A Tiger in the House

Grandfather found an eighteen-inch tiger-cub in Terai jungle banyan roots and brought him home - the only one in the party to bag game.

Strolling apart in the Terai, Grandfather discovered a tiny tiger among banyan roots and carried him home, alone in the party to have 'bagged' any game.

Grandmother named him Timothy. He drank milk, then ate raw mutton, pigeons and rabbits. Toto the monkey and a puppy became his companions.

Grandmother named him Timothy. Cook Mahmoud bottle-fed him; diet shifted to mutton and cod-liver oil, then pigeons and rabbits. Bold Toto pulled his tail; a mongrel puppy became a playmate.

Timothy stalked the narrator for play, reclined on the drawing-room sofa, and scrubbed his face like a cat. People on walks gave them a wide berth.

He crouched and dashed at the narrator's feet, grew retriever-sized, pulled hard on his chain, and snarled if anyone disturbed his sofa. He had clean habits and slept in the cook's quarters.

After six months Timothy stalked cats and pet dogs. At night poultry feathers lay on the verandah. He began stalking Mahmoud with villainous intent.

Grandmother joked he might eat the cook. Timothy grew less friendly, stole after cats and dogs, raided poultry, and eyed Mahmoud until Grandfather decided on the zoo.

Grandfather took Timothy in a first-class compartment alone to Lucknow zoo as a gift - well-fed and fairly civilised.

No passenger shared their compartment. Zoo authorities gladly received the well-fed, fairly civilised tiger.

Six months later Grandfather stroked a full-grown tiger through the bars. A leopard snarled next door. Keepers were amazed - no one could touch this tiger.

At the cage Grandfather hugged the tiger's head as in old days. The animal licked his hands though a leopard frightened him back. A keeper said he was too bad tempered to touch.

An old keeper said that was not Grandfather's tiger - Timothy died of pneumonia two months ago. This tiger was trapped last month and very dangerous. Grandfather withdrew his hand slowly.

Returning at dusk, Grandfather learned Timothy had died of pneumonia. The current tiger was newly trapped and dangerous - yet still licked his arm. He mumbled goodnight and walked briskly out.