Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger 

(By Saki)

Extract Based Questions

Read the following passages taken from ‘Mrs. Packletides Tiger’ and answer the given questions.

1. ‘Mrs. Packletide had already arranged in her mind the lunch she would give at her house in Curzon Street, ostensibly in Loona Bimberton’s honour, with the tiger-skin rug occupying most of the foreground and all of the conversation’
(a) What was the real intention of Mrs. Packletide  in hosting the lunch?
Ans.- Mrs. Packletide wanted to show off and outshine Loona Bimberton. she also wanted to make Loona Bimberton Jealous of her achievements.
(b) Why was Loona Bimberton being honoured by the press?
Ans.- Loona Bimberton had travelled eleven miles in an airplane flown by an Algerian pilot for procuring tiger skin.
(c) What did she intend to gift Loona on her birthday?
Ans. Mrs.. Packletide intended to gift a tiger claw brooch to Loona.

Also Read:

Mrs Packletide’s Tiger Theme
Mrs Packletide Tiger Summary
Mrs Packletide Tiger Short Question Answer
Mrs Packletide’s Tiger Characters

2. ‘The prospect of earning thousand rupees had stimulated the sporting and commercial instinct of the villagers.’
(a) What had stimulated the sporting and commercial instincts of the villagers?
Ans.– The thought of getting thousand rupees if they helped Mrs.. Packletide in hunting a tiger, had stimulated the sporting and commercial instinct of the villagers.
(b) What were the two fears that the villagers had regarding the hunt?
Ans.– Firstly, the villagers were afraid that the tiger may wander off to another village and secondly, that he may die before the hunt.
(c) Why did Mrs. Packletide want to hunt a tiger?
Ans.– Mrs. Packletide wanted to outshine the achievements of her rival, Loona Bimberton.

3. ‘Mother’s carrying their babies home 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.’
(a) Who does the phrase ‘venerable herd robber refer to? What is the literary device used in the phrase?
Ans.- The phrase refers to the tiger. It is an oxymoron.
(b) What is the tone of the writer in the line?
Ans.– The tone of the writer is humorous.
(c) What does the writer want to highlight in these lines?
Ans.– The writer wants to highlight the ridiculous lengths to which the villagers were ready to go to ensure that the tiger stayed in the village till the hunt.

4- ‘With an accurately sighted rifle and a thumbnail pack of patience cards the sportswoman awaited the coming of the quarry.’
(a) who is the sportswoman and what is her quarry?
Ans.– The Sportswoman is Mrs. Packletide and her quarry is the tiger.
(b) What are the arrangements that have been, made for the person?
Ans.- A safe platform has been made on a tree, a goat has been tethered to a tree, a rifle has been sighted for her and she has a pack of cards to pass the time,
(c) What does the mention of the cards tell us about the nature of the activity being undertaken by the woman?
Ans.  Mrs. Packletide is taking the hunt in a very light-hearted manner after ensuring that it was free from any kind of risk.

5.  The villagers anxious for their thousand rupees, gladly connived at the fiction that she had shot the beast’
(a) What is the ‘fiction’ being referred to in these lines?
Ans. – It refers to the fact that the truth was something else altogether.
(b) What was the truth?
Ans. – The truth was that the tiger had actually died of a heart attack and had not been shot by Mrs. Packletide.
(c) Who had discovered the truth?
Ans. – Louisa Mebbin, the paid companion of Mrs. Packletide had discovered the truth.

6. ‘As for Loona Bimberton she refused to look at an illustrated paper for weeks.’
(a) Why did Loona refuse to look at a paper?
Ans. – Loona refused to do so because it carried the news of Mrs. Packletide’s tiger hunt.
(b) How did the news in the paper affect her?
Ans. – Loona Bimberton was consumed with jealousy and did not attend the luncheon party thrown by Mrs. Packletide.
(c) Why did it affect her in this way?
Ans. – It affected Loona Bimberton badly because Mrs. Packletide had managed to outshine her achievement.

7. ‘How amused everyone would be if they knew what really happened.’
(a) Who said this to whom?
Ans. – Louisa Mebbin said these lines to Mrs. Packletide.
(b) What is the speaker trying to say?
Ans. – The speaker Louisa Mebbin here means to convey that she would reveal the truth about the hunt.
(c) What was the tone of the speaker?
Ans. – The tone was threatening. Louisa Mebbin was trying to blackmail Mrs. Packletide

8. ‘Mrs. Packletide indulges in no more big-game shooting. ‘The incidental expenses’ are s heavy.’
(a) Why had Mrs. Packletide tried to hunt a tiger?
Ans. – Mrs. Packletide wanted to outshine her rival Loona Bimberton’s achievement of having flown in an airplane, by hunting a tiger.
(b) Why was she no longer interested in shooting?
Ans. – Mrs. Packletide was no longer interested in shooting as the hunt had proved to be very expensive to her. Not only did she have to pay the villagers, but her companion too.
(c) What does she mean by incidental expenses?
Ans. – Mrs. Packletide means the expenses that she had to undergo, to buy the silence of her companion Louisa Mebbin who had threatened to reveal the truth about the hunt to her rival Loona Bimberton.

9. “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.”
(a) What was the real intention of Mrs. Packletide when she expressed her desire to shoot a tiger?
Ans. The real intention of Mrs. Packletide behind shooting the tiger was to outshine Loona Bimberton.
(b) How does she want to leave India?
Ans. She wants to leave India with a name.
(c) What do you mean by the phrase ‘descended on’?
 Ans. She wants to leave India with a name. It means to make a sudden visit.

10. “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.”
(a) How was Mrs. Packletide’s behaviour different from others?
Ans. Mrs. Packietide’s behaviour was different from others in the sense while others are swayed by hunger and by love, this lady was content with just her dislike for Loona Bimberton.
(b) Towards whom were her motives targeted?
Ans. All her motives were targeted against Loona Bimberton.
(c) What do you mean by the words ‘swayed by’ here?
Ans. Here it means ‘rule over’.

11. “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.”
(a) Why did the mother hush singing to their babies?
Ans. Mothers hushed singing to their babies so that the tiger should not wake
(b) What does the expression ‘venerable herd-robber’ mean and for whom is this expression used?
Ans. The expression is used for the tiger. The animal is respectable and is to be dreaded because it kills herd of animals.
(c) Which figure of speech is used in this expression?
 Ans. The figure of speech used here is oxymoron.

12. “With an accurately sighted rifle and a thumbnail pack of patience cards the sportswoman awaited the coming of the quarry.”
(a) Who are the sportswomen referred to here?
Ans. The sportswomen referred to here are Mrs. Packletide and Louisa Mebbin.
(b) Where are the women at this moment?
Ans. The women right now are sitting on the platform erected on the tree from where they would aim at the tiger.
(c) What do you mean by ‘thumbnail pack of patience’ What does it indicate here?
Ans. It means ‘great patience’. It indicates that as they had to wait long for the tiger, hence they kept the cards to pass time.

13.  “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.”
 (a) Who is rejoicing in these lines?
Ans. The natives of the village are rejoicing here.
(b) What do you mean by ‘triumph and rejoice’? Why are they triumphing and rejoicing?
Ans. ‘Triumph’ means ‘victory’ and ‘rejoice’ means ‘feel great joy’. They are triumphing and rejoicing as Mrs. Packletide has shot the tiger to death.
(c) What are Mrs. Packletide’s plans for the luncheon party?
Ans. Mrs. Packletide plans to arrange a dinner in the honour of Loona Bimberton and send her a gift.

14. “Circumstances proved propitious”
(a) What circumstances is referred to here?
Ans. The circumstance is Mrs. Packletide finding an opportunity to shoot a tiger.
(b) How did the circumstances prove propitious?
Ans. Circumstances proved propitious as Mrs. Packletide got in touch with the natives of a village who assured her that they would find her a tiger that could be shot at without much risk or exertion.
(c) What does the word ‘propitious’ mean?
 Ans. It means favourable.

15. “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.”
(a) For whom is the pronoun ‘her’ used in this context?
Ans. It is used for Mrs. Packletide.
(b) What do you mean by ‘sudden deviation’?
Ans. The sudden deviation here means Mrs. Packletide’s sudden interest or inclination to shoot a tiger.
(c) Who is Nimrod and why is his reference made here?
Ans. Nimrod is a biblical character, great-grandson of Noah who was a mighty hunter. The reference to his character is made here because Mrs. Packletide too wanted to follow him. She had plans of hunting a tiger.

16. “It’s a very old tiger. It couldn’t spring u here even if it wanted to.”
(a) Who is the speaker?
Ans. Mrs. Packletide is the speaker here.
(b) What light does this remark throw on the character of the speaker?
Ans. This remark shows that Mrs. Packletide was very cool and casual while sitting on the platform to shoot a tiger. We feel sorry for her petty, shallow nature as she wants to purchase everything in this world with money. She doesn’t want to experience the actual excitement of hunting.
(c) What do you mean by the phrase ‘spring up’?
 Ans. It means Come into being or appear.

17. “In a moment a crowd of excited natives had swarmed on the scene, and their shouting speedily carried the glad news to the village… .”
(a) What scene is referred to here?
Ans. The venue which was decided for the shoot was where a platform had been erected for the ladies to shoot at and a goat tethered at a considerable distance.
(b) What is the glad news?
Ans. The glad news is that Mrs. Packletide has shot the tiger to death.
(c) What do you mean by the phrase ‘swarm on’ here?
 Ans. It means crowded or infested.

18. “The incidental expenses are heavy.”
(a) Who is the speaker and who is he/she speaking to?
Ans. Mrs. Packletide is the speaker and she is talking to some inquiring friends.
(b) What makes the speaker give this remark?
Ans. The speaker has been blackmailed by her ‘paid companion’. The expenses incurred on achieving fame did not appear to have made any difference to Mrs Packletide. But the secondary expenses which she had to pay to maintain her fame intact have compelled her to give this remark.
(c) What do you mean by ‘incidental expenses’?
Ans.  It means ‘the secondary uninvited expenditures’.