Chapter 2 The Tiger King Solutions
Question - 21 : - What did the Maharaja do to kill rest of the tigers ?
Answer - 21 : -
The Maharaja married in a royal family of a state, which had a large tiger population. The Maharaja would kill five or six tigers each time he visited his father-in-law. Thus he was able to kill ninety-nine tigers.
Question - 22 : - Why was the Maharaja keen to kill the hundredth tiger ?
Answer - 22 : -
The astrologer had foretold that the MaharajaтАЩs death may be caused by the hundredth tiger. He had already killed ninety-nine tigers. So he thought that if he killed just one tiger, he would have no fears left.
Question - 23 : - Did the Maharaja really kill the hundredth tiger ?
Answer - 23 : -
The Maharaja had taken careful aim at the hundredth tiger. The Maharaja was very happy when the tiger fell on the ground. Later on, it was found that the tiger was not dead as the MaharajaтАЩs bullet had missed it.
Question - 24 : - What did the Maharaja gift his son on his third birthday ?
Answer - 24 : -
The Maharaja wished to give some special gift to his son on his third birthday. He searched shops but could not find a suitable gift. Finally, he spotted a wooden tiger in a toyshop which he thought was the perfect gift for his son.
Question - 25 : - Who was the Tiger King ? What miracle happened when he was ten-day- old ?
Answer - 25 : -
The Tiger King was the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur. When he was born the astrologers predicted that he would grow up to become the warrior of warriors, hero of heroes, champion of champions. But one day he would actually have to die. But at that very moment a great miracle took place.
The ten-day-old Jung Jung Bahadur said, тАЬO wise prophets ! all those who are born will one day have to die.тАЭ The royal infant said in his little shrilly voice that there would be some sense in it if the astrologers could tell the manner of his death. The Chief Astrologer was utterly surprised. Then he said that the prince was born in the hour of the Bull. The Bull and the Tiger are enemies, therefore, his death would come from the tiger.
Question - 26 : - How did the Maharaja nearly lose his throne ? Was he able to retain his kingdom ?
Answer - 26 : -
Once a high-ranking British officer, who was very fond of hunting tigers, visited Pratibandapuram. He was even more fond of being photographed with the tigers he had shot. As usual, he wished to hunt tigers in Pratibandapuram. But the Maharaja refused permission. A message was sent to the Maharaja that he could do the actual killing.
What was more important to the British officer was to have a photograph of himself holding the gun and standing over the tigerтАЩs dead body. But the Maharaja would not agree even to this proposal. So he was in danger of losing his kingdom itself. In order to save his throne, he sen a few diamond, rings to the officers wife so that the officer might cool down. In this manner, he was successful in retaining his kingdom.
Question - 27 : - тАЬThe MaharajaтАЩs tiger hunts continued to be highly successful.тАЭ How was he able to kill ninety-nine tigers ?
Answer - 27 : -
The Maharaja went on hunting for the tigers. Within ten years he was able to kill seventy tigers. But the tiger population had become extinct in the forests of his own state. But still there were thirty more tigers to be killed. Then the Maharaja told his Diwan that he wanted to marry in a royal family of a state with a large tiger population.
The Diwan followed his orders and found the right girl from a state which possessed a large number of tigers. The Maharaja would kill five or six tigers each time he visited his father-in-law. Thus the Maharaja was able to kill ninety-nine tigers.
Question - 28 : - How was the hundredth tiger arranged ? Was the Maharaja able to kill it?
Answer - 28 : -
As the hundredth tiger was not being found anywhere, the MaharajaтАЩs anger and obstinacy rose to new heights. He called the Diwan and ordered him to double the land tax. When the Diwan said that the people would become discontented, the Maharaja asked him to resign from his post. The Diwan was relieved only when he saw the tiger which had been brought from the PeopleтАЩs Park in Madras.
The Diwan and his aged wife dragged the tiger to the car and put it into the seat. After reaching the forest where the Maharaja was hunting, the Diwan pushed the tiger to the ground. On the following day, the same old tiger wandered into the MaharajaтАЩs presence. He took careful aim and fired.
Seeing the tiger falling on the ground, he said that he had fulfilled his vow and killed the hundredth tiger. After the Maharaja left, the men realised that the tiger was not dead. Moreover, the MaharajaтАЩs bullet had missed it. The tiger had fainted from the shock of the bullet. Then one of the hunters shot the tiger from the close range and it died.
Question - 29 : - Do you see an element of irony in the MaharajaтАЩs death ?
Answer - 29 : -
Yes, of course, there is an element of irony in the way the Maharaja died. It was predicted that he might die by the hundredth tiger. He killed ninety-nine tigers within many years. The hundredth tiger was brought from Madras by the Diwan because no more tigers were left. The Tiger King fired at the tiger and it fell down on the ground. But he had missed the target and the tiger had just fainted and was not dead. The tiger was then killed by one of the hunters.
Then the Maharaja got a wooden toy-tiger as a birthday gift for his son. While playing with it alongwith his son the silver pierced his right hand. The next day, infection spread in the MaharajaтАЩs right hand. In four days it developed into a pus-generating sour which spread all over the arm.
Three famous surgeons were called from Madras. They performed the operation, but the Maharaja could not be saved. The irony is that though he killed ninety-nine tigers, yet he died because of a little wooden toy-tiger, which was the hundredth. Thus, something totally unexpected happened, which is the element of an irony in the story.