Class-7, English (An Alien Hand), Chapter - 9 (A Tiger in The House) Summary, Word Meanings, NCERT Solutions & Frequently Asked Questions

  English

(An Alien Hand)

Class -7, Chapter - 9

(A Tiger in The House)

Summary, Word Meanings, NCERT Solutions & Frequently Asked Questions

-- Summary --

⭐ Summary In English:- 

One day, the narrator’s grandfather was walking down the forest path. His party was at a distance. He found a little tiger and brought him home. Grandfather was the only successful member of the hunting party. The narrator’s grandmother named the tiger cub, Timothy. She brought him up on bottle-milk. Later he was put on a diet of raw mutton and cod liver oil. Afterwards, he was put on the diet of pigeons and rabbits also.

Toto, the monkey pulled the cub’s tail. Toto climbed up the curtain when Timothy lost his temper. He and a mongrel puppy were Timothy’s companions. When the narrator came to live with Grandfather, he became one of the tiger’s favourites. Initially, Timothy was afraid of the puppy. But finally the puppy was allowed to crawl and rest on his back. Timothy’s favourite amusement was to stalk his playmate. He also made a dash at the narrator’s feet. He pretended to bite his ankles.

After sometime, he was of full size. Sometimes he pulled hard at his chain. The narrator kept up with him with great difficulty. He reclined on a long sofa in the drawing-room. He snarled at everybody. He had clean habits. He would scrub his face with his paws like a cat. He slept in the cook’s quarters. He preferred to be taken out in the morning for a walk. He grew less friendly when he became six months old. He also started eating small animals.

A change came over him. He became less friendly, in fact more dangerous Then the grandfather took him to Lucknow. Timothy and grandfather travelled in a first class compartment. In Lucknow the grandfather presented him to the 200. After six months the grandfather went to see Timothy. He stroked the tiger’s forehead, tickled his ears and smacked him across the mouth. The tiger licked Grandfather’s hands. It sprang away only when a leopard in the next cage snarled at him. Many people watched the scene. A keeper of the zoo called the tiger bad tempered. He had no knowledge about the owner of the tiger. Grandfather wished the tiger to be transferred to some other cage. A leopard in the next cage would constantly rush at Timothy. However, he could not meet the superintendent.

The Grandfather returned to the tiger’s cage. To say goodbye, he stroked and slapped the tiger. Another keeper observed him with alarm. He also recognised the Grandfather. He informed the Grandfather about Timothy’s death of pneumonia. He also informed the Grandfather that the dangerous tiger was trapped only last month. The tiger was still licking Grandfather’s arm. He was smelling fresh food. Grandfather somehow withdrew his hand from the cage. He gave the keeper a scornful look and bade the tiger “Goodnight’.

⭐ Summary In Hindi:- 

एक दिन लेखक के दादा जंगल के रास्ते में चहलकदमी कर रहे थे। उनके दल के लोग दूर थे। उन्हें एक छोटा सा बाघ मिला और उसे घर ले आये। उस शिकारी दल में दादा अकेले सफल सदस्य थे। बाघ के उस बच्चे का नाम लेखक की दादी ने टिमोथी रखा। उन्होंने उसे बोतल से दूध पिलाकर पाला। बाद में उसे बकरे का कच्चा गोश्त और मछली के तेल की खुराक दी गयी। इसके बाद उसे कबूतरों और खरगोशों का भोजन भी दिया गया।

टोटो नामक बन्दर, बाघ के बच्चे की पूंछ को खींचा करता था। जब टिमोथी को गुस्सा आता तब टोटो परदे पर चढ़ जाया करता था। वह और दोगली नसल का एक पिल्ला, टिमोथी के साथी थे। जब लेखक दादा के पास रहने के लिए आया तो वह बाघ के प्रियों में बन गया। प्रारम्भ में टिमोथी, पिल्ले से डरता था परन्तु बाद में उसे उस (टिमोथी) की पीठ पर रेंगने और विश्राम करने दिया जाता था। अपने खेल के साथियों का पीछा करना, टिमोथी का मनचाहा मनोविनोद था। वह लेखक के पैरों के ऊपर भी जोर से प्रहार करता था। वह उसके टखनों को काटने का बहाना करता था।

कुछ समय के पश्चात् वह पूरे आकार का हो गया। कई बार वह अपनी जंजीर को तेज झटका मारता था। लेखक बड़ी मुश्किल से उसे संभाल पाता था। वह ड्राइंग-रूम में एक लम्बे सोफे के ऊपर सोया करता था। वह सभी के ऊपर गुर्राता था। उसकी आदतें बड़ी साफ थीं। बिल्ली की तरह वह अपने चेहरे को अपने पंजों से रगड़ता था। वह रसोइया के क्वार्टरों में सोया करता था। प्रातः काल, सैर पर ले जाया जाना, उसे पसन्द था। छह महीने की आयु हो जाने पर वह उतना मैत्रीपूर्ण नहीं रहा। उसने छोटे-छोटे पशुओं को खाना भी प्रारम्भ कर दिया।

उसमें एक बदलाव आ गया। वह कम मैत्रीपूर्ण, असल में अधिक खतरनाक हो गया। तब दादा, उसे लखनऊ ले गए। टिमोथी और दादा ने फर्स्ट क्लास के एक डिब्बे में यात्रा की। लखनऊ में दादा ने चिड़ियाघर के लिए उसे भेंट कर दिया। छ: महीने बीत जाने पर दादा, टिमोथी को देखने गए। उन्होंने बाघ के सिर को थपथपाया, उसके कानों को सहलाया और उसके मुँह पर आहिस्ता से हथेली से प्रहार किया। बाघ ने दादा के हाथों को चाटा। वह केवल तभी उछल कर दूर पहुँच जाता था जब कभी, अगले पिंजरे में रहने वाला एक तेंदुआ उसके ऊपर गुर्राता था। बहुत से लोगों ने वह दृश्य देखा। चिड़ियाघर के एक नौकर ने बाघ को बदमिज़ाज़ कहा। उसे बाघ के स्वामी के बारे में ज्ञात नहीं था। दादा चाहते थे कि बाघ को किसी दूसरे पिंजरे में स्थानान्तरित कर दिया जाए। बगल के पिंजरे का तेंदुआ लगातार उस (टिमोथी) की तरफ दौड़ता था। परन्तु उनकी अधीक्षक से मुलाकात नहीं हो पाई।

दादा, बाघ के पिंजरे के पास लौट आए। बाघ को अलविदा कहने के लिए उन्होंने उसे सहलाया और थपकियाँ मारी। एक अन्य परिचर ने भय की आशंका से उसे देखा। उसने दादा को भी पहचान लिया। निमोनिया से हुई, टिमोथी की मुत्यु के बारे में भी उसने दादा को सूचित किया। उसने दादा को यह भी सूचना दी कि उस भयानक बाघ को पिछले महीने ही पकड़ा गया था। बाघ, अभी भी दादा की बाँह को चाट रहा था। वह ताज़ा भोजन को सुंघ रहा था। दादा ने किसी तरह अपने हाथ को पिंजरे से बाहर निकाला। उसने परिचर की ओर घृणा भरी दृष्टि से देखा और बाघ को “शुभरात्रि” कहा।

-- Word Meanings --

• Stalks  - पीछा करना 

• Vivid  - उज्ज्वल 

• Pads -  गद्दीदार बनाना 

• Rage - ग़ुस्सा 

• Lurking  - छिपना 

• Snarling -  गरजना   

• Baring - खोलना   

• Fangs -  नुकीला अथवा विषैला दांत 

• Concrete  -  ठोस रूप देना 

• Patrolling  -  पहरा करना 

• Plump -  मोटा

• Ridiculous - बिना किसी कारण के

• Tempting - लालच देना

• Amusement - आनन्ददायक

• Pretending - दिखावा करना

• Scrub - रगड़ना

• Prophetic - भविष्यवाणी करना

• Frenzied - बेकाबू होना

• Villainous - डरावना

• Magnificent - शानदार

• Suprintendent - अधिक्षक

• Stammer - हकलाना

• Growl - गुस्से से चिल्लाना

• Intern - प्रशिक्षण देना

• Accompany - साथ साथ चलना 

-- NCERT Solutions --

Comprehension Check (Page 60)

Question 1:- “He had the distinction of being the only member of the party to have bagged any game.., The phrase in italics means

i) Grandfather was the most distinguished member of the party.

ii) Grandfather was, the only spoftsperson in the party.

iii) Grandfather was the only successful member of the hunting party.

Mark the right answer.

Answer:- iii) Grandfather was the only successful member of the hunting party.

Question 2:- Complete the following sentences.

i) Toto climbed up the curtains when_______________________________________

ii)________________________________________________________ , I became one of the tiger’s favourites.

iii) Timothy had clean habits,_________________________________________________________

Answer:-

i) Timothy lost his temper.

ii) When I came to live with my Grandfather

iii) he would scrub his face with his paws exactly like a cat.

Comprehension Check (Page 64)

Question 1:- Grandmother’s prophecy was that the tiger

i) would prefer Mahmoud’s bed to sleep in.

ii) and the cook would disappear together from the house.

iii) would one day make a meal of Mahmoud.

Mark the right answer.

Answer:- iii) would one day make a meal of Mahmoud.

Question 2:- When Timothy was about six months old, a change came over him.

The phrase in italics means that

i) Timothy had grown to his full size.

ii) Timothy grew more friendly.

iii) Timothy grew less friendly, in fact more dangerous.

Answer:- iii) Timothy grew less friendly, in fact more dangerous.

Question 3:- Write “True ’ or ‘False ’ against each of the following statements.

i) Timothy and Grandfather went to Lucknow in a special compartment.___________.

ii) The compartment in which Grandfather and Timothy travelled had no other passenger ___________.

iii) Timothy and Grandfather travelled in a first class compartment._________________.

iv) All passengers in the compartment thought that Timothy was a well-fed and civilized tiger. _________________.

Answer:- i) False 

ii) True 

iii) True 

iv) False

Question 4:- Grandfather suggested that Timothy should be put in another cage. The reason was that

i) the tiger had become very bad tempered.

ii) a leopard, in the next cage would constantly rush at Timothy.

iii) the cage was too small for a full grown tiger,

Answer:- ii) a leopard in the next cage would constantly rush at Timothy.

Question 5:- The tiger was still licking his arm, with increasing relish The phrase in italics sug­gests that Timothy

i) was good natured.

ii) recognised an old friend.

iii) smelt fresh food.

Answer:- iii) smelt fresh food.

Exercise (Page 65)

Answer the following questions:-

Question 1:- Where was the tiger cub hiding when Grandfather found him?

Answer:- The tiger cub was hiding among the intricate roots of a banyan tree in the Terai jungle near Dehra.

Question 2:-

i) What did Toto do to entertain Timothy?

Answer:- Toto used to pull Timothy by the tail.

ii) What did he do when Timothy lost his temper?

Answer:- Toto climbed up the curtain if Timothy lost his temper.

Question 3:- “I became one of the tiger’s favourites.” Who is T in the statement? Why did he think so?

Answer:- I stands for the narrator, Ruskin Bond. He thought so because Timothy would come closer to him, roll over on his feet and pretended to bite his ankles.

Question 4:- Where was Timothy most comfortable during the day? Where was he during the night?

Answer:- During the day, Timothy was most comfortable on the long sofa in the drawing room. He slept at night in the cook’s quarters.

Question 5:- What was Grandmother’s prophecy about the cook? Did it come true?

Answer:- Grandmother’s prophecy was that Timothy would one day kill the cook Mahmoud, and make a meal of him. No, it did not come true.

Question 6:- What made Grandfather decide to transfer Timothy to the zoo?

Answer:- When Timothy was about six months old, he grew less friendly and more dangerous. He chased the cats and ate up hens. He also followed Mahmoud with evil intentions. So Grandfather decided to shift him away to Lucknow zoo.

Question 7:- Why did Grandfather want Timothy to be put in another enclosure?

Answer:- Grandfather saw the leopard in the next cage rushing at and frightening Timothy every now and then. So he suggested the keeper to shift Timothy to some other cage.

Question 8:- What shocked Grandfather in the end?

Answer:- Grandfather was shocked to learn from the keeper that Timothy had died two months ago, and the tiger in the cage was very dangerous.

Discuss the following topics in groups.

Question 1:- Shoot animals with a camera, not with a gun.

Answer:- It is true that you cannot befriend all sorts of wild beasts. But that does not give you a licence to hunt them all for your pleasure. Animals and human beings have been sharing the earth for ages. They share our joys and sorrows. They play a very important part in our existence. But sometimes for our greed we kill them. This attitude destroys nature. Had there sbeen no animals, our life would have been worthless. Here we should not shoot them with gun. We should shoot them with camera to preserve their beauty and charm.

Question 2:- Keeping pets helps us become more loving and tolerant. It also helps us respect life in any form. Do you agree?

Answer:- Yes, man and his pets are our best friends. We often play with pets, and they lick our hands with affection. Keeping pets changes our fear of animals into tolerance. We learn to respect life in every form. We learn the great lesson – Live and let live.

Question 3:- Have you heard of the society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) ? What do they do?

Answer:- Yes, this organization SPCA is animal friendly. It aims at protecting the animals- even tigers and cobras, from needless cruelty and killing.

 -- Frequently Asked Questions --

Question 1:- How was the tiger cub fed?

Answer:- At first, the tiger cub was brought up totally on bottle milk. Thereafter the milk proved too rich for him. Then he was put on a diet of raw mutton and cod liver oil. Gradually, he was given the diet of pigeons and rabbits.

Question 2:- How was Timothy’s companionship with the puppy?

Answer:- The narrator’s grandfather found a small mongrel puppy. At first, Timothy felt afraid of it. He sprang back if the puppy came near him. He would dash at it rashly but son retreated to a safe place Gradually they became friends. He allowed the puppy to crawl on its back and even rest there.

Question 3:- How was Mahmoud, the cook, attached to the tiger Cub?

Answer:- Mahmoud was cook in the narrator’s house. He used to feed the tiger cub on bottle- milk. The tiger cub slept at night in the cook’s quarters.

Question 4:- When and how did Timothy become unfriendly ?

Answer:- Timothy grew unfriendly when he was about six months old. The narrator took him out for a walk. Timothy tried to stalk a cat or someone’s pet dog. He used to pull out the feathers of the poultry at night.

Question 5:- Why did the narrator’s Grandfather visit Lucknow ?

Answer:- His grandfather visited Lucknow both to meet his relatives there and to call to the zoo. He would see there how Timothy was getting on.

Question 6:- What did the narrator’s grandfather see at the zoo?

Answer:- The narrator’s grandfather arrived at the zoo in Lucknow. He went to the cage in which Timothy had been interned. He saw a tiger there. He said ‘Hello Timothy’. Then he put his arm through the bars of the cage. The tiger came to the bars. The narrator’s grandfather put both hands around the tiger’s head. He stroked the tiger’s forehead, tickled his ears and smacked him across the mouth.

Question 7:- What did the Keepers of the zoo reveal to the narrator’s grandfather?

Answer:- The tiger licked grandfather’s hands. A crowd gathered there. A keeper asked grandfather what he was doing. The grandfather told that he had gifted the tiger to the zoo six months ago. The keeper told the grandfather that he had joined the zoo newly. However, he knew that the tiger was was bad tempered. The grandfather wandered about the zoo. He returned to the cage after a little while. Again he stroked and slapped Timothy to bid him good bye. Another keeper recognized grandfather. He revealed that the tiger was not his Timothy. His Timothy had died two months ago.

 

-- By Durgesh Pandey

(Eklavya Coaching Institute)