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NCERT Solutions For Class 11 English Chapter 12 Ajamil And The TigersPDF Free Download
Chapter 12: Ajamil And The Tigers
The tiger people went to their king
and said, ‘We’re starving.
We’ve had nothing to eat,
not a bite,
for 15 days and 16 nights.
Ajamil has got
a new sheep dog.
He cramps our style
and won’t let us get within a mile
of meat.’
‘That’s shocking,’
said the tiger king.
‘Why didn’t you come to see me before?
Make preparations for a banquet.
I’m gonna teach that sheep dog a lesson he’ll never
forget.’
‘Hear hear,’ said the tigers.
‘Careful,’ said the queen.
But he was already gone.
Alone
into the darkness before the dawn.
In an hour he was back,
the good king.
A black patch on his eye.
His tail in a sling.
And said, ‘I’ve got it all planned
now that I know the lie of the land.
All of us will have to try.
We’ll outnumber the son of a bitch.
And this time there will be no hitch.
Because this time I shall be leading the attack.’
Quick as lightning
the sheep dog was.
He took them all in as prisoners of war,
the 50 tigers and the tiger king,
before they could get their paws
on a single sheep.
They never had a chance.
The dog was in 51 places all at once.
He strung them all out in a daisy chain
and flung them in front of his boss in one big heap.
‘Nice dog you got there, Ajamil,’
said the tiger king.
Looking a little ill
and spiting out a tooth.
‘But there’s been a bit of a misunderstanding.
We could’ve wiped out your herd in one clean sweep.
But we were not trying to creep up on your sheep.
We feel that means are more important than ends.
We were coming to see you as friends.
And that’s the truth.’
The sheep dog was the type
who had never told a lie in his life
He was built along simpler lines
and he was simply disgusted.
He kept on making frantic signs.
But Ajamil, the good shepherd
refused to meet his eyes
and pretended to believe every single word
of what the tiger king said.
And seemed to be taken in by all the lies.
Ajamil cut them loose
and asked them all to stay for dinner.
It was an offer the tigers couldn’t refuse.
And after the lamb chops and the roast,
when Ajamil proposed
they sign a long term friendship treaty,
all the tigers roared.
‘We couldn’t agree with you more.’
And swore they would be good friends all their lives
as they put down the forks and the knives.
Ajamil signed a pact
with the tiger people and sent them back.
Laden with gifts of sheep, leather jackets and balls of
wool.
Ajamil wasn’t a fool.
Like all good shepherds he knew
that even tigers have got to eat some time.
A good shepherd sees to it they do.
He is free to play a flute all day
as well fed tigers and fat sheep drink from the same
pond
with a full stomach for a common bond.
| Author | NCERT |
| Language | English |
| No. of Pages | 4 |
| PDF Size | 0.3 MB |
| Category | English |
| Source/Credits | ncert.nic.in |
NCERT Solutions Class 11 English Chapter 12 Ajamil and the Tigers
1. The poem has a literal level and a figurative level. Why has the poet chosen ‘tigers’ and ‘sheep’ to convey his message?
Answer:
The poem is a small story in which the shepherd made a pact with the king of tigers to keep peace between both communities. If we try to measure, it is more than a jungle story. It expresses the difference between the proletariat and the proprietor. It is the struggle for class between the oppressed and the oppressor. The politician is the shepherd, the ruler, as explained in the poem, while the sheep are the subjects. The warrior is the sheepdog, the army, to protect the sheep. In order to maintain sovereignty, the shepherd gives up a few sheep to hold a cordial relationship with the tigers and signs the pact. It is picturised on how the rulers sacrifice a few people for a good regime.
2. What facet of political life does the behaviour of Ajamil illustrate?
Answer:
This poem is a political satire representing the corrupt politicians and the subjects they oppress. The sheep depicts the mass while the sheepdog depicts the army. It shows how the sheep, sheepdog and the commoners are destroyed by the rulers like Ajamil and how their thoughts and feelings are ignored. Arun Kolatkar has retold Ajamil’s story, trusted to be a good shepherd, as he had heard in Jejuri. When the sheepdog captured the tigers, Ajamil leaves them loose, on being notified by the dog. He did not hear the sheepdog and did not make eye contact with it to show his prominence. He offered the tigers with the gala feast and provided them with gifts like sheep wool, skin and meat. The warriors are not paid heed to and the subjects are given up by Ajamil as he wanted to keep up his supremacy.
NCERT Class 11 English Textbook Chapter 12 With Answer PDF Free Download