by Ruskin Bond
me. I don’t know if I should tell you this, baba.
You have your own small room and you may start
imagining things…’
‘I’m not afraid of ghosts, Mehmoud.’
‘That’s because you haven’t seen one. Although,
I’m not sure it was a ghost. And I did not actually
see anything. But I felt it all right!’
‘You can’t feel a ghost, Mehmoud. At least, not
in stories.’
‘This wasn’t a story. It was my first night in Carpet-
sahib’s house in the jungle. It was a big house with
many rooms, and I was given one of my own. But
there was no electricity in that out-of-the-way place.
We used kerosene lamps or candles.
‘I had brought my own razai and blanket, but the
mattress was a strange one, and so was the pillow. It
wasn’t a pillow, really, but an old cushion, very hard
and lumpy. It was my first night in that bed, and I was
very uncomfortable. The candle burnt itself out, and I
was still wide awake. I could see very little, there was
just a small window allowing a little moonlight into
the room. I was almost asleep when I heard someone
groaning beside me. Groaning loudly, as though in
pain. But there was no one else in the bed, and no
one beneath it.
‘This wasn’t a story. It was my first night in Carpet-
sahib’s house in the jungle. It was a big house with
many rooms, and I was given one of my own. But
there was no electricity in that out-of-the-way place.
We used kerosene lamps or candles.
‘I had brought my own razai and blanket, but the
mattress was a strange one, and so was the pillow. It
wasn’t a pillow, really, but an old cushion, very hard
and lumpy. It was my first night in that bed, and I was
very uncomfortable. The candle burnt itself out, and I
was still wide awake. I could see very little, there was
just a small window allowing a little moonlight into
the room. I was almost asleep when I heard someone
groaning beside me. Groaning loudly, as though in
pain. But there was no one else in the bed, and no
one beneath it.
‘The groaning stopped for a time, and then,
just as I was about to fall asleep, it started again.
Groan, groan, groan. Now it seemed
to come from beneath
my pillow.
‘I turned on my side, and slowly, carefully, I slipped
my hand beneath the pillow.
‘It encountered a hairy face, a gaping mouth,
hollow sockets instead of eyes. Horrible to touch!
Not the face of a human, baba—the face of
a rakshas!
‘I tried to pull my hand away, but
it was seized by that terrible mouth. A
mouth with long, sharp teeth—teeth
like daggers! It would have bitten my
fingers off if I hadn’t screamed and
shouted for help.
‘Carpet-sahib and his sister and the
other servants came running.
As they rushed into the room
with torches and a lamp, those awful teeth
released my hand.
‘I turned on my side, and slowly, carefully, I slipped
my hand beneath the pillow.
‘It encountered a hairy face, a gaping mouth,
hollow sockets instead of eyes. Horrible to touch!
Not the face of a human, baba—the face of
a rakshas!
‘I tried to pull my hand away, but
it was seized by that terrible mouth. A
mouth with long, sharp teeth—teeth
like daggers! It would have bitten my
fingers off if I hadn’t screamed and
shouted for help.
‘Carpet-sahib and his sister and the
other servants came running.
As they rushed into the room
with torches and a lamp, those awful teeth
released my hand.
“‘Under the pillow!” I screamed. “Under the pillow!”
‘They looked under the pillow. But there was
nothing there. I showed them my fingers—they were
bleeding badly.
‘“A rat must have bitten you,” said Carpet-sahib’s
sister. But she knew it wasn’t a rat. And she gave me
another room to sleep in.’
‘And were you all right in the
second room?’
‘For a couple of nights, baba. Then
it happened again.’
‘You put your hand under the pillow
again? And the face was there?’
‘Not the whole face, baba. Just
something soft and squishy.
“‘Under the pillow!” I screamed. “Under the pillow!”
‘They looked under the pillow. But there was
nothing there. I showed them my fingers—they were
bleeding badly.
‘“A rat must have bitten you,” said Carpet-sahib’s
sister. But she knew it wasn’t a rat. And she gave me
another room to sleep in.’
‘And were you all right in the
second room?’
‘For a couple of nights, baba. Then
it happened again.’
‘You put your hand under the pillow
again? And the face was there?’
‘Not the whole face, baba. Just
something soft and squishy.
‘I thought it was a snail under my pillow. So I got
up, lit my lamp, and looked under the pillow.’
‘What was it, Mehmoud? Tell me quickly.’
‘It was an eyeball, baba. An eye that had been
removed from its socket. It was staring up at me.
Just an eyeball—staring!
‘I picked it up and threw it out of the window. I
threw the pillow away, too. Something terrible had
happened upon that pillow, I’m sure of it.’
‘So it wasn’t the room?’
‘It wasn’t the room. It was the pillow, baba. Next
day, I went into town and bought a new pillow, and
from then on I slept beautifully every night. Never
use a strange cushion or pillow, baba. Terrible things
have happened on pillows. So remember—when you
return to school next month, take a new pillow, and
don’t use anyone else’s!’
After listening to Mehmoud’s story, I was always
careful to use my own pillow. Even now, many many
years later, I carry my own pillow wherever I go. No
hotel pillows for me. You never know what might be
lurking beneath them.
‘I picked it up and threw it out of the window. I
threw the pillow away, too. Something terrible had
happened upon that pillow, I’m sure of it.’
‘So it wasn’t the room?’
‘It wasn’t the room. It was the pillow, baba. Next
day, I went into town and bought a new pillow, and
from then on I slept beautifully every night. Never
use a strange cushion or pillow, baba. Terrible things
have happened on pillows. So remember—when you
return to school next month, take a new pillow, and
don’t use anyone else’s!’
After listening to Mehmoud’s story, I was always
careful to use my own pillow. Even now, many many
years later, I carry my own pillow wherever I go. No
hotel pillows for me. You never know what might be
lurking beneath them.
.6.
The Tiger’s Claw
‘Why did you leave Jim Corbett
and his sister?’ I asked Mehmoud
one day. ‘Didn’t they like your
cooking?’
‘I did not leave them, baba. They left me. That is,
they left the country. Said goodbye to India. Went
to live in Africa, where they hunted lions instead of
‘Why did you leave Jim Corbett
and his sister?’ I asked Mehmoud
one day. ‘Didn’t they like your
cooking?’
‘I did not leave them, baba. They left me. That is,
they left the country. Said goodbye to India. Went
to live in Africa, where they hunted lions instead of
tigers. They gave me a certificate and some money,
and I went home to my village near Shamli. There
I sold guavas and mangoes. Very dull, after all that
excitement with Carpet-sahib. Oh yes—and he gave
me this.’
Mehmoud unbuttoned the top of his shirt and
showed me a large tiger’s claw in a locket that hung
round his neck. ‘It came from the last tiger that he
tigers. They gave me a certificate and some money,
and I went home to my village near Shamli. There
I sold guavas and mangoes. Very dull, after all that
excitement with Carpet-sahib. Oh yes—and he gave
me this.’
Mehmoud unbuttoned the top of his shirt and
showed me a large tiger’s claw in a locket that hung
round his neck. ‘It came from the last tiger that he
shot before he went away. The claw of the last tiger.’
‘Were you present when he shot it?’
‘Yes, baba, I was there. It was the most exciting
day of my life—if you don’t count my wrestling match
with the king cobra.’
‘Did you wrestle with a tiger?’
‘No, baba, I’m no match for a tiger. If I see a tiger,
I run—I have strong legs. But on that particular day,
I couldn’t even run, I was alone in the bungalow and
the tiger was coming for me.
‘It was a man-eater all right, and I think it had
come to take its revenge because of all the man-
eaters that Carpet-sahib had shot. It was a big fellow,
the largest tiger I have ever seen, and it walked right
up to the verandah steps, raised its head and let out
a terrific roar—it was like a challenge!’
shot before he went away. The claw of the last tiger.’
‘Were you present when he shot it?’
‘Yes, baba, I was there. It was the most exciting
day of my life—if you don’t count my wrestling match
with the king cobra.’
‘Did you wrestle with a tiger?’
‘No, baba, I’m no match for a tiger. If I see a tiger,
I run—I have strong legs. But on that particular day,
I couldn’t even run, I was alone in the bungalow and
the tiger was coming for me.
‘It was a man-eater all right, and I think it had
come to take its revenge because of all the man-
eaters that Carpet-sahib had shot. It was a big fellow,
the largest tiger I have ever seen, and it walked right
up to the verandah steps, raised its head and let out
a terrific roar—it was like a challenge!’
‘What did Corbett do?’
‘He wasn’t there. He
and his sister had taken
the jeep and driven into
the town to see someone
who wanted to buy the
property. The rest of the
staff were out, too. I was
alone, setting the dining
table for lunch,
when I heard this roar. I ran to the
front room and looked out of the window,
and there it stood, glaring at me with its yellow
eyes, ready to pounce and have me for its dinner.
Believe me, baba, it was even licking its lips!
‘I closed that window in a hurry. Then I ran to the
front door and made sure it was bolted.
‘What next? I closed all the doors and windows—
there were so many! Every time I looked out of a
window I saw that tiger outside, circling round and
round the house, just taking its time before leaping
through an opening and pouncing on me—making
a korma curry of me! It’s nice cooking a keema or
kofta curry, baba, but not so nice to be curry for a
tiger!‘At last I had all the doors and windows shut.
Let that tiger roar! I was safe from its claws. Or so I
thought…
‘I was standing in the middle of the front room,
trembling with fear, when—thump, thump—its
heavy paws began pounding on the front door.
‘That door was strong—but not strong enough to
stand against the strength and weight of an angry
‘What next? I closed all the doors and windows—
there were so many! Every time I looked out of a
window I saw that tiger outside, circling round and
round the house, just taking its time before leaping
through an opening and pouncing on me—making
a korma curry of me! It’s nice cooking a keema or
kofta curry, baba, but not so nice to be curry for a
tiger!
‘At last I had all the doors and windows shut.
Let that tiger roar! I was safe from its claws. Or so I
thought…
‘I was standing in the middle of the front room,
trembling with fear, when—thump, thump—its
heavy paws began pounding on the front door.
‘That door was strong—but not strong enough to
stand against the strength and weight of an angry
tiger. It would give way any minute. And then I would
be mincemeat.
‘There was a small skylight high up on the wall,
which opened out on to the roof. If I could reach it
and get through, I’d be safe on the roof.
‘I pulled a table across to the wall and placed a
chair on the table. I climbed on to it and reached
the skylight. I squirmed through it and emerged on
the roof. Then I looked down through the skylight
just as the front door gave in, and the tiger rushed
in, ready for dinner!
‘But dinner was on the roof, out of its reach. That
made it very angry. The tiger ran round the room,
smashing chairs, upsetting the table. It charged into
the other rooms, smashing and grunting, came back,
angrier than ever, tore up a couple of rugs and bit
tiger. It would give way any minute. And then I would
be mincemeat.
‘There was a small skylight high up on the wall,
which opened out on to the roof. If I could reach it
and get through, I’d be safe on the roof.
‘I pulled a table across to the wall and placed a
chair on the table. I climbed on to it and reached
the skylight. I squirmed through it and emerged on
the roof. Then I looked down through the skylight
just as the front door gave in, and the tiger rushed
in, ready for dinner!
‘But dinner was on the roof, out of its reach. That
made it very angry. The tiger ran round th
e room,
smashing chairs, upsetting the table. It charged into
the other rooms, smashing and grunting, came back,
angrier than ever, tore up a couple of rugs and bit
right through Carpet-sahib’s tiffin carrier! And then,
with an angry roar, it charged out of the house and
into the garden.’
‘But you were safe on the roof, Mehmoud!’
‘So I thought. But when I stood up and moved to
the edge of the roof, I saw the tiger looking up at me,
judging the height from the ground to the rooftop.
It was a distance of some twenty feet. Could a tiger
leap that high? Even worse, there was an iron ladder
leading from the open ground to the roof. The tiger
had noticed this. It approached the ladder and began
slowly, carefully, to climb up, rung by rung. In a few
minutes, it would be upon me. What could I do?’
right through Carpet-sahib’s tiffin carrier! And then,
with an angry roar, it charged out of the house and
into the garden.’
‘But you were safe on the roof, Mehmoud!’
‘So I thought. But when I stood up and moved to
the edge of the roof, I saw the tiger looking up at me,
judging the height from the ground to the rooftop.
It was a distance of some twenty feet. Could a tiger
leap that high? Even worse, there was an iron ladder
leading from the open ground to the roof. The tiger
had noticed this. It approached the ladder and began
slowly, carefully, to climb up, rung by rung. In a few
minutes, it would be upon me. What could I do?’
Mehmoud paused for effect, and all I could say
was: ‘Hide in the water tank?’
‘There was no water tank. All I could do was send
up a prayer to the Almighty.’
‘And he must have heard you.’
‘He did indeed, baba. And so did Carpet-