Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger

by Saki

Author

Hector Hugh

Munro

ABOUT AUTHOR Hector Hugh Mupro(18 December 1870-

13),better known by the pen name Saki, and also

frequently a H.H.Munro, was a British writer. He

is considered a master of the short story and

often compared to O.Henry and Dorothy Parker.

Influenced by Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll and

Kipling, he himself influenced A.A.Milne, Moel

Coward and P.G.Wodehouse. Beside his short

stories he wrote a full length play, the watched

pot.

Motive for killing a tigerMrs. Packletide decided to shoot a tiger. The reason behind it was nothing else but her deeply rooted hatred for Loona Bimberton.She considered Loona to be her main rival. Loona Bimberton had recently had a joy ride in an aeroplane with an Algerian pilot. Mrs. Packletide wanted to outdo her rival. She wanted to do something more exciting and adventurous than Loona’s feat. Hence, the idea of killing a tiger came in the mind of Mrs. Packletide.

Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger

-Saki

She wanted to have a heap of press photographs with a personally procured tiger skin.

To earn publicity and fame

The motive of killing a tiger was to earn a lot of publicity and fame. She wanted to overshadow Loona’s act. Mrs. Packletide wanted the press and magazines should publish her photographs with the dead tiger’s skin. She had decided to present a tiger-claw brooch to Loona Bimberton on her next birthday

Circumstances proved favourable

Circumstances proved favourable for Mrs. Packletide. A tiger could be seen roaming frequently in a forest near a neighbouring village. The old tiger had confined his activities only to small domestic animals. The villagers were tempted by Mrs. Packletide offer and the prospect of getting a thousand rupees. Mrs. Packletide wanted a safer and convenient shooting. The villagers did their best to confine the tiger to his present quarters. Maximum care was taken not to disturb his rest or sleep. Mother carrying their babies hushed their singing not to disturb the restful sleep of the old tiger.

An old and sickly tiger was chosen for the purpose of hunting

Preparation for the hunt

The great night duly arrived. It was a moon lite and cloudless night. A platform was constructed in a conveniently placed tree. Mrs. Packletide sat there with her paid-companion Miss Mebbin. A goat with a persistent bleat was tied at a correct distance. With her rifle ready in her hands, Mrs. Packletide waited for the tiger to come out in the open there.

Miss Mebbin’s elder-sister attitude

Miss Mebbin was a paid companion of Mrs. Packletide. But she had adopted a protective elder-sister attitude towards Mrs. Packletide. She was a miser and saved a lot of money by saving tips in hotels. She pointed out that they should pay less for the old and senile tiger

Shooting of the tigerAs soon as the tiger caught sight of the goat, he lay on the Earth. He did so only to snatch a short rest before being ready for the ‘grand attack’. Then Mrs. Packletide’s rifle flashed out with a loud report. The tiger sprang to one side and the rolled-over dead on the ground. In a moment a crowd of excited native appeared on the scene. The villagers celebrated the feat by thumping of tom-toms. All these things pleased Mrs. Packletide.

Secret of Tiger’s death

It was Louisa Mebbin who drew Mrs. Packletide’s attention to the fact that the goat was in death-throes from a fatal bullet wound. There was no sign of bullet-mark on the tiger. Clearly, the wrong animal had been hit. Mrs. Packletide had missed her aim. The old and weak tiger died due to the heart failure caused by the loud noise of the rifle. At any rate, she was the possessor of a dead tiger.

The reaction of villagersThe villagers were anxious to get their one thousand rupees. They gladly connived at the false story that Mrs. Packletide had shot the tiger. Mrs. Packletide was annoyed at the discovery.She threatened that people would come to know that Mrs. Packletide only shotthe tiger and not the goat.

Miss Mebbin blackmails Mrs. Packletide

Miss Mebbin, the paid companion of Mrs. Packletide, was a great opportunist. She threatened her with the disclosure of the secret of the tiger’s death. Very clearly, she put forward a proposal before Mrs. Packletide. Miss Mebbin told herthat she had seen a week-end cottage near Darking. She wantedto buy that cottage. The cost wassix hundred and eighty, freehold. It was a good bargain but shedidn’t have the money.

ConclusionMrs. Packletide was blackmailed to buy that cottage for Miss Mebbin. In this way, Miss Mebbin became the proud owner of the cottage . She named it ‘Les Fauvs’ or ‘The wild Animals’. After this incidence, Mrs. Packletide gave up’ big-game shooting’ or hunting big animals. When someone asked she replied that the “incidental” or other expenses were so heavy in the big-game shooting

The End Made by Group 1 Rishabh Kartik Abhijith Himanshu Hriday