READ THE PASSAGE AND ANSWER THE QUESTION THAT FOLLOWS.
Crown prince Jung Jung Bahadur of
Pratibandapuram grew taller and stronger
day by day. The boy drank the milk of an
English cow, was brought up by an English
nanny, tutored in English by an Englishman,
saw nothing but English films-exactly as
the crown princes of all the other Indian
states did. When he came of age at twenty,
the State, which had been with the Court
of Wards until then, came into his hands.
But everyone in the kingdom remembered the astrologer's prediction, a tiger would cause the Maharaja's death. Many continued to discuss the matter. Slowly, it came to the Maharaja's ears.
There were innumerable forests in the Pratibandapuram state. They had tigers in them. The Maharaja knew the old saying, 'You may kill even a cow in self-defence'. There could certainly be no objection to killing tigers in self-defence. The Maharaja started out on a tiger hunt.
The Maharaja was thrilled beyond measure when he killed his first tiger. He sent for the State astrologer and showed him the dead beast.
"What do you say now?" he demanded. "Your majesty may kill ninety-nine tigers in exactly the same manner. But..." the astrologer drawled.
"But what? Speak without fear." "But you must be very careful with the hundredth tiger."
"What if the hundredth tiger were also killed?"
"Then I will tear up all my books on astrology, set fire to them, and..." "And..."
"I shall cut off my tuff, crop my hair short and become an insurance agent," the astrologer finished on an incoherent note. From that day onwards it was celebration time for all the tigers inhabiting Pratibandapuram. The State banned tiger hunting by anyone except the Maharaja. A proclamation was issued to the effect that if anyone dared to fling so much as a stone at a tiger, all his wealth and property would be confiscated. The Maharaja vowed he would attend to all other matters only after killing the hundred tigers. Initially the king seemed well set a realise his ambition.
Not that he faced no dangers. There were times when the bullet missed its mark, the tiger leapt upon him and he fought the beast with his bare hands. Each time it was the Maharaja who won.
At another time, he was in danger of losing his throne. A high-ranking British officer visited Pratibandapuram. He was very fond of hunting tigers. And fonder of being photographed with the tigers he had shot. As usual, he wished to hunt tigers in Pratibandapuram. But the Maharaja was firm in his resolve. He refused permission. "I can organise any other hunt. You may go on a boar hunt. You may conduct a mouse hunt. We are ready for a mosquito hunt. But tiger hunt! That's impossible!"
The British officer's secretary sent word to the Maharaja through the dewan that the durai himself did not have to kill the tiger. The Maharaja could do the actual killing. What was important to the durai was a photograph of himself holding the gun and standing over the tiger's proposal. If he relented now, what would he do if other British officers turned up for tiger hunts? Because he prevented a British officer from fulfilling his desire, the Maharaja stood in danger of losing his kingdom itself. The Maharaja and the dewan held deliberations over this issue. As a result, a telegram was despatched forthwith to a famous British company of jewellers in Calcutta. 'Send samples of expensive diamond rings of different design.' Some fifty rings arrived. The Maharaja sent the whole lot to the British officer's good lady. The king and the minister expected the duraisani to choose one or two rings and send the rest back. Within no time at all, the duraisani sent her reply: 'Thank you very much for your gifts.'
In two days, a bill for three lakh of rupees came from the British jewellers. The Maharaja was happy that though he had lost three lakh of rupees, he had managed to retain his kingdom.
But everyone in the kingdom remembered the astrologer's prediction, a tiger would cause the Maharaja's death. Many continued to discuss the matter. Slowly, it came to the Maharaja's ears.
There were innumerable forests in the Pratibandapuram state. They had tigers in them. The Maharaja knew the old saying, 'You may kill even a cow in self-defence'. There could certainly be no objection to killing tigers in self-defence. The Maharaja started out on a tiger hunt.
The Maharaja was thrilled beyond measure when he killed his first tiger. He sent for the State astrologer and showed him the dead beast.
"What do you say now?" he demanded. "Your majesty may kill ninety-nine tigers in exactly the same manner. But..." the astrologer drawled.
"But what? Speak without fear." "But you must be very careful with the hundredth tiger."
"What if the hundredth tiger were also killed?"
"Then I will tear up all my books on astrology, set fire to them, and..." "And..."
"I shall cut off my tuff, crop my hair short and become an insurance agent," the astrologer finished on an incoherent note. From that day onwards it was celebration time for all the tigers inhabiting Pratibandapuram. The State banned tiger hunting by anyone except the Maharaja. A proclamation was issued to the effect that if anyone dared to fling so much as a stone at a tiger, all his wealth and property would be confiscated. The Maharaja vowed he would attend to all other matters only after killing the hundred tigers. Initially the king seemed well set a realise his ambition.
Not that he faced no dangers. There were times when the bullet missed its mark, the tiger leapt upon him and he fought the beast with his bare hands. Each time it was the Maharaja who won.
At another time, he was in danger of losing his throne. A high-ranking British officer visited Pratibandapuram. He was very fond of hunting tigers. And fonder of being photographed with the tigers he had shot. As usual, he wished to hunt tigers in Pratibandapuram. But the Maharaja was firm in his resolve. He refused permission. "I can organise any other hunt. You may go on a boar hunt. You may conduct a mouse hunt. We are ready for a mosquito hunt. But tiger hunt! That's impossible!"
The British officer's secretary sent word to the Maharaja through the dewan that the durai himself did not have to kill the tiger. The Maharaja could do the actual killing. What was important to the durai was a photograph of himself holding the gun and standing over the tiger's proposal. If he relented now, what would he do if other British officers turned up for tiger hunts? Because he prevented a British officer from fulfilling his desire, the Maharaja stood in danger of losing his kingdom itself. The Maharaja and the dewan held deliberations over this issue. As a result, a telegram was despatched forthwith to a famous British company of jewellers in Calcutta. 'Send samples of expensive diamond rings of different design.' Some fifty rings arrived. The Maharaja sent the whole lot to the British officer's good lady. The king and the minister expected the duraisani to choose one or two rings and send the rest back. Within no time at all, the duraisani sent her reply: 'Thank you very much for your gifts.'
In two days, a bill for three lakh of rupees came from the British jewellers. The Maharaja was happy that though he had lost three lakh of rupees, he had managed to retain his kingdom.
How did the Maharaja upset the high-ranking British officer? The Maharaja __________.
A refused to give him permission to kill tigers in Pratibandapuram.
B took him on a mouse hunt, but didn't let him kill one.
C ordered his dewan to arrange for diamond rings to be gifted to the British officer.
D All of these