squeaky voice and asked the | {| manner of his death. Everyone was transfixed and stood in stupefaction. 1 1Q3. What prediction was made regarding the death of the tiger king when he ' was born? What was the reaction of the infant? tans: The prediction was that he was born in the hour of bull and the tiger and the bull {being enemies, death would come from a tiger. The infant roared out loud and warned { tigers to beware. 1 | | Q4. In what atmosphere, the royal baby was brought up? bans: The royal baby was brought up in an English atmosphere as the state was under ! ithe British. He was given milk of an English Cow, taken care by an English nanny, | ‘tutored by an English tutor and shown only English movies. i ' QS. What was told to the tiger king as he became young? Ans: He grew up to be a fearless and brave young man. He was reminded of the | prophecy made at the time of his birth that a tiger would kill him. He went and hunted { the first tiger and called for the state astrologer to display the trophy of his victory. 1 Q6. What was the promise made by the state astrologer? ! Ans: The state astrologer told the king that he might kill ninety nine tigers but the ! thundredth tiger would be responsible for his death. If his prediction turned out to be! funtrue , he would cut his tuft, burn his books and become an insurance agent. t ' Q6. How did the king come to be known as the tiger king? Hains’ The lkino’s eu aed prides wos Hurt when er was ‘tél vot the hondredlity gent {would kill him. He went on a hunting spree and started killing tigers mercilessly. He ! {killed seventy tigers. By the time , he came to be known as the tiger king.1 Q7. Why was there a fear that the tiger king would lose his kingdom? t { Ans: The tiger king banned hunting of tigers in his kingdom by anyone else except him. | He banned even throwing a stone at the tiger. A British officer wanted to hunt a tiger | tin his kingdom but the tiger king refused. The British officer suggested that he could ! I get a photograph with the dead tiger killed by the tiger king. But the tiger king didn’t | {accept the suggestion. The British officer was annoyed and there was a fear that the | {tiger king would lose his kingdom. ! ! { Q8. How did the tiger king save his kingdom? Phe The tiger king sent fifty diamond rings to appease the wife of the British officer {who he had annoyed by disallowing hunting of tiger. The tiger king thought the lady | ! would keep one or two rings and return the rest. But she kept all the rings and sent! I the receipt back. The tiger king was able to save his kingdom at the loss of three lakh ! | rupees. 1 Q9. Why did the tiger king decide to marry? 1 {Ans: After killing ninety-nine tigers, there were no more tigers in and around the ‘kingdom of the tiger king. He decided to marry of a royal kingdom where he could find itigers to hunt. He found such a kingdom and married the girl with the only motive of | hunting tigers and reached the tally of ninety-nine tigers in that way. 1Q10, What did the tiger king do to get the last tiger? 'Ans: The tiger king came to know there few animals were getting disappered in a! i village. That suggested the presence of a tiger, He announced award for anyone who | {would get the tiger. But when he received no response, he threatened to double the | ‘tax. He also threatened the Dewan to search for the last tiger or else he would lose his ! 1 job. 1 1 1 Q11. How was the last tiger found? i 1 Ans: The last tiger was spotted by the Dewan in a National Park. It was a very old and sick tiger. It was so harmless the Dewan brought it in the backseat of his car and left it at a place where the tiger king was hunting. t t ‘ 112. How did the last tiger die? bis: The tiger king was overjoyed to see the hundredth tiger. He aimed at the tiger {which stood in humble supplication. He shot at the tiger and the tiger fell down | ‘unconscious. In reality, the tiger king missed his aim and the tiger fell down only due ! {to the sound of the bullet. The tiger king told his minions to carry out a procession with | | the dead tiger. When he went, the minions noticed that tiger was only unconscious. But | ‘they kept the fact with them out of fear of the tiger king. One of the minions killed the ! i last tiger. Q13. How did the tiger king die?1 Ans: The tiger king brought a wooden tiger on the third birthday of his son. The toy ! I tiger’s finishing was not proper and there were slivers all around. The tiger king was! { playing with his son when one of the slivers pierced his arm. Soon there was an infection 1 ‘and the doctors were called for the surgery. The surgery was done. The tiger king died. | 1Q14. Why {tiger king the doctors say that the operation was successful although the d? 1 I Ans: Everyone was fed up with the cruelty of the tiger king. No one liked him for his | {obsession and stubbornness. So when the tiger king died, it was a matter of pleasure | for everyone. Therefore, the doctors said that the operation was successful as everyone ! got rid of a cruel king. I Q15. What is the irony in the death of the tiger king? ! I I I {Ans: According to the prediction, the hundredth tiger was supposed to kill the tiger. {The tiger king Killed ninety-nine tigers himself. Onlyittellast tiger‘Was killed by hist { minion as he was unaware that the tiger was alive. Still the prediction came true as his {death was caused by a wooden toy tiger , the sliver of which pierced his arm leading | ‘to an infection and finally his death. ! LONG TYPE QUESTIONS-ANSWERS !Q1 : Giving a bribe is an evil practice. How did the Tiger King bribe the British | | officer to save his kingdom? ' {Answer : Once a high ranking British officer visited Pratibandapuram. As he was fond | {of hunting tigers, he expressed his wish of tiger hunting to the king but the king refused | ! permission. Then the British officer requested that he only wanted to he photographed ! tholding a gun and standing over the dead body of the tiger killed by the Maharaja. However, the Maharaja denied him this permission also, fearing that it would lead to | similar requests from other officers later on. 1s the Maharaja did not want to upset the British officer and risk losing his kingdom, | the sent fifty diamond rings to the wife of the officer so that she could choose the one | ‘she liked. However, the lady kept all the rings and sent him a note of thanks. In this! { way, the king managed to save his kingdom at the cost of three lakh rupees. i | Q2 : Why did Tiger King wish to hunt hundred tigers? How far was he able to { fulfil his wish? {Answer : At the Tiger King’s birth the astrologer had predicted that the death of the | {new born future king would come through a tiger and he must specially be cautious of | {the hundredth tiger. Amazingly the new-born prince growled “Let tigers beware!”. He ! [meant that he would not be afraid of tigers, instead tigers would be afraid of him and | {he would wipe them out to disprove the astrologer’s prediction. So, when he came of | age he wreaked havoc on the tiger population in an attempt to hunt a hundred tigers ! | as soon as it was possible. The Tiger King was able to kill ninety-nine tigers successfully {and he was under the impression that he had also killed the hundredth tiger. But the | ' hundredth tiger had survived his bullet shot. Ironically the death of the Tiger King was! ' brought about by a toy, a wooden tiger, which he had bought as a special birthday gift ! {for his son. 1 Q3 : How did the Tiger King meet his end? What is ironical about his fate? i| Answer : The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram, who was also known as the Tiger King! { tried to go against what was destined in his fate. The result was tragic and ironical. The ! {chief astrologer had predicted that a tiger would be the cause of the king’s death and | ‘he should specially be cautious of the hundredth tiger. The vain king banned hunting ! {of the tigers in the state by everyone except himself and was able to kill ninety-nine ! I tigers. He thought he had killed the hundredth tiger also but somehow the bullet missed | its mark and the hundredth tiger survived. Then on his son’s birthday the king bought | him a wooden tiger which he felt was a perfect gift for his son. A silver splinter in it! {pierced the king’s hand and the infection spread all over his arm causing his death. It | | Was indeed ironical that despite killing all the tigers in his kingdom, the king did finally | ‘ become the victim of the hundredth tiger and the astrologer’s prediction did come true. ! 1 1 |.Q4 : Describe the efforts made by the Tiger King to achieve his target of killing | ‘a hundred tigers. ' i I { Answer : The chief astrologer had told the king that his death would come from a tiger. | ''So to prove the astrologer wrong the king decided to kill a hundred tigers. He vowed } {that he would attend to all other matters only after killing one hundred tigers. Initially, | {the king seemed well set to realise him ambition. Then some dangers and difficulties | ‘cropped up. There were times when the bullet missed its mark and at other times the | ‘tiger would leap on him and he would have to fight the wild beast with his bare hands. ! {The Tiger King was able to kill ninety-nine tigers this way and if he could kill just one | | more tiger all his fears would be over for good and he could give up tiger hunting. But | ‘the hundredth tiger could not be found. The Dewan realised the disastrous results if! ithe hundredth tiger was not found. So a tiger was brought in from the People’s Park in 1 | Madras and taken directly to the forest where the Maharaja was hunting. The King took | {aim and the tiger fell in a heap. The Maharaja was extremely happy to have finally | {killed the hundredth tiger. Afer he left the hunters took a closer look at the tiger and | Irealised the tiger was not dead as the king had missed the aim. They decided not to} tell the Maharaja and one of the hunters killed the tiger. The king was left under the ! ‘impression that he had achieved his target of killing a hundred tigers. 1 I I 1 Q5 : The astrologer’s prediction about the death of the Tiger King came to be! ‘true. Do you agree with this statement? ' ' | Answer : I agree with the statement that the astrologer’s prediction about the death of | ‘the Tiger King came to be true. The astrologer had predicted that Tiger King would be ! {killed by a tiger and that he should be cautious of the hundredth tiger. This statement | | of the astrologer forced the king to go on a killing spree. The hundredth tiger was not | killed by the king himself but by the hunters, who found out that the old tiger had not ! died by the bullet of the king but only fainted when the bullet whizzed past him. |The hundredth tiger was a wooden toy tiger which the king had presented to his three- | ! year old son. It killed the king when merely a sliver of wood protruding from it pierced ! this right hand. The wound developed pus and it soon spread all over his arm. The best | ' surgeons failed to save the king and thus the astrologer’s prediction about the death of! | the Tiger King proved to be correct. 1 ! Q6:- 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?1 {Answer:- The story “The Tiger King" is a supreme example of dramatic irony. ' iThe* character acts in a way grossly inappropriate to the actual circumstances or ! texpects the opposite of what fate holds in store for him'. Kalki has used a very | | dexterous use of dramatic irony in the story. After killing the first tiger the King flaunts | tits dead body before astrologer to show that he is more powerful than the tiger. ! 1 However, the astrologer warns the king that he should be "careful with the hundredth 1 ‘ tiger". The king chooses to prove the astrologer wrong once again and makes frantic} { efforts to kill hundred tigers. Thus, having shot at the old tiger, the Tiger king believes ! {he has killed the hundredth tiger. But the reader as well as the king's officers and | | minions soon come to know that the emaciated tiger does not get killed but only faints. | ‘The king gets happy of killing the tiger but in actual ignorant of this ironical fate the ! | prediction proves to be right and mere sliver on wooden tiger's body causes his | {dramatic death. Quite ironically the hundredth tiger kills the king instead and} ! astrologer's predictions stands vindicated. Q7:- How would you describe the behavior of the Maharaja's mi him? De you find them truly sincere towards him or are they driven by fear | ! ‘when they obey him? | Answer:- The ruling Indian class during the British regime was often ruthless, atrocious, ‘eccentric, whimsical and conceited. They were idiots and refused to see reason. The ! {Tiger king is the someone. The king feels happy when he is informed about the presence ! {of tiger that would have completed his mission killing the hundredth tiger. He! | immediately announces a three year exemption from all the taxes for the villagers, but | 'when the tiger is not traced for a few days he thinks of doubling the taxes with t limmediate effect. Under such circumstances how can one expect the minions and | officers to be sincere to the king?. In this chapter also the officers obey the king not | ' because he is the supreme authority but because of the cowardice and fear of the king, ! ‘would dismiss them. For example, the dewan in order to save his own life brings an old! {tiger for the king to hunt and fulfill his vow. Likewise hunters choose not to inform him | ! of the survival of hundredth tiger in order to not get dismiss from the job. ! 1 1 I {Value Based Question 1Q1 : Even today so many among us believe in superstitions. An astrologer | | predicted about ‘The Tiger King’ that he would be killed by a tiger. He ‘killed’ ! tone hundred tigers yet was himself ‘killed’ by a tiger. How did the} | superstitious belief ‘prevail’? i | Answer : The prediction of the astrologer prevailed because actually the Tiger King has | { not ‘killed’ the hundredth tiger — the old tiger had only fainted due to the bullet passing | { close to him. The tiger was subsequently killed by a hunter accompanying the king, so ! I that the king would not find out about his bullet missing the tiger. This made the king | { believe that the prediction was negated. Thus he did not try to find another tiger to kil. | ! Subsequently, a sliver of wood from the wooden toy tiger, bought as a toy for his son, ! {pierced his finger, which became septic and caused his death despite the king being | {operated upon. Thus the superstitious belief prevailed, as the wooden tiger was the | ‘hundredth tiger which caused his death. Contact: preety0907@qmail.com Whatsapp: 8758488368 [a