10.(a) The great night duly arrived, moonlit and cloudless. A platform had been constructed in a comfortable and conveniently placed tree, and thereon crouched Mrs. Packletide and her paid companion, Miss Mebbin. A goat, gifted with a particularly persistent bleat, such as even a partially deaf tiger might be reasonably expected to hear on a still night, was tethered at the correct distance. With an accurately sighted rifle and a thumbnail pack of patience cards the sportswoman awaited the coming of the quarry. (Mrs. Packletide's Tiger) (ii) What does the writer mean when he says "such as even a partially deaf tiger might be reasonably expected to hear on a still night" ?
10.(a) The great night duly arrived, moonlit and cloudless. A platform had been constructed in a comfortable and conveniently placed tree, and thereon crouched Mrs. Packletide and her paid companion, Miss Mebbin. A goat, gifted with a particularly persistent bleat, such as even a partially deaf tiger might be reasonably expected to hear on a still night, was tethered at the correct distance. With an accurately sighted rifle and a thumbnail pack of patience cards the sportswoman awaited the coming of the quarry. (Mrs. Packletide's Tiger) (ii) What does the writer mean when he says "such as even a partially deaf tiger might be reasonably expected to hear on a still night" ?
The writer means that the goat's bleat was so loud, shrill and persistent that even a tiger with poor hearing would hear it on the quiet night; this is hyperbole showing the goat was deliberately used as bait to attract the tiger toward the hunters.
Marking Scheme
- 11 mark: explaining that the goat's bleat was extremely loud/persistent so that even a nearly deaf tiger would hear it (i.e. it was bait to attract the tiger).
- 2Accept answers noting the exaggeration/hyperbole and the still night helping the sound carry.
- 3No mark for a purely literal reading such as 'the tiger was deaf' with no reference to the loudness/purpose of the bleat.
Hint
It is an exaggeration: the goat's bleat was so loud even a half-deaf tiger would hear it — the goat was bait to lure the tiger.
Quick Oral Answer
It is Saki's comic exaggeration: the goat's bleat was so loud and continuous that even a half-deaf tiger would hear it on the quiet night — the goat was bait to lure the tiger to the guns.
Analysis & Explanation
This question tests interpretation of Saki's ironic, exaggerated (hyperbolic) style.
Concept
- The phrase 'such as even a partially deaf tiger might be reasonably expected to hear on a still night' is deliberate overstatement: the goat's bleat was so shrill and continuous that no tiger, not even one hard of hearing, could fail to notice it, especially in night-time silence when sound carries farther.
- Purpose: the goat was tethered as bait to lure the tiger toward the hunters, and Saki's tone gently mocks the artificial, stage-managed nature of Mrs. Packletide's vanity-driven hunt.
Common mistakes
- Reading the line purely literally ('the tiger was deaf') and missing the exaggeration and its purpose.
Real-world use
- Recognising hyperbole and irony as devices writers use to create humour and criticise characters is a key skill for reading satire.
Common Mistakes
- 1Taking the line literally and writing that the tiger was actually deaf, missing the exaggeration.
- 2Failing to mention the purpose — that the loud bleat was meant to attract/lure the tiger as bait.
- 3Ignoring 'on a still night', which explains why the sound would carry so clearly.
Previously Asked
Both, the poem 'The Frog And The Nightingale' and the story 'Mrs. Packtetide's Tiger, reflect themes of exploitation of others in pursuit of personal benefit. How... do each... manipulate situations to attain their personal desires and with what consequences?
Interesting Facts
Saki's humour relies heavily on hyperbole and understatement; the 'partially deaf tiger' line is a classic example of comic exaggeration used to mock the staged nature of the hunt.
On a still, windless night sound really does travel farther because there is no wind turbulence to scatter the sound waves — Saki's exaggeration rests on a genuine acoustic fact.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What literary device is used in the 'partially deaf tiger' line?
It is hyperbole — deliberate exaggeration. Saki suggests the goat's bleat was so loud that even a tiger with poor hearing would catch it, which comically stresses how the whole hunt was arranged to make success almost guaranteed.
Why was the goat tethered there at all?
The goat was live bait. Its loud, persistent bleating was meant to attract the tiger to the exact spot below the tree platform, where Mrs. Packletide waited with her rifle to shoot it.