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Short Summary of the chapter : A Tiger in the House
Grandfather found a small tiger cub in the Terai jungle near Dehra. The cub was only eighteen inches long. He brought it home, and Grandmother named it Timothy. At first, Timothy was fed milk by the cook, Mahmoud, but later he was given raw mutton, cod-liver oil, pigeons and rabbits.
Timothy had two friends — Toto, the monkey, and a small puppy. Toto used to pull Timothy’s tail and jump on curtains. Timothy was first scared of the puppy, but later allowed it to rest on his back.
Timothy liked to play by jumping and pretending to bite. He became bigger like a retriever dog and would lie on the drawing-room sofa. He was clean and washed his face with his paws like a cat. He slept in Mahmoud’s room.
After six months, Timothy became less friendly and more dangerous. He started attacking pets and chickens. He even began following Mahmoud like he wanted to harm him. So, Grandfather took Timothy in a first-class train compartment to the Lucknow zoo.
Six months later, Grandfather visited the zoo and happily met the tiger in the cage. He thought it was Timothy. The tiger also let him touch and pat him. But the zoo keeper told Grandfather that his tiger had died two months ago. The tiger in the cage was not Timothy but a dangerous wild one. Grandfather was shocked but quietly said goodbye to the tiger and walked away.
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Detailed Summary of the chapter : A Tiger in the House
1. A Tiger Cub from the Forest :Grandfather found a small tiger cub in the Terai jungle near Dehra. The cub was hiding in the roots of a banyan tree. It was only eighteen inches long. Grandfather picked it up and brought it home. He was the only one in the group who returned with any animal from the forest.
2. Timothy Gets a Name and a Home :Grandmother gave the tiger cub the name Timothy. The cook, Mahmoud, took care of him and fed him milk in a feeding bottle. But the milk did not suit him. So, his food was changed to raw mutton and cod-liver oil. Later, he was fed pigeons and rabbits.
3. Timothy’s Funny Friends :Timothy had two companions in the house. One was Toto, the monkey, who pulled Timothy’s tail and quickly climbed the curtains if Timothy got angry. The second friend was a small puppy. At first, Timothy was scared of the puppy. But later, he allowed the puppy to climb on his back and rest there.
4. Playful and Growing Up :Timothy loved to play and pretend to attack people playfully. The narrator, who later came to stay with Grandfather, became Timothy’s favourite. Timothy would creep slowly and then jump on the narrator’s feet in fun. He grew to the size of a full-grown retriever dog. When they went for walks, people stayed away from them.
5. Timothy’s New Habits :Timothy’s favourite place was the drawing-room sofa. He sat there like a king and growled at anyone who tried to move him. He was clean and washed his face with his paws like a cat. At night, he slept in Mahmoud’s room and waited happily to be let out in the morning.
6. Timothy Becomes Wild :When Timothy turned six months old, his nature changed. He became less friendly. He tried to chase cats and pet dogs. At night, chickens were found dead, and feathers were scattered. Timothy was tied up more often. He even began following Mahmoud with bad intentions. So, Grandfather decided to take him to a zoo.
7. A New Home in Lucknow :Grandfather and Timothy travelled in a first-class train compartment to Lucknow. No one else was ready to share the space with them. The zoo was happy to receive Timothy, a well-fed and calm tiger.
8. Grandfather Visits the Zoo :Six months later, Grandfather visited Lucknow again and went to the zoo. He went to Timothy’s cage and talked to the tiger. The tiger allowed him to pat and tickle him. The tiger licked Grandfather’s hands and looked happy, though he moved back when a leopard in the next cage roared.
9. A Shocking Truth :A zoo keeper came and said he didn’t know about Grandfather’s visit earlier. He also said the tiger in the cage was always angry and never let anyone touch him. Grandfather thought the leopard scared Timothy and planned to talk to the zoo superintendent.
10. The Real Twist :When Grandfather returned to say goodbye, another keeper told him something shocking. He said, “Your tiger died two months ago of pneumonia.” The tiger Grandfather had been patting was not Timothy but a wild one caught from the hills last month. Still, this tiger had been licking Grandfather’s arm with great interest. Grandfather got scared but stayed calm. He said “Goodnight, Timothy” and left the zoo with a serious face.
This story by Ruskin Bond shows a beautiful bond between a man and a tiger and ends with a surprising twist.
Pointwise Summary of the chapter : A Tiger in the House
1. Grandfather found a tiger cub in the Terai jungle near Dehra and brought it home.
2. Grandmother named the cub Timothy, and the cook Mahmoud fed him with a milk bottle.
3. Timothy’s diet changed from milk to raw meat, cod-liver oil, pigeons, and rabbits.
4. He had two friends—Toto the monkey and a small puppy who played with him.
5. Timothy loved to play, chase people playfully, and lie on the drawing-room sofa.
6. He grew big and strong like a retriever and became harder to control.
7. After six months, he became dangerous, attacked pets, and stalked Mahmoud.
8. Grandfather took him to Lucknow zoo in a first-class compartment to keep others safe.
9. Six months later, Grandfather visited the zoo and lovingly met the tiger in the cage.
10. In the end, Grandfather was shocked to know that his real Timothy had died, and this was a wild tiger.