L- Mrs.

Packletide’s Tiger

Question 6

1. Do you think the tiger shooting organized by the villagers was a serious
affair? Give reasons for your answer.

Ans. The villagers' planned tiger shooting was a serious event because
Mrs. Packletide had promised a thousand rupees for the chance to shoot a
tiger without taking any significant risks. The game killing took place in a
nearby community. The people were motivated by the prospect of making
a thousand rupees.

In an attempt to prevent the tiger from moving on to new hunting

grounds, they had stationed their kids at the edge of the neighbourhood
jungle. Cheaper varieties of goats were dispersed widely to provide food
to the tiger. They took every precaution to avoid scaring the tiger away.

A platform was built on a tree that was in a good location for Mrs
Packletide to shoot the tiger. An old tiger was arranged which was lazy
and thus, easier to kill. Even Mrs Packletide's companion, Miss Mebbin,
was paid to go to the shoot with her.

The fact that a swarm of joyfully yelling locals arrived at the scene as soon
as the gun flashed and the beast rolled over dead gave the impression
that it was a serious situation for them. They yearned to receive their one
thousand rupees.

2. Do you think the writer is trying to make fun of the main characters in
the story i.e. Mrs. Packletide, Miss Mebbin and Loona Bimberton? Pick out
instances from the story that point to this fact.

Ans. The humour in this tale is hilarious. Through the three women’s
characters in the narrative, the author attempts to parody society. Mrs.
Packletide’s competitive and envious temperament led her to kill animals
since her friend Loona Bimberton had acquired a tiger hide and secured
press coverage. Mrs. Packletide even offered a thousand rupees for this
game without taking any risks, and she smiled for the cameras while
claiming to have killed the beast, but the tiger had actually passed away
from heart failure as a result of the rifle's loud noise.

Miss Mebbin, who had a possessive and avaricious attitude towards

money, was recruited by Mrs. Packletide to go to the game with her. Even
worse, she mocked Mrs. Packletide by telling her, "If it's an old tiger, you
should get it cheaper." Mrs. Packletide was coerced by Louisa Mebbin into
buying her a lovely cottage in exchange for keeping quiet about the fact
that the wrong animal had been murdered. The fact that Mebbin named
her cottage "Les Fauves" is made fun of by the author.
The image of Loona Bimberton has been painted as cunning and
vindictive. Although she had bragging rights over the tiger skin, she had
for weeks avoided looking at the illustrated paper because it featured
photographs of Mrs. Packletide and her hunted tiger. She penned a letter
of gratitude for receiving a tiger claw brooch, but it sounded as though
she was suppressing her feelings. Three ladies who each sought in their
own manner to gain notoriety were mocked by the author.

3. A person who is vain is full of self importance and can only think of
himself/herself and can go to great lengths to prove his/her superiority. Do
you think Mrs Packletide is vain? Give reasons in support of your answer.

Ans. Mrs. Packletide is vain as she did not shoot a tiger for her enjoyment,
nor did she feel lust for it rather Mrs. Packletide was jealous of her friend
Loona Bimberton when she bragged about getting a tiger skin and
appearing in front of the cameras. She planned to shoot a tiger since she
was naturally competitive.

In addition to planning to give Loona Bimberton a tiger claw brooch, she

had previously prepared a luncheon in her honour. She wanted to face the
camera and demonstrate her superiority by shooting the tiger herself. She
made every effort to demonstrate this. She made plans to attend

The filming with a paid companion. Every effort was made to ensure its
success. She bravely stood in front of the camera holding the dead tiger to
demonstrate her courage even though the wrong animal had been killed.

4. Sometimes writers highlight certain negative aspects in society or

human beings by making fun of them. This is called a Satire. In your
groups, discuss whether you would classify this story as a satire. Give
reasons to support your answer.

Ans. In the story, the author uses satire. To highlight the satire, he pokes
fun at the story’s characters. Mrs. Packletide is a cunning and competitive
individual who develops resentment for her friend after she learns that
Loona Bimberton has a tiger skin, had appeared in front of the media, and
obtained images. She too plans to shoot a tiger out of pride. She even
goes so far as to give the peasants money. Cheaper goats are used to
entice an aged tiger.

The author utilises satire to ridicule a society that, as Mrs. Packletide

depicts, will stop at nothing to achieve fame. Miss Mebbin is a mirror of
the other side of the materialistic culture. She is a stingy lady who
threatens to purchase Mrs. Packletide a cottage if she does not keep the
secret about the wrong animal being murdered. The villagers stand in for
a different segment of society that is similarly materialistic. Whether it
was a goat or a tiger that was shot, money was more important to them
than the subject of the shooting.

5. How does the writer create humour in this story?

Ans. The hilarity in the tale is abundant. Mrs. Packletide makes the
shooting arrangements. The most amusing aspect is that a frail tiger is set
up and cheap goats are left to entice him. Despite Mrs. Packletide’s poor
shooting skills, a platform has been built in a tree on which she sits
holding a gun and a pack of patience cards. The funniest thing is that the
tiger laid down on the ground as soon as it saw the goat, seemingly less
out of predation instinct than out of fear.

The big beast leaps to one side and then rolls over dead as the rifle fires
with a loud sound. By pointing out that Mrs. Packletide had killed the
incorrect animal, Miss Mebbin makes fun of her. The goat was struck by
the bullet, but the tiger's heart failed as a result of the rifle's deafening
noise. The villagers yelled joyfully since all they cared about was getting
their one thousand rupees, and they eagerly bought into the lie that she
had killed the tiger. Mrs. Packletide smiled for the cameras when her
photograph appeared in Texas Weekly Snapshot.

Q10 (a) Years later Mrs. Packletide writes her autobiography. As Mrs.
Packletide, write about the tiger episode with the help of the clues given
below.

Ans. My buddy Loona acquired a tiger hide, and as a result, she received
all the attention in the media. She made me envious, and I considered
obtaining a tiger hide for myself. I offered to pay the people one thousand
rupees if they would organise everything necessary to kill a tiger. I
coerced my pal Mebbin into going on the quest with me. We both sat
down on a platform that was mounted on a tree. My gun was aimed
towards the goat that was restrained beneath the other tree. I fired at the
tiger as soon as he came closer. It jumped to one side and collapsed,
dead. The peasants screamed in celebration. Mebbin, though, informed
me that the tiger had actually perished from the loud noise of the bullet
and not from consuming the goat. Mebbin was shrewd enough to use my
lack of knowledge of the hunt as leverage to demand that I buy her the
summer cottage she so desperately wanted. To beat a rival, I had to pay a
high fee.

(b) Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger by Saki is seeped in rich wit and humour.
Choose and describe the most Laugh-Out-Loud (LOL) moment in the story.
Give at least three reasons as to why you think this the most LOL moment.
Ans. Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger is a humourous story.

1. The author makes fun of almost all the characters. He satirises

Mrs.Packletide’s obsession with killing a tiger so as to show off in front of
Loona Bimberton.

2. He makes fun of Louisa Mebbin’s materialistic nature. She was very

particular about how every penny was spent.

3. He makes fun of Loona Bimberton who refused to attend Mrs.

Packletide’s luncheon party because she was jealous of her achievements.