Converse about these points in the story with your partner. Take turns to ask or answer the questions given below. Explain to your partner why you think your answer is correct. Quote from the text if necessary.
1. When did Grandfather discover the tiger cub? Who named him “Timothy”? Who fed him? What was Timothy’s diet?
Answer: TIMOTHY, THE TIGER CUB, was discovered by Grandfather on a hunting expedition in the Terai Jungle near Dehra.
The tiger cub, who was named “Timothy” by Grandmother.
Their cook, Mahmoud feed the tiger cub Thimothy. He was put on a diet of raw mutton and cod liver oil, to be followed later by a more tempting diet of pigeons and rabbits.
2. Who were Timothy’s two companions? How did they show him that they were not afraid of him?
Answer: Toto the monkey and a small mongrel puppy were the Timothy’s two companions. Toto the monkey, who was bold enough to pull the young tiger by the tail and the puppy to crawl on Thimothy’s back and rest there.
3. Timothy was more friendly with Toto than with puppy. (True/Not True)
Answer: Not True
4. When the boy took Timothy out for walks why did people in the street give them a wide berth?
Answer: When the boy took Timothy out for walks, the people in the street give them a wide berth because Thimothy was by this time the size of a full-grown retriever.
5. Timothy had an air of superiority about him. (True/Not True)
Answer: True
6. Timothy’s wild nature came out gradually. (True/Not True)
Answer: True
7. Everyone took Grandmother’s warning seriously. (True/Not True)
Answer: True
8. What changes in Timothy made Grandfather decide to transfer him to a zoo?
Answer: When Timothy was about six months old a change came over him; he grew steadily less friendly. When out for a walk with boy, he would try to steal away to stalk a cat or someone’s pet Pekinese. Sometimes at night we would hear frenzied cackling from the poultry house, and in the morning there would be feathers lying all over the veranda. Timothy had to be chained up more often. And, finally, he began to stalk Mahmoud about the house with what looked like villainous intent.
9. Why did Grandfather say to the tiger, “Good night Timothy”?
Answer: Grandfather said “Good night” because it was already getting dark and maybe it was his last meeting. He still believed that the tiger was Timothy.
10. Why did the tiger begin to lick Grandfather’s hand with more and more relish?
Answer: Grandfather behaved so friendly with the Tiger. So that the tiger begin to lick Grandfather’s hand with more and more relish.
11. Why did Grandfather give a scornful look to the keeper? (Scan paragraph 13 for the answer)
Answer: He licked Grandfather’s hands and only sprang away when a leopard in the next cage snarled at him. Grandfather shooed the leopard away, and the tiger returned to lick his hands; but every now and then the leopard would rush at the bars, and the tiger would slink back to his corner.
E. Checking your vocabulary:
Supply the missing letters in the following sentences :
1. Grandfather knew no one would have a tiger as a co-traveller.
2. The onlookers thought Grandfather and the tiger were close friends.
3. The tiger was relieved, but the leopard was tense.
Exercise:
Fill in the blanks choosing the appropriate adverbs or adverb phrases given below :
(when, as, while, till [or until] after, since, as long as, whenever, and once )
1. Whenever I go to the zoo I do not forget to say “hello” to my tiger.
2. He was shocked when I went near the tiger.
3. As I was relaxed the tiger was also relaxed, but once I showed signs of nervousness the tiger became nervous too.
4. When I gave my hand to it the tiger began to lick it.
5. I haven’t seen my tiger since it ran away from our house.
6. While I was saying “goodbye” to my tiger the superintendent came.
7. As long as I was petting the tiger the leopard in the next cage snarled at him.
8. “Wait till I ring you up,” the zoo superintendent said.
9. We waited for the tiger until it was dark.
10. They had left before we reached there.
11. I came just after he had hit six sixes in that over. I missed it.
ii. Questions ending with Prepositions.
A Preposition shows the relation of one word to some other word or words in a sentence.
The most important prepositions are – in, at, by,
from, for, of, on, to, up, till, until, with,
above, before, behind, between, into, against etc.
Supply the missing prepositions in the dialogues given below _
1. Grandmother : Where is Timothy?
Mother : He has gone out.
Grandmother : Gone out? Who with?
Bond with Mahmoud.
2. Mahmoud : Grandfather was shouting at me.
Mother : What for?
Mahmoud : For not tying up Timothy.
3. Bond : Grandfather has brought home a tiger cub!
Grandmother : A tiger cub? Where from?
Bond : From the jungle.
4. Superintendent : Sir, why are you standing at that cage?
Grand father : I have been conversing with Timothy.
Superintendent : Really? For how long?
About poet :
[Ruskin Bond : Indian author of British descent. (Born : 19.5.1934) Awarded Sahitya Academy Award (1992); Padmashri (1999) for his contribution to Children’s Literature. He now lives with his adopted family in Landour, near Mussoorie]
