Tiger King Questions and answers

Ch-2 The Tiger King (Kalki Krishnamurthy) 

Theme/ Message - The story is a satire on the rich powerful kings of old times.Excessive pride and misuse of power can lead to one's downfall, warning against overconfidence arrogance, there is no way to avoid death,

Fate is unavoidable, Destiny is unlimited power and nobody can change it.

Question And Answer 

Q1 Who is the hero of the story, The Tiger King'? How may he be identified?

Ans. The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram is the hero of this story. He is identified as his Highness Jamedar-General Khitedar-Major. Sata Vyaghra Samhari Maharajadhiraja Visva Bhuvana Samrat. Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur But his name is often shortened to the Tiger King

Q2. How was crown prince Jung Jung Bahadur brought up?

Ans. The crown prince drank the milk of an English cow. And taken care by an English nanny, tutored in English by an Englishman and saw nothing but English films.

Q3. What did the astrologer say he would do if the Maharaja killed the hundredth tiger?

Ans. The astrologer replied that he would cut off his tuft,crop his hair and become an insurance agent. He would tear up all his books on astrology and set fire to them, and become an insurance agent.

Q4. What did the Maharaja vow?

Ans. The Maharaja vowed he would attend to all other matters only after killing the hundred tigers.

Q5. When was the Tiger King in danger of losing his throne?

Ans. The Maharaja stood in danger of losing his kingdom itself when he prevented a British officer from fulfilling his desire of killing a tiger for photograph. He saved the kingdom by sending a gift of fifty diamond rings to the wife of the officer.

Q6. Who were famed for swallowing sheep whole in the kingdom of the Maharaja?

Ans. There were two men-Khader Mian Saheb and Virasami Naicker in the kingdom of the Maharaia who were famous for swallowing sheep whole.

Q7. How did the hundredth tiger take its final revenge upon the Tiger King?

Ans. The Maharaja could not kill the hundredth tiger. It had fainted from the shock of the sound of the bullet. It was the wooden tiger from the toys shop that became the cause of the Tiger King's death. One of the slivers on its body pierced the right hand of the Tiger King. Infection flared up and the prick developed pus in the arm of the king. The Tiger King died during the operation in this manner, the hundredth tiger took its final revenge upon the Tiger King

Q8. Who is the Tiger King? Why does he get that name?

Ans. Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur, the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram is the Tiger King. When the prince was ten days old, the astrologers predicted that he would be killed by the tiger. Then the prince uttered "Let tigers beware!" He decided to kill 100 tigers. So he got the name of Tiger King.

Q9. What did the Maharaja do to find the required number of tigers to kill?

Ans. The Maharaja killed seventy tigers within ten years. When the tiger population became extinct in Pratibandapuram, he married a girl from the state which had a large number of tigers. The Maharaja killed five or six tigers each time he visited his father-in-law. Thus, he was able to kill ninety-nine tigers.

Q10.How did the Maharaja prepare himself for the hundredth tiger which was supposed to decide his fate?

Ans. The Maharaja had killed ninety-nine tigers. But he had to be aware of the hundredth tiger. The tiger was a savage beast after all. One had to be wary of it. But where was that hundredth tiger to be found The villagers from a hillside village informed that a tiger was at work in the village. The Maharaja set out for hunting at once. But the tiger was not easily found. He went on camping in the forest

Q11. How did the Tiger King die?

Ans. It was the third birthday of the Maharaja's son. The Maharaja bought a wooden tiger as a present On that day, father and son played with the wooden tiger. One of the slivers from the back of the tiger pierced the Maharaja's right hand. The next day. infection flared up in the Maharaja's right hand and developed into a suppurating sore in the arm. Three surgeons came from Madras. They performed the

operation. The Maharaja died during the operation.

Q12Who actually killed the hundredth tiger? Why?

Ans. The Maharaja could not kill the hundredth tiger as the bullet had missed it. The hunters went to get a closer look at the tiger and realised that it was not dead. One of the hunters took aim from a distance of one foot and killed the tiger. They did so because they did not want the Maharaja to know that he had missed his target as they could lose their job.

Q13.The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power. How does the author employ the literary device of dramatic irony in the story? (NCERT)

Ans. Dramatic irony is a situation in a play when a character's words carry an extra meaning to the audience as they know more than the character specially about what is going to happen. The author employs it on the two characters who are in power. The first is the Hero of the story. He is known as the Tiger King. The astrologers predicted at his birth that he would be killed by a tiger. The Maharaja killed 99 tigers in the forests of his own state and those of his father-in-law. Now the problem was how the hundredth tiger is to be found and killed. The Maharaja was informed that a tiger was at work in a village which was situated on a hillside. But that tiger could not be found out. The fury and rage of of the Maharaja was at height them the Dewan 

managed to bring an old tiger from the People's Park in Madras. It was with boundless joy that the Maharaja took careful aim at the beast. The tiger fell in a crumpled heap. The Maharaja was elated with joy that he had killed hundred tigers. But the old tiger was not killed. It was killed afterwards by one of the hunters.

The Maharaja bought a wooden tiger as the gift for his son's third birthday. A sliver from the wooden tiger became the cause of the death of the Maharaja. The second was a high-ranking British officer. He was equally vain. He was more interested in the photograph with the carcass of the tiger than hunting it. The Maharaja refused his permission to hunt the tiger in his state. The Maharaja offered fifty diamond rings to the wife of the British officer to save his state from being lost. Thus, he managed to retain his kingdom.

Ch-1 The Third Level by Jack Finney

(Walter Braden renamed after his father’s death)

Theme - The escapism from harsh realities of modern life because modern life is full of war, worry, fear and anxiety.The Third Level" is escapism, the human desire to flee from the stress and complications of modern life. The story also explores nostalgia for a simpler past.

The  Message "The Third Level" is the human desire to escape the stress and anxieties of modern life by seeking refuge in a simpler, peaceful past.

Q1.What was Sam's reaction when Charley mentioned the discovery of the third level to him?

Ans. When Charley mentioned the discovery of the third level to Sam, he said it was a waking-dream wish fulfilment. Sam said Charley was unhappy of his present life, he wanted to escape this reality.

Q2.Where did Charley stray when he got lost at the Grand Central?

Ans. When Charley got lost, once he got into a tunnel about a mile long and came out in the lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel. Another time he came up in an office building on 

forty-sixth street, three blocks 

away.

Q3.What did Sam say in his letter to Charley?

Ans. Sam said the following things in his letter to Charley

(i) I believe you were right.

(ii) I found the third level.

(iii) I have been here for two weeks

(iv) The atmosphere of Galesburg is musical and peaceful.

(v) Keep looking till you find the third level and come here with Louisa.

Q4. Sam's letter to Charley is a fine blend of reality and fantasy. Comment.

Ans. Sam's letter, dated 18 July, 1894 written from Galesburg. Illinois is a proof of his having reached the third level. On diagnosing Charley's claim to have visited the third level. He explains it as a mere means or escape from the real world. But at the same time Sam, himself feels insecure in his heart of hearts and yearns for such an escape. Slowly he starts believing in the existence of the third level and carried out an intensive search for it.

Q5. What does the third level symbolise?

Ans. The third level symbolises man's desire to escape into the world of imagination. It reflects for his guest the 'fabulous ordinariness of a bygone age that was free from the modern sophistication and material comforts but exuded peace and tranquility.

Q.6. Why was Charlie fascinated with Galesburg ?

Ans. Galesburg was a wonderful town in the year 1894 Its big old frame houses, huge lawns, and big trees whose branches fell over the streets, fascinated Charlie. The sight of women waving palm-leaf fans, with the fire-files all around, attracted Charlie.

Q7. What would Sam have done in Galesbury for his living? Why ?

Ans. To earn his living in Galesbury, Sam would have set up a little hay, feed and grain business which he liked so much. He could not carry on his old business of a psychiatrist because there was no need of a psychiatrist in Galesbury.

Q8. How did Charley 'reach' the third level of the Grand Central Station? Ans. Once the writer got lost on the second level. A doorway led him to a corridor he had never seen before. It went turning left and slanting downward. Then the tunnel turned sharply left. Here he went down a few steps. He found that he had come on the third level of the Grand Central Station.

Q9. What does 'The Third Lever refer to in the story ?

Ans. The Grand Central Station of New York has a subway from where trains run under the ground to different stations. It was known to have two levels of subway No one had ever heard of any third level there. In this story, the mystery of there being a third level has been dealt with.

Q10. What convinced Charley that he had reached the third level at Grand Central Station and not the second level?

Ans. Charley saw people dressed in the old style of 1890's Tickets had to be bought using the currency of that very period. The locomotives were also of the old style. All this convinced Charley that he had reached the third level at Grand Central Station 

Q11. How did The World help Charley to confirm his doubts regarding the existence of a third level ?

Ans. The newspaper, The World', had not been published for years The copy of the newspaper in the hands of a newsboy was a June 11, 1894 edition. This all helped Charley to confirm his doubts regarding the existence of a third level at the Grand Central Station .

 Q12 Why did the booking clerk refuse to accept the money offered by Charley ?

(Or) What happened when the writer asked the clerk for two tickets for Galesburg?

The clerk counted out the money. But when he looked at the bills in the writer's hand, he refused to accept them. They accepted only the old-style bills on the third level. Those bills looked much bigger and different from the ones that the writer had. They were the ones used in 1894.

Q.13. Describe Charley's experience at the third level.

Ans. Charlie saw that on the third level, there were fewer ticket windows. The rooms were also smaller. The lights were dim. They flickered because they were open-flame gaslights. There were brass spittoons on the floor.

Everyone in the station was dressed like 1890-something. Men had beards, side whiskers and fancy mustaches. A very small locomotive stood there. It had a funnel-shaped chimney. A newsboy had copies of a newspaper (The World) that had not been published for years. It was a June 11, 1894 edition.  old-style

Q14What is a first-day cover?

Ans. There is a practice among stamp collectors that when a new stamp is issued, they buy some stamps. Then they use these stamps to mail envelopes to themselves on the first day of sale. The postmark on the envelope proves the date. The envelope is called the first-day cover.These are never opened. People just put blank papers in them.

 Q15. When and how did Charley find the letter ?

Ans. One night while fussing with his stamp collection, Charley found, among his oldest first-day covers, the letter of Sam Sam with a six cent stamp mailed to his granddad.It had been in his collection.

Q16.Character sketch of Charley 

Charley is a young man. He lives in New York.He was married to Louisa.Charley 's hobby was Stamp Collection. He was suffering from fear and insecurity of the world.

He was looking for an escape from the world.He went to Grand Central Station for peaceful space.That station took him to the third level of station to the past 1894 year.

When he shared this to his wife, she felt angry at it.She asked him to see his Psychiatrist friend Sam.

Charley, the main character in "The Third Level" by Jack Finney, is an average 31-year-old man, representing the typical person in the mid-20th century. His finding of the third level in Grand Central Station is both interesting and meaningful, showing his deep journey into his own mind. Charley is curious and longs for a time in history that was simpler and calmer. This longing is a big part of the story.

He loves to explore, which we see when he bravely checks out the strange third level. This shows his deeper wish to escape from the stressful modern world. Charley also collects stamps, which hints at his love for details and history. His time on the third level shows his desire for the past and his discomfort with the present day challenges. Charley is a thinker and careful in how he approaches the mystery of the third level. He looks for proof and tries to make sense of his experience, which makes him a believable and interesting main character.

Louisa

Louisa, Charley s wife, is practical and down-to-earth. She worries about Charlev's obsession with the third level, showing ner realistic view of the world. She balances out Charley's fascination with theunusual third level by being sceptical and careful. Louisa's character is important because she keeps the story tied to reality. Her reactions to Charley show the importance of staying grounded, even when faced with something strange. Over time she becomes supportive of Charley's search for the third Jevel This change in her attitude shows that people can learn to understand and support each other, even in odd situations. Her shift from doubt to support adds depth to the story, showing how relationships can adapt to new challenges.

Sam Weiner

Sam Weiner, Charley's friend who is a psychiatrist, starts off as a character who doesn't believe in the third level. He uses his Knowledge of the mind to explain that the third level is Just Charley's imagination, a way for him to escape from the stress of modern life. However, as the story goes on, Sam's character changes in a surprising way. His disappearance and POSSIble travel to the third level challenge our understanding of him. He goes from a sceptic to someone who might actually believe in the third level This change maker Sam's character more complex and interesting. Sam's role in the story is to look at the difference between what's real and what's not. His change from not believing to possibly accepting the third level shows how powerful the wish to escape is for everyone, even those who rely on facts and logic. His character helps to deepen the story's look at human emotions and our desire for a simpler life.