Back to: CBSE Class 12th English Summary
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The Prophecy!
The narrator tells the story of the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram, who had a very difficult name. In short, he was known as the Tiger King. The narrator decides to tell us as to why he was known as Tiger King.
According to the narrator, the Tiger King is dead now. When the King was born, the astrologers predicted that this kid would be the champions of champions, but he would die one day.
Shortly after the astrologers had said these words, the ten-day-old infant spoke out that everyone must die one day. If they had a prediction, they must tell everybody the manner of his death. The chief astrologer predicted that death would come to the King from a tiger.
As soon as the kid heard these words, he growled and warned all the tigers. This story, according to the narrator, is a rumour in Pratibandapuram., However, it could have also been based on the truth.
Crown Prince Jung Jung Bahadur!
The prince grew taller and stronger day by day. He drank cow’s milk, watched English movies. The state came under his rule when he was twenty. The childhood prediction about the prince was circulated in the state. The prince decided to go on a tiger hunt since there were plenty of forests in that state.
The prince killed his first tiger and showed it to the astrologer. The astrologer insisted that even if he killed ninety-nine tigers, he must be careful with the hundredth. The astrologer promised to tear and burn his astrology books if the prince killed the hundredth tiger and become an insurance agent.
The Hunt Ban
The Maharaj banned tiger hunt in Pratibandapuram. None could kill a tiger except him. One day a British officer visited his state to kill a tiger, but the Maharaj denied the permission. The officer said that he only wanted the photograph with the dead tiger (it did not matter if the Maharaja killed it).
However, the Maharaja was firm in his resolve and denied permission. The Maharaja was in trouble as he refused the orders of a British officer. However, he sent diamond rings worth three lakh rupees to his wife, and the matter was settled.
No More Tigers
As time passed, the Maharaja killed seventy tigers, but the tiger in his state became extinct. The Maharaja came up with a brilliant plan. He ordered his dewan to find a girl from the royal family of other states whom he would marry, but this girl must have a lot of tiger population in her state.
The marriage happened, and each time the Maharaja visited his in-laws, he would kill five-six tigers. The total count of the tigers killed by him reached ninety-nine. However, soon, all the tigers became extinct there too.
The Maharaja only need one more tiger to complete the tally of a hundred but could not find one. He became sad as one tiger was his only hurdle to a happy life. He dreamt of this tiger day and night.
Soon, news broke out that sheep are disappearing day by day. The Maharaja was very happy and announced three years tax exemption for that village. The tiger was not easy to find. The Maharaja’s rage grew day by day. The Maharaja threatened to fire the dewan if he did not find the tiger.
The Remaining Tiger
The dewan became sad, and he then found the tiger brought from the people’s park. In the middle of the night, the dewan and his wife dragged the tiger into the car and left it in the forest where the Maharaja was hunting.
When the Maharaj found the tiger, he shot it with his gun, and the tiger fell to the ground. The Maharaja ordered the tiger to be carried in a grand procession as it was his hundredth kill.
Nevertheless, the tiger was still alive. The Maharaja did not know of the tiger being alive, but the hunters were aware. One of the hunters came forward and killed the tiger.
The Killer
It was the Maharaja’s son’s birthday, and the Maharaja decided to give him a gift. He bought a wooden tiger from a shop (it was worth two annas, but the shopkeeper showed three hundred rupees). The father and son played with that wooden tiger.
Since an unskilled carpenter had carved that wooden tiger, it had quills over it. One of the slivers pierced the Maharaja’s right hand. He ignored the infection.
The next day, that little wound developed into a suppurating sore. Three surgeons were summoned from Madras. After operating upon the Maharaja, they announced that the operation was successful and the Maharaja was dead. The hundredth tiger took its revenge.
