by Ruskin Bond
singed its whiskers too. Tigers don’t like losing their
whiskers, just like army generals!’
‘So what happened?’
‘It let out a roar, leapt into the air, fell backwards
into the fire, let out another roar, and fled into the
jungle. For an hour or more we could hear it roaring
with agony.’
‘You were very brave, Mehmoud. What did
everyone say when you told them what you had
done?’
‘They didn’t believe me,
baba. They said I was making
it all up; that the tiger had taken off after burning
its paw in the fire. I showed Carpet-sahib the tiger’s
whiskers stuck to the bottom of my frying pan, but
he only laughed and said I could serve tiger soup
for dinner.’
‘But you were a hero, Mehmoud!’
‘Yes, baba, I’m glad you think so. Have another
kofta.’
‘They didn’t believe me,
baba. They said I was making
it all up; that the tiger had taken off after burning
its paw in the fire. I showed Carpet-sahib the tiger’s
whiskers stuck to the bottom of my frying pan, but
he only laughed and said I could serve tiger soup
for dinner.’
‘But you were a hero, Mehmoud!’
‘Yes, baba, I’m glad you think so. Have another
kofta.’
.2.
EXCITING ENCOUNTERS
The following day, Mehmoud was making
lamb chops. I liked lamb chops. Mehmoud
knew I liked them, and he had an extra chop
ready for me, just in case I felt like a pre-lunch snack.
‘What was Jim Corbett’s favourite dish?’ I asked,
while dealing with the succulent chop.
‘Oh, he liked roast duck. Used to shoot them as
they flew up from the jheel.’
‘What’s a jheel, Mehmoud?’
‘A shallow sort of lake. In places you could walk
about in the water. Different types of birds would
come there in the winter—ducks and geese and all
The following day, Mehmoud was making
lamb chops. I liked lamb chops. Mehmoud
knew I liked them, and he had an extra chop
ready for me, just in case I felt like a pre-lunch snack.
‘What was Jim Corbett’s favourite dish?’ I asked,
while dealing with the succulent chop.
‘Oh, he liked roast duck. Used to shoot them as
they flew up from the jheel.’
‘What’s a jheel, Mehmoud?’
‘A shallow sort of lake. In places you could walk
about in the water. Different types of birds would
come there in the winter—ducks and geese and all
kinds of baglas—herons, you call them. The baglas
are not good to eat, but the ducks make a fine roast.
‘So we camped beside the jheel and lived on roast
duck for a week until everyone was sick of it.’
‘Did you go swimming in the jheel?’
‘No, it was full of muggers—those long-nosed
crocodiles—they’ll snap you up if you come within
their range! Nasty creatures, those muggermuch. One
of them nearly got me.’
‘How did that happen, Mehmoud-bhai?’
‘Oh, baba, just the memory of it makes me
shudder! I’d given everyone their dinner and retired
to my tent. It was a hot night and we couldn’t sleep.
Swarms of mosquitoes rose from the jheel, invaded
the tent, and attacked me on the face and arms and
feet. I dragged my camp cot outside the tent, hoping
kinds of baglas—herons, you call them. The baglas
are not good to eat, but the ducks make a fine roast.
‘So we camped beside the jheel and lived on roast
duck for a week until everyone was sick of it.’
‘Did you go swimming in the jheel?’
‘No, it was full of muggers—those long-nosed
crocodiles—they’ll snap you up if you come within
their range! Nasty creatures, those muggermuch. One
of them nearly got me.’
‘How did that happen, Mehmoud-bhai?’
‘Oh, baba, just the memory of it makes me
shudder! I’d given everyone their dinner and retired
to my tent. It was a hot night and we couldn’t sleep.
Swarms of mosquitoes rose from the jheel, invaded
the tent, and attacked me on the face and arms and
feet. I dragged my camp cot outside the tent, hoping
the breeze would keep the mosquitoes away. After
some time they moved on, and I fell asleep, wrapped
up in my bedsheet. Towards dawn, I felt my cot
quivering, shaking. Was it an earthquake? But no one
else was awake. And then the cot started moving! I
sat up, looked about me. The cot was moving steadily
forward in the direction of
the water. And beneath
it, holding us up, was a
beastly crocodile!
the breeze would keep the mosquitoes away. After
some time they moved on, and I fell asleep, wrapped
up in my bedsheet. Towards dawn, I felt my cot
quivering, shaking. Was it an earthquake? But no one
else was awake. And then the cot started moving! I
sat up, looked about me. The cot was moving steadily
forward in the direction of
the water. And beneath
it, holding us up, was a
beastly crocodile!
‘It gave me the fright of my life, baba. A muggermuch
beneath my bed, and I upon it! I cried out for help.
Carpet-sahib woke up, rushed out of his tent, his gun
in his hands. But it was still dark, and all he could see
was my bed moving rapidly towards the jheel.
‘Just before we struck the water, I leapt from
the cot, and ran up the bank, calling for help.
Carpet-sahib saw me then. He ran down the slope,
firing at the moving cot. I don’t know if he hit the
horrible creature, but there was a big splash, and it
disappeared into the jheel.’
‘And did you recover the cot?’
‘No, it floated away and then sank. We did not
go after it.’
‘And what did Corbett say afterwards?’
‘He said I had shown great presence of mind. He said
‘It gave me the fright of my life, baba. A muggermuch
beneath my bed, and I upon it! I cried out for help.
Carpet-sahib woke up, rushed out of his tent, his gun
in his hands. But it was still dark, and all he could see
was my bed moving rapidly towards the jheel.
‘Just before we struck the water, I leapt from
the cot, and ran up the bank, calling for help.
Carpet-sahib saw me then. He ran down the slope,
firing at the moving cot. I don’t know if he hit the
horrible creature, but there was a big splash, and it
disappeared into the jheel.’
‘And did you recover the cot?’
‘No, it floated away and then sank. We did not
go after it.’
‘And what did Corbett say afterwards?’
‘He said I had shown great presence of mind. He said
he’d never seen anyone make such a leap for safety!’
‘You were a hero, Mehmoud!’
‘Thank you, baba. There’s time for another lamb
/> chop, if you’re hungry.’
‘I’m hungry,’ I said. ‘There’s still an hour left to
lunchtime. But tell me more about your time with
Jim Corbett. Did he like your cooking?’
‘Oh, he liked it well enough, but his sister was
very fussy.’
‘He had his sister with him?’
‘That’s right. He never married, so his sister looked
after the household and the shopping and everything
connected to the kitchen—except when we were in
camp. Then I had a free hand. Carpet-sahib wasn’t
too fussy about his food, especially when he was
out hunting. A sandwich or paratha would keep him
he’d never seen anyone make such a leap for safety!’
‘You were a hero, Mehmoud!’
‘Thank you, baba. There’s time for another lamb
chop, if you’re hungry.’
‘I’m hungry,’ I said. ‘There’s still an hour left to
lunchtime. But tell me more about your time with
Jim Corbett. Did he like your cooking?’
‘Oh, he liked it well enough, but his sister was
very fussy.’
‘He had his sister with him?’
‘That’s right. He never married, so his sister looked
after the household and the shopping and everything
connected to the kitchen—except when we were in
camp. Then I had a free hand. Carpet-sahib wasn’t
too fussy about his food, especially when he was
out hunting. A sandwich or paratha would keep him
going. But if he had guests, he felt he had to give them
the best, and then it was hard work for me.
‘For instance, there was the Raja of Janakpur, a big,
fat man who was very fond of eating—between meals,
during meals and after meals. I don’t know why he
bothered to come on these shikar trips when he
could have stayed at home in his palace and feasted
day and night. But he needed trophies to hang on
the walls of his palace. You were not considered a
great king unless your walls were decorated with
the stuffed heads of tigers, lions, antelopes, bears—
anything that looked dangerous. The Raja could eat
and drink all day, but he couldn’t go home without
a trophy. So he would be hoisted on to an elephant,
and sit there in state, firing away at anything that
moved in the jungle. He seldom shot anything, but
Carpet-sahib would help him out by bringing down
a stag or a leopard, and congratulating the Raja on
his skill and accuracy.
‘They weren’t all like that, but some of the rajas
were stupid or even mad. And the Angrej-sahibs—
bothered to come on these shikar trips when he
could have stayed at home in his palace and feasted
day and night. But he needed trophies to hang on
the walls of his palace. You were not considered a
great king unless your walls were decorated with
the stuffed heads of tigers, lions, antelopes, bears—
anything that looked dangerous. The Raja could eat
and drink all day, but he couldn’t go home without
a trophy. So he would be hoisted on to an elephant,
and sit there in state, firing away at anything that
moved in the jungle. He seldom shot anything, but
Carpet-sahib would help him out by bringing down
a stag or a leopard, and congratulating the Raja on
his skill and accuracy.
‘They weren’t all like that, but some of the rajas
were stupid or even mad. And the Angrej-sahibs—
the English—were no better. They too had to prove
their manliness by shooting a tiger or a leopard.
Carpet-sahib was always in demand, because he
lived at the edge of the jungle and knew where to
look for different animals.
‘The Raja of Janakpur was safe on an elephant,
but one day he made the mistake of walking into
the jungle on foot. He hadn’t gone far when he met
a wild boar running at him. A wild boar may not
look very dangerous, but it has deadly tusks and is
quick to use them. Before the Raja could raise the
gun to his shoulder, the pig charged at him. The Raja
dropped his gun, turned and ran for his life. But he
couldn’t run very fast or very far. He tripped and fell,
and the boar was almost upon him when I happened
along, looking for twigs to make a fire. Luckily, I had
the English—were no better. They too had to prove
their manliness by shooting a tiger or a leopard.
Carpet-sahib was always in demand, because he
lived at the edge of the jungle and knew where to
look for different animals.
‘The Raja of Janakpur was safe on an elephant,
but one day he made the mistake of walking into
the jungle on foot. He hadn’t gone far when he met
a wild boar running at him. A wild boar may not
look very dangerous, but it has deadly tusks and is
quick to use them. Before the Raja could raise the
gun to his shoulder, the pig charged at him. The Raja
dropped his gun, turned and ran for his life. But he
couldn’t run very fast or very far. He tripped and fell,
and the boar was almost upon him when I happened
along, looking for twigs to make a fire. Luckily, I had
a small axe in my hand. I struck the boar over the
head. It turned and rammed one of its tusks into my
thigh. I struck at it again and again, till it fell dead at
my feet. The Raja was nowhere in sight.
‘As soon as he got into camp, he sent for his
servants and made a hurried departure. Didn’t even
thank me for saving his life.’
‘Were you hurt badly, Mehmoud?’
‘I was out of action for a few days. The wound took
time to heal. My new masalchi did all the cooking,
and the food was so bad that most of the guests left
in a hurry. I still have the scar. See, baba!’
Mehmoud drew up his pyjamas and showed me
a deep scar on his right thigh.
‘You were a hero, Mehmoud,’ I said. ‘You deserved
a reward.’
‘My reward is here, baba, preparing these lamb
chops for you. Come on, have another. Your parents
won’t notice if they run short at lunch.’
‘As soon as he got into camp, he sent for his
servants and made a hurried departure. Didn’t even
thank me for saving his life.’
‘Were you hurt badly, Mehmoud?’
‘I was out of action for a few days. The wound took
time to heal. My new masalchi did all the cooking,
and the food was so bad that most of the guests left
in a hurry. I still have the scar. See, baba!’
Mehmoud drew up his pyjamas and showed me
a deep scar on his right thigh.
‘You were a hero, Mehmoud,’ I said. ‘You deserved
a reward.’
‘My reward is here, baba, preparing these lamb
chops for you. Come on, have another. Your parents
won’t notice if they run short at lunch.’
.3.
‘Good Shot, Mehmoud!’
It was a long, hot summer that year, but a summer
in the plains has its compensations�
�such as
mangoes and melons and lychees and custard
apples. The fruit-seller came to our house every day,
a basket of fresh fruit balanced on his head. One
morning, I entered the kitchen to find a bucket full
of mangoes, and Mehmoud busy making a large jug
of mango milkshake.
‘Pass me some ice, baba, you’ll find it in the
It was a long, hot summer that year, but a summer
in the plains has its compensations—such as
mangoes and melons and lychees and custard
apples. The fruit-seller came to our house every day,
a basket of fresh fruit balanced on his head. One
morning, I entered the kitchen to find a bucket full
of mangoes, and Mehmoud busy making a large jug
of mango milkshake.
‘Pass me some ice, baba, you’ll find it in the
bucket. You can have a milkshake now, and another
with your lunch. Carpet-sahib thought highly of my
milkshakes. During the mango season, he’d have
two glasses of mango milkshake first thing in the
morning, and then he’d go out and shoot a tiger!’
‘Did you ever shoot a tiger?’ I asked, accepting a
glass from Mehmoud and adding a chunk of ice to
the milkshake.
‘I shot a leopard once,’ said Mehmoud. ‘I wasn’t
supposed to touch the guns, but one morning, after
his milkshake, Carpet-sahib said I could accompany
him into the jungle, provided I brought along a large
thermos full of mango milkshake. It was a hot, humid
morning and Carpet-sahib was soon feeling thirsty.
‘“Hold my rifle, Mehmoud, while I have a drink,”
he said, and he handed me his gun and took the
bucket. You can have a milkshake now, and another
with your lunch. Carpet-sahib thought highly of my
milkshakes. During the mango season, he’d have
two glasses of mango milkshake first thing in the