Mrs Packletide's Tiger Grade 8 · English Reader
Chapter 17 · A Satirical Short Story

Mrs Packletide's Tiger

A vain society lady, a staged hunt, and a triumph built entirely on a lie

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Tec — The Education Consultancy | Grade 8 English Lesson & Worksheet

Mrs Packletide decides she absolutely must shoot a tiger — not out of any real love of hunting or wildlife, but purely to outdo her social rival, Loona Bimberton, who has recently caused a sensation by flying eleven miles in an aeroplane. Determined to steal back the spotlight, Mrs Packletide plans an elaborate luncheon at her home, at which a tiger-skin rug will take pride of place, ostensibly held in Loona's honour, but really intended to overshadow her rival's achievement entirely. She even plans ahead to gift Loona a tiger-claw brooch as a further, pointed reminder of her triumph.

Circumstances work conveniently in Mrs Packletide's favour: a large cash reward she offers persuades a nearby village to arrange a safe, easy hunt for her. A goat is tied out as bait, and Mrs Packletide, accompanied by her sharp-eyed companion Miss Mebbin, waits in a specially built platform for the tiger to appear. When an old, weary tiger — well past its hunting prime — finally approaches the goat, it collapses suddenly, seemingly from shock or exhaustion at the goat's bleating, just as Mrs Packletide fires her rifle in fright. Startled and unsure of what has really happened, she nevertheless allows everyone, including herself, to believe that her shot brought the tiger down.

The village celebrates the "brave" hunter, newspapers publish flattering photographs, and Mrs Packletide finally achieves the social triumph she was chasing, thoroughly eclipsing Loona Bimberton's aeroplane fame. However, Miss Mebbin, who witnessed the true, rather less heroic circumstances of the tiger's death, quietly uses her knowledge as leverage, cleverly manoeuvring Mrs Packletide into gifting her a country cottage in exchange for her continued silence about what really happened that day.

Through its dry, satirical tone, the story pokes gentle fun at the vanity, superficiality, and competitive social one-upmanship of Mrs Packletide's circle, showing how easily reputation and admiration can be built on convenient half-truths. By its end, Mrs Packletide's supposed victory has left her more anxious about maintaining her false reputation — and more unsettled by the sight of an ordinary goat, which now reminds her uncomfortably of the truth — than she ever was of any real tiger.

"In a world that is supposed to be chiefly swayed by hunger and by love, Mrs Packletide was an exception; her movements and motives were largely governed by dislike of Loona Bimberton."

Vocabulary

Nimrod — a great hunter or sportsman
propitious — favourable and likely to lead to success
deviation — a departure from the usual or expected course of action
ostensibly — apparently, or according to what is stated, though not necessarily true
compelling — very convincing; impossible to resist or ignore
foreground — the part of a scene or picture nearest to the viewer
chiefly — mainly; for the most part
governed — controlled or determined

Worksheet — Mrs Packletide's Tiger

Comprehension · Vocabulary · Sequencing — Grade 8

Name:
Class:
Date:
Score:
A. Multiple Choice Questions
1.Why did Mrs Packletide really want to shoot a tiger?
She genuinely loved hunting
To outdo her rival, Loona Bimberton✓
To protect her village from a man-eater
To win a hunting competition
2.What had recently made Loona Bimberton famous?
Writing a bestselling book
Flying eleven miles in an aeroplane✓
Marrying a wealthy man
Winning an award
3.What was used as bait to attract the tiger?
A piece of meat
A goat✓
A dead deer
A caged bird
4.What actually seemed to cause the tiger's death?
Mrs Packletide's expert shot
Shock or exhaustion, possibly triggered by the goat's bleating✓
A fight with another animal
Poison left by villagers
5.Who witnessed the true circumstances of the tiger's death?
Loona Bimberton
Miss Mebbin✓
A newspaper reporter
The village headman
6.What did Miss Mebbin demand in exchange for her silence?
A large sum of money
A country cottage✓
The tiger-skin rug
A trip abroad
7.What did Mrs Packletide plan to give Loona Bimberton as a gift?
A tiger-claw brooch
Do nothing, out of spite
A photograph of the hunt
An aeroplane ticket
8.By the story's end, what does Mrs Packletide find herself uneasy around?
Aeroplanes
Goats✓
Newspapers
Rifles
B. True or False
  • 1. Mrs Packletide wanted to hunt a tiger out of genuine passion for the sport.
    TrueFalse
  • 2. Mrs Packletide offered a reward to the village to arrange a safe hunt.
    TrueFalse
  • 3. The tiger was young, strong, and dangerous when it approached the bait.
    TrueFalse
  • 4. Mrs Packletide was completely certain her own shot killed the tiger.
    TrueFalse
  • 5. Miss Mebbin used her knowledge of the truth to gain something for herself.
    TrueFalse
  • 6. By the end of the story, Mrs Packletide feels completely at ease and untroubled.
    TrueFalse
C. Match the Words with Their Meanings
1. Nimrod → (c)
2. propitious → (a)
3. deviation → (d)
4. ostensibly → (b)
5. compelling → (e)
a. favourable and likely to lead to success
b. apparently, though not necessarily true
c. a great hunter or sportsman
d. a departure from the usual course of action
e. very convincing; impossible to resist or ignore
D. Put the Events in Correct Order (1–6)
  • Mrs Packletide offers a reward to a village to arrange a safe tiger hunt.
  • Mrs Packletide decides to shoot a tiger to outdo Loona Bimberton.
  • A goat is tied out as bait, and an old tiger approaches it.
  • Mrs Packletide is celebrated as a brave hunter and gains social triumph.
  • The tiger collapses, and Mrs Packletide fires her rifle in fright.
  • Miss Mebbin demands a cottage in exchange for keeping the truth secret.
E. Short Answer Questions
1. Why did Mrs Packletide's rivalry with Loona Bimberton matter so much to her?
Loona's recent fame from her aeroplane flight threatened to overshadow Mrs Packletide socially, so she wanted a dramatic achievement of her own — shooting a tiger — to reclaim attention and status.
2. What is ironic about how the tiger actually died?
Despite all the careful planning and Mrs Packletide's supposed bravery, the tiger appears to have died from shock or exhaustion rather than her shot, meaning her celebrated "heroic" kill was based on a misunderstanding, not real skill or courage.
3. How did Miss Mebbin take advantage of what she knew?
Knowing the truth about the tiger's death gave her leverage over Mrs Packletide, which she used to secure a country cottage for herself in exchange for staying silent.
4. What does the story suggest about the value of reputation and social status among Mrs Packletide's circle?
Open-ended — accept answers noting that the story satirises how easily reputation can be built on appearances and convenient lies rather than genuine achievement, highlighting the shallow, competitive nature of Mrs Packletide's social world.
5. In your own words, what makes this story an example of satire?
Open-ended — accept answers noting that the story uses humour, irony, and exaggeration to mock vanity, social competition, and the gap between appearance and reality, criticising these traits through Mrs Packletide's ridiculous, self-serving behaviour. (Teacher's discretion for wording.)
Tec Tec — The Education Consultancy | Grade 8 English Lesson & Worksheet