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Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature
Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type
Question 1.
“It was Mrs. Packletide’s pleasure and intention that she should shoot a tiger.” Why was Mrs. Packletide intent on shooting a tiger?
Answer:
Mrs. Packletide did not nurse any lust or craze to shoot a tiger. She intended to indulge in the game only because of her dislike for Loona Bimberton, who had captured the limelight by flying eleven miles in an aeroplane piloted by an Algerian aviator. Her motive was to dissipate the fame of her rival Loona. Therefore, she planned to do something as adventurous as shooting a tiger. This would definitely cause a sensation and the limelight would naturally shift on to her.
Question 2.
Who was Loona Bimberton? What daring feat had she achieved that led to Mrs. Packletide disliking her?
Answer:
Loona Bimberton was Mrs. Packletide’s arch rival. Both the women nursed a mutual feeling of dislike towards each other. Loona had performed a daring feat by flying eleven miles in an aeroplane piloted by an Algerian aviator. The fame and glory that followed her, intensified Mrs. Packletide hatred and jealousy towards Loona.
Question 3.
What plan did Mrs. Packletide orchestrate to honour Loona?
Answer:
Mrs. Packletide had planned that she would arrange a party in Loona Bimberton’s honour at her house in Curzon Street. The tiger skin rug was to decorate her foreground, and her feat would necessarily be the hot topic for conversation. She had also designed a tiger-claw brooch that she proposed to gift to Loona on her next birthday.
Question 4.
Why did the mothers carrying their little babies hush their singing?
Answer:
The mothers hushed their singing while returning home from the jungle to avoid disturbing the tiger from his restful slumber. They were also exercising caution to ensure that the tiger did not go away from their vicinity.
Question 5.
Why were the cheap goats let loose by the villagers?
Answer:
The cheap goats were let loose in good numbers by the villagers so that the wild beast remained satisfied. This would also ensure that the tiger would not go in search of fresh hunting grounds.
Question 6.
What preparations were made for the shooting?
Answer:
Elaborate arrangements were made by the natives of the village. A safe platform was constructed on a comfortable and conveniently placed tree where Mrs. Packletide and her paid companion, was to be seated. A goat that bleated continuously day and night was tethered at an optimum distance. Mrs. Packletide had with her, an accurately sighted rifle and a thumb-nail pack of patience cards to use as they waited for their prey.
Question 7.
Who accompanied Mrs. Packletide for the shooting? Was she helpful?
Answer:
Louisa Mebbin, a ‘paid companion’ of Mrs. Packletide, accompanied her. She was of no use to Mrs. Packletide. Contrarily, she distracted her mistress persistently with her weird and unwarranted remarks. She was a thrifty woman. She did not approve of wasting money for shooting an old tiger. She pretended to be afraid of the tiger, to avoid putting in any extra work. She believed in doing only as much as she was being paid for.
Question 8.
What happened after Mrs. Packletide had fired the shot? How did the villagers react?
Answer:
As soon as the rifle flashed out with a loud report, the tiger that was seen ambling towards the goat could be seen springing to one side, and then rolling over into the stillness of death. Instantly the excited natives of the village crowded around the scene and shouted in jubilation, the sound echoed throughout the village, spreading happiness as they were now free from the fear of the tiger.
Question 9.
“Mrs. Packletide was pardonably annoyed at the discovery.” What led her to be annoyed?
Answer:
Miss. Louisa Mebbin’s observation led to the discovery that it was the goat that died of the bullet of Mrs. Packletide’s rifle, and that the tiger was killed of heart failure caused due to the banging noise of the rifle. This annoyed Mrs. Packletide as the mortal wound was visible on the goat’s body but no wound was visible on the tiger’s body.
Question 10.
Though Mrs. Packletide knew that she did not shoot the tiger, still she was sure that no one would reveal the secret. Why?
Answer:
Mrs. Packletide was sure of the fact that the error pertaining to the shooting of the tiger would remain a guarded secret. The villagers would be silent as they did not want to loose the thousand rupees that was promised to them. Miss. Mebbin who was the other person who knew about the mishap, sold her silence to Mrs. Packletide in exchange for a weekend cottage.
Question 11.
What was Loona Bimberton’s reaction at Mrs. Packletide’s instant fame?
Answer:
The vainglorious Loona Birnberton, arch rival of Mrs. Packletide, expressed her reaction in the most childish manner. She refrained from reading any paper or weekly that carried the pictures and news about Mrs. Packletide for several weeks. However with very repressed emotions, she accepted the birthday gift, though she declined the luncheon invite.
Question 12.
Why did Mrs. Packletide wish to kill a tiger?
Answer:
Mrs. Packletide wished to kill a tiger because she was guided by her dislike of Loona Bimberton, who had recently travelled eleven miles in one of the airplanes, piloted by an Algerian aviator, a rare feat accomplished by any woman. She too wanted to catch public attention and desired similar media popularity. So she decides to shoot a tiger.
Question 13.
What made her decide to give a party in Loona Bimberton’s honour? What did she intend to give Loona on her birthday?
Answer:
All movements and motives of Mrs. Packletide were largely governed by her dislike of Loona Bimberton. She threw a party in her favour to show her that it was Mrs. Packletide who had caught the limelight and that Mrs. Bimberton’s glory had been overshadowed. To insult her more, she had planned to send Loona Bimberton, a tiger-claw brooch on her next birthday.
Question 14.
How was the tiger shooting arranged? What kind of a tiger was chosen for the purpose?
Answer:
Tiger shooting was arranged on a moonlit cloudless night. A platform had been constructed in a comfortable and conveniently placed tree where Mrs. Packletide would sit accompanied by her paid companion, Miss Mebbin. A goat that could bleat
Question 15.
In what way did the villagers help Mrs. Packletide shoot the tiger?
Answer:
The villagers first searched for an old tiger that would involve less risk for Mrs. Packletide. Children were posted night and day on the outskirts of the local jungle so that the beast didn’t roam into fresh hunting grounds. Added to that, cheap goats were left about in the open to keep the tiger’s appetite satisfied. Mothers carrying
Question 16.
Who was Miss Mebbin? Was she really devoted to Mrs. Packletide? How did she behave during the tiger shooting?
Answer:
Miss Louisa Mebbin was Mrs. Packletide’s paid companion who escorted her for the shooting. No, she was not at all devoted to her. Rather, her actions at the platform revealed that she was money-minded and a manipulative woman. She felt that she must in no case offer her services more than the amount she had been paid for. On the other hand, she dissuaded Mrs. Packletide saying that she ought not to have paid such a heavy amount for the old tiger. Shrewd as she was, she further advised Mrs. Packletide that if the beast did not touch the goat, she must not pay for shooting.
Question 17.
Mrs. Packletide was a good shot. Discuss.
Answer:
Mrs. Packletide was a good shot definitely. It was flashed out that she killed two animals with one bullet instantly. The goat was mortally wounded whereas the tiger, the old beast died of heart failure. The noise was good enough to invite the local crowd, who shouted throughout the village to spread the news that memsahib had killed the tiger.
Question 18.
What comment did Miss Mebbin make after Mrs. Packletide had fired the shot? Why did Miss Mebbin make this comment? How did Mrs Packletide react to this comment?
Answer:
After Mrs. Packletide had fired the shot, Miss Mebbin drew attention to the fact that the wrong animal had been hit. The goat was shot to death and that the tiger died because of heart failure owing to old age. Miss Mebbin was a shrewd woman. She thought perhaps Mrs. Packletide would pay her more requesting her not to reveal the truth. Mrs. Packletide ignored this fact and claimed she shot the tiger, assuming
Question 19.
How did the villagers react to the tiger’s death?
Answer:
As soon as the natives of the village heard the loud noise of the rifle, they reached the spot where the two animals were lying dead. They swarmed around the scene and shouted throughout the village spreading the news of the tiger killed by the memsahib.
Question 20.
Do you think Mrs. Packletide was able to achieve her heart’s desire? Give reasons for your answer
Answer:
Though annoyed at discovering that the tiger was not killed by her shot, Mrs. Packletide was a happy woman. Whatever might have been the situation, she was the proud possessor of the dead tiger. She was able to achieve her heart’s desire as she faced camera with a light heart. Her photographs were taken that were to appear in the famous illustrated papers Texas Weekly Snapshot and the illustrated Monday supplement of the Novoe Vremya. She gave a luncheon party in the Curzon Street in the honour of Loona Bimberton. All this amply shows that she was able to achieve her heart’s desire.
Question 21.
How did Miss Mebbin manage to get her weekend cottage? Why did she plant so many tiger lilies in her garden?
Answer:
Miss Mebbin was a stingy, strict, sneering and cold-hearted woman. She was observant and cautious, not for others but for herself. It was her conscious watching that led her to discover that Mrs. Packletide had not killed the tiger. She very well knew that Mrs. Packletide would never part with her fame. She had the key to the fame of Mrs. Packletide. Therefore, she blackmailed her to get the required amount to purchase a beautiful cottage. She planted so many tiger lilies in her garden so as to remember that the cottage has some association with tiger in one or the other way. Her fondness for animals could also be the other reason.
Question 22.
“The incidental expenses are so heavy,” she confides to inquiring friends. Who is the speaker? What is she referring to here?
Answer:
Mrs. Packletide is the speaker. Here she is referring to those expenses which she has to bear in order to maintain her fame as tiger killer. Miss Mebbin blackmailed her to get the money required to buy a cottage.
Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type
Question 1.
Imagine you are Mrs. Packletide. After being betrayed by Louisa Mebbin, you learnt a lesson for life. Now you are completely changed. You are purged of all ill-will and dislike that you nursed for Loona Birnberton. Write a letter of apology to Loona Birnberton telling her how you were blackmailed because of your craze for feme.
Answer:
#15, Curzon
Street London
June 24, 19XX*
Dear Loona
You will be shocked to receive my letter as we were never the best of friends. It’s been almost five years now since we last met. As I look back on the events that went by, I feel very pity and ashamed for having conducted myself in such a poor manner. I realise that I have been vain and insensitive.
All the pomp and glory that accompanied the tiger shooting incident has revealed unconditionally my ridiculously vainglorious nature. I hate myself for having been in continuous competition with you. How lovely it would have been if we were congenial with each other!
I have a confession to make to you. The entire incident surrounding the tiger shoot was only partially true. I had not killed the tiger. It had succumbed to a natural cause. I did not disclose the truth, neither did my associates, the villagers and my paid companion, as I had paid them handsomely to buy their silence. However I paid a heavy price for my falsehood. Louisa blackmailed me into buying her a weekend cottage to guard my secret. This shattered my self-confidence.
Realisation has dawned, and I have decided to turn over a new leaf. Time has been a great teacher. It taught me that fame and money are transient, whereas human relationship is not. Loona, I earnestly wish to seek your pardon for my deplorable behaviour towards you. I extend to you my hand of friendship.
Hope you would keep in touch.
Your friend
Ruby Packletide
Question 2.
Imagine you are Louisa Mebbin. Write a diary entry expressing how you could afford a cottage.
Answer:
Dorking
June 4, 19XX*,
Saturday 9:00 p.m.
Dear Diary,
I had never in my dreams thought of owning my own cottage until I met Mrs. Packletide. Living in scarcities had always made me realize the value of money which my mistress never understood. She wasted money so carelessly showing her vain glory. That led me to feel that she acted rather stupidly when she had paid a huge amount of thousand rupees to the villagers just for shooting a wild old beast that could hardly walk. I kept on reminding her through various ways that she had been wasting money so absurdly that pained me. But all my suggestions fell on deaf ears.
My seriousness with life and observation helped me when I concluded that it was not the tiger that was shot but the goat who received the mortal wound. Annoyed at the discovery, my mistress expected me to keep quiet because I had not received my payment for accompanying her. And I did not want to lose it because I did not want to perform an atom more than the money paid for. That was the time when I felt that I could extract money from this silly vainglorious woman.
I waited for the right time and then went to warn her that if she did not pay me the expected amount to buy a cottage I would reduce her glory to ashes. Crazy for fame, she had to part with the money that led me to purchase this cottage. I admit that I had been a blackmailer but I feel I must not repent because these upper class women don’t realize the worth of money. They throw money so extravagantly and lavishly that if I have benefitted from her extravagance to lead a respectable life, it doesn’t mean any sort of offence committed on my part.
Louisa
Question 3.
“Materialistic morals of high sophisticated society lead to hollowness and shallowness.” What Values do you learn from Mrs. Packletide’s materialistic morals and vaingloriousness?
Answer:
The story ‘Mrs Packletide’s Tiger’ lays the shallowness and hollowness of the so-called sophisticated elite of the society who go about pursuing hazardous activities not to taste personal thrill and excitement but to impress people around. They pose to expose themselves to risk and danger but in reality they use money and power to ensure their safety and comfort while getting their false brave images built.
The people like Mrs. Packletide who consider themselves smart enough to outshine others often get outsmarted themselves. The actions of these manipulative people can backfire and recoil on them. Like Mrs. Packletide tried to outshine Loona Bimberton but she herself became a prey of Louisa Mebbin who blackmailed Mrs. Packletide to earn money. Her weakness for publicity and vainglofiousness made her a matter of laughter and humour. Mrs. Packletide wanted to hunt a tiger but in reality she hunted a lamb. Mrs. Packletide’s showy nature brought only hollowness and shallowness for her. A person can be great by great thinking and good actions not by money and vaingloriousness.
Question 4.
Before targeting anyone, one must not forget that even a biter can be bitter.” Explain with the reference to the story Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger. What values do you learn from the story?
Answer:
It is Mrs. Packletide’s vanity that had made her enact the tiger hunting drama. Her urge to outshine Loona Bimberton was nothing but an attempt to satisfy this vanity. Her posing for the photographs and throwing on luncheon party with the tiger skin prominently spread in the drawing room reflects this vain lady’s efforts to prove her superiority and become a celebrity.
Mrs. Packletide targetted Mrs. Loona Bimberton but she herself was targetted by Miss Mebbin. The manipulative Miss Mebbin started blackmailing Mrs. Packletide. To keep her mouth shut and not to reveal that she (Mrs. Packletide) hunted a lamb not a tiger, she had to pay an exorbitant price to Miss Mebbin. Thus, the people who consider themselves smart enough to outshine others often get outsmarted themselves we should try to get name and fame by our good deed not by insulting and having rivalry to others. The manipulative actions can be backfired and recoiled on ourselves.
Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger Extra Questions and Answers Reference-to-Context
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.
Question 1.
“It was Mrs. Packletide’s pleasure and intention that she should shoot a tiger. Not that the lust to kill had suddenly descended on her, or that she felt that she would leave India safer and more than she had found it.”
(i) What did Mrs. Packletide want to do?
(ii) Why did she want to shoot a tiger?
(iii) Explain’ “lust to kill”.
(iv) Was the killing done to secure the Indians?
Answer:
(i) Mrs. Packletide wanted to shoot a tiger.
(ii) She undertook the adventurous task of shooting a tiger for the sheer pleasure of belittling her arch rival Miss Loona and thereby acquiring fame for herself.
(iii) “Lust to kill” means to be driven by an excessive passion to kill.
(iv) The vain and selfish Mrs. Packletide had only her interest in mind while undertaking this.
Question 2.
“In a world that is supposed to be chiefly swayed by hunger and by love Mrs. Packletide was an exception; her moments and motives were largely governed by dislike of Loona Bimberton.”
(i) How Mrs. Packletide’s behaviour different from others?
(ii) What governed her motives?
(iii) Who was Loona Bimberton?
(iv) How was Mrs. Packletide an exception?
Answer:
(i) Mrs. Packletide’s behaviour was different from others. Satisfaction of the primary human requirements like hunger and love was not as important to her as defeating Miss Loona Bimberton was.
(ii) Her motives were governed by her intense hatred for Loona Bimberton.
(iii) Loona Bimberton was the arch rival of Mrs. Packletide. She was just as vainglorious as the latter was, and both the women were in constant battle to be on top of the social ladder.
(iv) Mrs. Packletide was neither swayed by love nor by hunger.
Question 3.
“Mothers carrying their babies through the jungle after the day’s work in the fields hushed their singing lest they might curtail the restful sleep of the venerable herd-robber. ”
(i) Why did the mother hush their singing?
(ii) What does the expression ‘venerable herd-robber’ mean and for whom is this expression used?
(iii) What was the ulterior motive for such precautions?
(iv) Which figure of speech is used in the expression Venerable herd-robber?
Answer:
(i) Mothers hushed their singing to avoid disturbing the tiger from his restful slumber.
(ii) The term ‘venerable herd-robber’, refers to the tiger. The expression is used to convey two opposite qualities of the tiger—one that he is a very respected animal, but at the same time he is called a herd robber, because he robs the life of its prey for survival.
(iii) The motive behind the precautions taken by the villagers, was to ensure that the old and troublesome tiger, was presented alive and in one piece before Mrs. Packletide, for her to kill. Besides they were keen to secure the award of Rs. 1000/- that was promised for their cooperation.
(iv) The figure of speech used here is oxymoron. An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear together, (eg. Truly false)
Question 4.
“With an accurately sighted rifle and a thumbnail pack of patience cards the sportswoman awaited the coming of the quarry. ”
(i) Who is the sportswoman referred to here?
(ii) What is “the quarry”?
(iii) Why did she carry the ‘thumbnail pack of patience’?
(iv) Why were all these arrangements made?
Answer:
(i) The sportswoman referred to here is Mrs. Packletide.
(ii) The quarry refers to the tiger that was to be hunted down by Mrs. Packletide.
(iii) A brave, confident and calm Mrs. Packletide carried with her the “ thumbnail pack of patience” to tide over the time they might have to wait for the tiger’s arrival by playing a game of cards.
(iv) All these arrangements were made to outshine Loona Bimberton.
Question 5.
“And their triumph and rejoicing found a ready echo in the heart of Mrs. Packletide; already that luncheon-party in Curzon Street seemed immeasurably nearer. ”
(i) Who is rejoicing in these lines?
(ii) What do you mean by ‘triumph and rejoice’? Why are they triumphing and rejoicing?
(iii) What is the luncheon party being referred to here?
(iv) What echoed in Mrs. Packletide’s heart?
Answer:
(i) The natives of the village are rejoicing.
(ii) ‘Triumph’ means victory and ‘ rejoice’ is jubilation. The villagers were in a triumphant mood and they were rejoicing as the tiger had been killed.
(iii) It is the luncheon party that Mrs. Packletide was proposing to host to honour Loona Bimberton.
(iv) The sound of the jubilation echos the realisation in Mrs. Packletide’s heart, that the time to host the party to honour Loona and get even with her, was fast approaching.
Question 6.
“Circumstances proved propitious. ”
(i) What does the word propitious mean?
(ii) What circumstance is being referred to here?
(iii) How did the circumstances prove propitious?
(iv) For whom did circumstances prove propitious?
Answer:
(i) ‘Propitious’ means – to be favourable.
(ii) The circumstances refer to the situations surrounding Mrs. Packletide’s latest passion.
(iii) The circumstances proved to be propitious because both Mrs. Packletide and the villagers stood to gain from the proposed event, in some form or other.
(iv) It proved propitious for Mrs. Packletide because she was successful in securing a dead tiger. As for the villagers, they earned a sum of Rs. 1000/- along with getting rid of the old troublesome tiger.
Question 7.
“The compelling motive for her sudden deviation towards the footsteps of Nimrod was the fact that Loona Bimberton had recently been carried eleven miles in an aeroplane. ”
(i) For whom is the pronoun ‘her’ used in this context?
(ii) What was the sudden deviation being referred to here?
(iii) Who is Nimrod?
(iv) Why is his reference made here?
Answer:
(i) The pronoun ‘her’ has been used to refer to Mrs. Packletide.
(ii) The sudden deviation refers to the sudden interest or inclination expressed by Mrs. Packletide towards hunting.
(iii) Nimrod is a biblical character, the great grandson of Noah, who was a mighty hunter.
(iv) The reference to his character is made here because Mrs. Packletide too, wanted to follow him. She had plans of hunting a tiger.
Question 8.
“It’s a very old tiger. It couldn’t spring up here even if it wanted to.”
(i) Who is the speaker?
(ii) What light does this remark throw on the character of the speaker?
(iii) What was she planning to do with the tiger?
(iv) Why could the tiger not spring up?
Answer:
(i) Mrs. Packletide is the speaker here.
(ii) This remark shows that Mrs. Packletide was fearless as she sat on the platform to shoot a tiger, that was old and helpless. She comes across as a person who is petty, shallow, vain and callous. The fact that she was going to kill an animal did not bother her. Her prerogative was to acquire fame.
(iii) She was planning to shoot the tiger.
(iv) The tiger was very old and weak. Hence it was not capable of springing up on to the platform that seated Mrs. Packletide and her companion Louisa.
Question 9.
“In a moment a crowd of excited natives had swarmed on the scene, and their shouting speedily carried the glad news to the village… .”
(i) What scene is referred to here?
(ii) What is the glad news?
(iii) Who is ‘their’ in the above lines?
(iv) Why were they shouting?
Answer:
(i) The scene depicted in the above lines is that of the shot being fired, the great tawny beast rolling over in the stillness of death and the reaction of the excited natives.
(ii) The glad news was that Mrs. Packletide had shot the tiger to death.
(iii) ‘Their’ in the above lines refers to the native villagers.
(iv) They were shouting because they were happy that the old tiger that was preying upon their domestic animals had been put down forever.
Question 10.
“The incidental expenses are heavy.”
(i) Who is the speaker
(ii) Who is she speaking to?
(iii) What makes the speaker give this remark?
(iv) What incidental expense did she have to pay?
Answer:
(i) Mrs. Packletide is the speaker of the above lines.
(ii) She is talking to her friends who were curious to know why she did not indulge in big-game shooting anymore.
(iii) Mrs. Packletide had to incur a lot of expenses as the result of her first hunting stint. Her missed bullet turned out to be very cosdy, as she had to pay a heavy price to buy Louisa’s silence.
(iv) She had to buy a week-end cottage for her paid companion Miss Mebbin.