Page 49 - English_Spark_8

About six months later, when my grandparents were visiting relatives in Lucknow,

Grandfather took the opportunity of calling at the zoo to see how Timothy was getting
on. I was not there to accompany him but I heard all about it when I returned to Dehra.

Arriving at the zoo, Grandfather made his way straight for the particular cage ín which

Timothy had been interned. The tiger was there; crouched in a corner, full-grown and
with a magnificent striped coat.

‘‘Hello Timothy’’ said Grandfather and put his arm through the bars of the cage.

The tiger approached the bars, and allowed Grandfather to put both hands around his

head. Grandfather stroked the tiger’s forehead and tickled his ears, and, whenever he

growled, smacked him across the mouth, which was his old way of keeping him quiet.
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 through the bars, and he would slink back to his corner.
A number of people had gathered to watch the reunion when a keeper pushed his way

through the crowd and asked Grandfather what he was doing.

‘‘I’m talking to Timothy’’ said Grandfather. ‘‘Weren’t you here when I gave him to the

zoo six months ago?’’

‘‘I haven’t been here very long,’’ said the surprised keeper. ‘‘Please continue your
conversation. But I have never been able to touch him myself, he is always very bad

tempered.’’

‘‘Why don’t you put him somewhere else?’’ suggested Grandfather. ‘‘That leopards
keeps frightening him. I’Il go and see the Superintendent about it.’’

Grandfather went in search of the Superintendent of the zoo but found that he had

gone home early; and so, after wandering about the zoo for a little while, he returned
to Timothy’s cage to say good bye. It was beginning to get dark.

He had been stroking and slapping Timothy for about five minutes when he found

another keeper observing him with some alarm. Grandfather recognised him aş the
keeper who had been there when Timothy had first came to the zoo.

‘‘You remember me,’’ said Grandfather. ‘‘Now why don’t you transfer Timothy to

another cage, away from this stupid leopard?’’

‘‘But-sir’’ stammered the keeper, ‘‘It is not your tiger:’’

English-8 49