Tigers for Dinner: Tall Tales by Jim Corbett's Khansama
Page 3
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
thermos. While he was quenching his thirst, a
kakar—a barking deer—appeared in the open, just
fifteen to twenty feet in front of us. “Shall I shoot it,
sir?” I asked. I’d seen him shooting many times, and I
knew how the rifle worked. “Go ahead, old chap,” he
said. “Let’s have some venison for dinner.”
‘So I put the rifle to my shoulder, took aim, and
fired. It was the first time I’d fired a gun, and the butt
sprang back and hit me in the shoulder, while the
bullet itself whizzed over the deer and into the tree
beneath which it was standing.
‘Away went the kakar, while
I held my shoulder in agony. I’d
missed it by several feet. But then there was a
terrible groan from the branches of the tree, and
a huge leopard came crashing through the foliage,
falling with a thud at our feet. It was quite dead, baba.
‘I’d missed the kakar and shot a leopard. It must have
been watching the deer, waiting to pounce on it, when it
was struck by my bullet.
‘“Good shot!” cried Carpet-sahib. “Well aimed,
Mehmoud, I didn’t see the leopard.”
‘“Nor did I, sir,” I said.
‘“But you shot it all the same,” said
Carpet-sahib.
‘Away went the kakar, while
I held my shoulder in agony. I’d
missed it by several feet. But then there was a
terrible groan from the branches of the tree, and
a huge leopard came crashing through the foliage,
falling with a thud at our feet. It was quite dead, baba.
‘I’d missed the kakar and shot a leopard. It must have
been watching the deer, waiting to pounce on it, when it
was struck by my bullet.
‘“Good shot!” cried Carpet-sahib. “Well aimed,
Mehmoud, I didn’t see the leopard.”
‘“Nor did I, sir,” I said.
‘“But you shot it all the same,” said
Carpet-sahib.
‘And since I did not want the skin, he rewarded
me with five hundred rupees. The leopard was stuffed
and kept in his verandah, to scare away the monkeys.
Of course he told everyone what a good shot I was,
although it was the last time he asked me to hold
his gun.’
‘Never mind,’ I said, ‘you shot the leopard, and you
saved the life of the pretty deer. And your mango
milkshake is the best in the world.’
‘Thank you, baba,’ said Mehmoud, refilling my
glass. ‘This is a good year for mangoes.’
And it was a good year for mango milkshakes. As
I discovered.
‘And since I did not want the skin, he rewarded
me with five hundred rupees. The leopard was stuffed
and kept in his verandah, to scare away the monkeys.
Of course he told everyone what a good shot I was,
although it was the last time he asked me to hold
his gun.’
‘Never mind,’ I said, ‘you shot the leopard, and you
saved the life of the pretty deer. And your mango
milkshake is the best in the world.’
‘Thank you, baba,’ said Mehmoud, refilling my
glass. ‘This is a good year for mangoes.’
And it was a good year for mango milkshakes. As
I discovered.
.4.
Wrestling a King
Cobra
Later that summer, I was sent to a boarding
school in the hills, and it was several
months before I saw Mehmoud again. In
those days, boarding school food was awful—dull,
tasteless, monotonous—and I missed Mehmoud’s
koftas and curries and cutlets. Variety is the spice of
life. I missed his stories, too. But I regaled the other
boys in the dormitory with Mehmoud’s tales of man-
eating tigers and other denizens of the jungle, and
Later that summer, I was sent to a boarding
school in the hills, and it was several
months before I saw Mehmoud again. In
those days, boarding school food was awful—dull,
tasteless, monotonous—and I missed Mehmoud’s
koftas and curries and cutlets. Variety is the spice of
life. I missed his stories, too. But I regaled the other
boys in the dormitory with Mehmoud’s tales of man-
eating tigers and other denizens of the jungle, and
everyone was envious of the fact that the great Jim
Corbett’s khansama was now my cook, and, in some
ways, my personal storyteller, for not many had been
privileged to hear his stories.
When the winter holidays came around, I was
relieved to find that Mehmoud was still in our employ.
He celebrated my homecoming by making an extra-
large Christmas cake. A plum cake, he called it, and
it was full of good things like raisins, dates, cherries,
figs, and, of course, plums.
The Christmas cake stood in the middle of our
dining table, but it was in the kitchen that I conducted
most of my conversation with Mehmoud.
‘What was your most frightening experience?’ I
asked him. ‘Your encounter with the tiger, or with
the crocodile?’
‘Oh, they were nothing compared to my fight
with the king cobra.’
‘A king cobra!’ I gasped. ‘That must have been
really scary.’
‘Truly it was, baba. We were spending Christmas
in the jungle—Carpet-sahib, his sister, and some
He celebrated my homecoming by making an extra-
large Christmas cake. A plum cake, he called it, and
it was full of good things like raisins, dates, cherries,
figs, and, of course, plums.
The Christmas cake stood in the middle of our
dining table, but it was in the kitchen that I conducted
most of my conversation with Mehmoud.
‘What was your most frightening experience?’ I
asked him. ‘Your encounter with the tiger, or with
the crocodile?’
‘Oh, they were nothing compared to my fight
with the king cobra.’
‘A king cobra!’ I gasped. ‘That must have been
really scary.’
‘Truly it was, baba. We were spending Christmas
in the jungle—Carpet-sahib, his sister, and some
friend of theirs, and of course I was there with a
couple of helpers to make sure that no one went
hungry.
‘Winters can be very cold in the Terai region,
and at night we had to use blankets and razais. It
was wind
y too, and we kept the tent flaps closed. I
thought nothing could get into my tent, but I was
wrong. I am a good sleeper, hard to wake—as your
good parents well know—but in the middle of the
night I woke up with a horrible sensation. Winding
slowly across my face was the cold, scaly body of a
large snake!
‘And it wasn’t only on my face that I felt the slimy
creature. It was moving across my legs, up my right
side and over my right upper arm. Was it one snake,
or several, I wondered.
friend of theirs, and of course I was there with a
couple of helpers to make sure that no one went
hungry.
‘Winters can be very cold in the Terai region,
and at night we had to use blankets and razais. It
was windy too, and we kept the tent flaps closed. I
thought nothing could get into my tent, but I was
wrong. I am a good sleeper, hard to wake—as your
good parents well know—but in the middle of the
night I woke up with a horrible sensation. Winding
slowly across my face was the cold, scaly body of a
large snake!
‘And it wasn’t only on my face that I felt the slimy
creature. It was moving across my legs, up my right
side and over my right upper arm. Was it one snake,
or several, I wondered.
‘Baba, there can be nothing more
terrifying than waking up in the
middle of the night to find a huge
snake coiled around your body!
‘I lay still as death. I could see nothing
of my terrible bedfellow. I did not dare to
move a finger or even turn my head, as
part of the snake’s body still rested
against my throat.
‘Baba, there can be nothing more
terrifying than waking up in the
middle of the night to find a huge
snake coiled around your body!
‘I lay still as death. I could see nothing
of my terrible bedfellow. I did not dare to
move a finger or even turn my head, as
part of the snake’s body still rested
against my throat.
‘My mouth was parched and dry. So
I sent a silent appeal to the Almighty,
seeking his help.
‘I think the snake was anxious to get
out of my bed and out of the tent into
which it had strayed, but had found itself
trapped in the bedsheets and blanket.
It passed on from my throat, moved
down my waist, and crawled across my
stomach. I could make out the snake’s
head—broad and blunt—only a few feet
away from my face. Suddenly, it was still.
Then it poked its black forked tongue in
and out, while its body stiffened as it
prepared to strike.
‘I was covered in perspiration, and
‘My mouth was parched and dry. So
I sent a silent appeal to the Almighty,
seeking his help.
‘I think the snake was anxious to get
out of my bed and out of the tent into
which it had strayed, but had found itself
trapped in the bedsheets and blanket.
It passed on from my throat, moved
down my waist, and crawled across my
stomach. I could make out the snake’s
head—broad and blunt—only a few feet
away from my face. Suddenly, it was still.
Then it poked its black forked tongue in
and out, while its body stiffened as it
prepared to strike.
‘I was covered in perspiration, and
I could hear my heart thudding. The snake must have
heard it, too. Suddenly, it reared its head a foot in the
air, and remained poised there, its cruel black eyes
glistening in the moonlight. The slightest movement
of hand or head, and those deadly fangs would be
buried in my quivering flesh!
‘I shut my eyes and waited in fear for the great
snake to strike. But now it seemed to lose interest in
my face, and once again it slithered down between
my legs. A horrible sensation, baba! I was shivering
all over. But then slowly I began to realize that the
snake was not interested in me; it was interested
only in getting out of my bed and out of the tent. I
wanted to help it on its way. But if I made a sudden
move, or leapt out of my bed, it would sink its fangs
into me, of that I was certain.
I could hear my heart thudding. The snake must have
heard it, too. Suddenly, it reared its head a foot in the
air, and remained poised there, its cruel black eyes
glistening in the moonlight. The slightest movement
of hand or head, and those deadly fangs would be
buried in my quivering flesh!
‘I shut my eyes and waited in fear for the great
snake to strike. But now it seemed to lose interest in
my face, and once again it slithered down between
my legs. A horrible sensation, baba! I was shivering
all over. But then slowly I began to realize that the
snake was not interested in me; it was interested
only in getting out of my bed and out of the tent. I
wanted to help it on its way. But if I made a sudden
move, or leapt out of my bed, it would sink its fangs
into me, of that I was certain.
‘I remained still, trying to control my shivering.
The snake was trying every corner of the bed, looking
for an outlet. I felt its head against the palm of my
hand. I could wait no longer. I grabbed the snake by
its head, digging my finger into its under-jaw, and
leapt to my feet, standing upright with that huge
king cobra coiled around my waist. It writhed and
tugged, trying its utmost to free its head and strike
me dead. But I did not lose my hold on its head.
I kept twisting its neck until it released its own hold
on me and slithered out of the tent.
‘That snake must have measured over seven feet
in length, baba. Carpet-sahib could not believe I had
fought it with my bare hands.’
‘You have strong hands, Mehmoud,’ I said, staring
at his huge hands. I could well believe that he had
‘I remained still, trying to control my shivering.
The snake was trying every corner of the bed, looking
for an outlet. I felt its head against the palm of my
hand. I could wait no longer. I grabbed the snake by
its head, digging my finger into its under-jaw, and
leapt to my feet, standing upright with that huge
king cobra coiled around my waist. It writhed and
tugged, trying its utmost to free its head and strike
me dead. But I did not lose my hold on its head.
I kept twisting its neck until it released its own hold
on me and slithered out of the tent.
‘That snake must have measured over seven feet
in length, baba. Carpet-sahib could not believe I had
fought it with my bare hands.’
‘You have strong hands, Mehmoud,’ I said, staring
at his huge hands. I could well believe that he had
wrestled a king cobra, and other creatures
besides.
; ‘Well, I need strong hands for chopping
meat and making mutton cutlets for you, baba,
not to speak of that Christmas cake, which was
heavy going. Don’t eat too much of it, baba, it’s
full of richness!’
But I failed to take Mehmoud’s advice, ate
too much cake, and spent most of Christmas
Day in bed with a tummy-ache.
wrestled a king cobra, and other creatures
besides.
‘Well, I need strong hands for chopping
meat and making mutton cutlets for you, baba,
not to speak of that Christmas cake, which was
heavy going. Don’t eat too much of it, baba, it’s
full of richness!’
But I failed to take Mehmoud’s advice, ate
too much cake, and spent most of Christmas
Day in bed with a tummy-ache.
.5.
The Face Beneath
the Pillow
‘Camping in the jungle was full of danger,’
I remarked. ‘You must have felt much
safer working in the house.’
‘Well, cooking was certainly easier,’ said Mehmoud.
‘But I don’t know if it was much safer. The animals
couldn’t get in, true, but there were ghosts and evil
spirits lurking in some rooms. I changed my room,
but there was always someone—something—after
me. I don’t know if I should tell you this, baba.
You have your own small room and you may start
imagining things…’
‘Camping in the jungle was full of danger,’
I remarked. ‘You must have felt much
safer working in the house.’
‘Well, cooking was certainly easier,’ said Mehmoud.
‘But I don’t know if it was much safer. The animals
couldn’t get in, true, but there were ghosts and evil
spirits lurking in some rooms. I changed my room,
but there was always someone—something—after