CBSE Class 10 - English (C) - Chapter 2 - MRS.PACKLETIDE’S TIGER - Chapter Summary (#CBSENotes)

MRS PACKLETIDE’S TIGER - Chapter Summary

Mrs Packletide was an English lady who was was an English woman who was overwhelmed with a powerful urge to shoot a tiger. Basically, she was not adventurous or brave but she was srather she was stricken with envy when her friend, Loona Barberton, had recently been carried in an aero plane. Mrs Packletide wanted to outshine her and longed to prove that she was no less. Her ultimate desire was to obtain a tiger skin and display it on the wall of her house. If she succeeded in killing a tiger her photographs would be published in the magazines and she would host a party in Curzon Street in Loona Bimberton’s honour, but the talk would be her hunting expedition. She also planned to present a tiger claw brooch on Loona’s next birthday. All her motives were largely dominated by her dislike of Loona.

Circumstances proved idea and favourable. An old and weak tiger was visiting a village named Nimrod in search of food. An old and powerless tiger was going to a town named Nimrod looking for nourishment. Mrs Packletide offered to pay one thousand rupees any individual who could help her in shooting a tiger. The villager has exceptionally enticed as one thousand rupees was a ton of cash back then. They made all the efforts to confine the tiger within the village. Children were posted day and night on the outskirts of the jungle to drive the tiger back to the village. Cheaper kind of goats were scattered here and there to keep the tiger satisfied. The only anxiety was lest the tiger should die of old age before the day of hunting.

On a fateful night, Mrs Packletide came along with a paid companion Miss Mebbin. A platform had already been constructed in a comfortable and conveniently placed tree by the villagers. Both the ladies set on the platform. A got with a loud bleat was tied at a proper distance for the tiger. Meanwhile, the tiger appeared on the scene and slowly walked towards the goat. Mrs Packletide fired a shot with her rifle. The tiger fell down to one side. the excited villagers celebrated by beating drums and singing. Mrs Packletide was also too happy.

Miss Mebbin was very and alert. She told her that the bullet did not touch the tiger instead it hit the goat and the tiger had died due to heart attack. Mrs Packletide was disappointed but she was satisfied with the fact that she possessed the tiger skin. The villagers agreed to keep the secret as they were more interested in one thousand rupees. She was not insecure about Miss. Mebbin as she was her paid companion.

Mrs Packletide’s pictures appeared in two magazines- Mrs Loona Bimberton refused to attend the lunch party but coldly accepted the tiger claw brooch. Miss Mebbin exploited Mrs Packletide and blackmailed her saying that she would disclose the secret of shooting the goat and causing a heart attack to the tiger to Mrs Loona Bimberton. To keep her mouth shut, Mrs Packletide was forced to pay a good amount of money to Miss. Mebbin, with which she bought a cottage and named it “Wild Beasts”. Since then Mrs Packletide never goes for shooting and says that “incidental expenses are too heavy for such kind of hunting”.