AECC 2 Alternative English THE FIGHT BETWEEN LEOPARDS By Jim Corbett Summary & Question answers +3 1ST YEAR 2ND SEMESTER

                                          THE FIGHT BETWEEN LEOPARDS

                     

SUMMARY

The story begins with a tragic scene: a mother mourning the loss of her child to the man-eating leopard. As the narrator inspects the area, he is puzzled by the leopard’s ability to snatch the child unnoticed. The narrator observes the predator’s path but fails to catch it, contemplating the challenge of hunting such a stealthy and powerful beast. Determined to catch the leopard, the narrator sets up a trap by chaining the child’s body in the courtyard, hoping to lure the leopard back. Despite his precautions and readiness to shoot, the night takes a surprising turn. Instead of the man-eater, a harmless kitten crawls onto the narrator, intensifying the tension. The real excitement begins when the narrator hears the growling of two leopards. A fierce and unexpected battle unfolds between the man-eater and a younger, stronger leopard, likely fighting over territory. The fight is described in vivid detail, showing the brutality and ferocity of nature. Though the man-eater is a formidable opponent, the younger leopard eventually gains the upper hand. This fight, while a spectacle for the narrator, also represents a potential end to the reign of terror imposed by the man-eater.

Conclusion:

Corbett’s tale of the fight between leopards is a gripping account of the wild, portraying the raw and often violent struggle for survival in the animal kingdom. Through his narrative, Corbett not only provides a thrilling story but also sheds light on the human-animal conflict in rural India, where communities lived in constant fear of predators like the Rudraprayag leopard. His writing reflects the intersection of adventure, danger, and a deep understanding of the natural world, making it a timeless account of one man's pursuit to protect vulnerable communities from nature’s most dangerous creatures.

QUESTION ANSWERS

Question 1: How does the text open? Why was the woman wailing?

Answer: The text opens with the wailing of a woman mourning the death of her child. The child had fallen victim to a cruel leopard, which had already torn the child into pieces by the time the narrator arrived in the village. The woman was devastated and blamed the village men for not chasing the leopard when it took her child. She lamented that if her husband, who had passed away, had been alive, he would have gone after the leopard and possibly saved their son. The woman believed that the village men lacked the courage to pursue the predator, which, in her grief-stricken mind, might have prevented the tragedy.

Question 2: What blame did the wailing woman put on the villagers?

Answer: The wailing woman blamed the villagers, particularly the men, for not chasing after the leopard when it took her child. In her deep grief and frustration, she believed that if the village men had gathered the courage to pursue the predator, her son might still be alive. She specifically lamented that her husband, had he been alive, would have acted bravely and gone after the leopard to save their child. Her blame stemmed from a sense of helplessness and sorrow, as she felt the men did not do enough to prevent the tragedy.

Question 3: What was the prime goal of the narrator? Did he succeed in fulfilling his goal?

Answer: The prime goal of the narrator was to capture or kill the man-eating leopard that had terrorized the village by preying on its inhabitants, including the child whose death triggered the story. The narrator hoped to lure the leopard back by using the child's body as bait, setting up a plan to ambush and shoot the predator. However, the narrator did not succeed in fulfilling his goal. While he was prepared for the leopard’s return, an unexpected turn of events occurred. Instead of directly confronting the man-eater, he witnessed a brutal fight between the man-eating leopard and another younger, stronger leopard over territory. This fight severely injured the man-eater, possibly putting an end to its reign of terror. Although the narrator did not kill the leopard himself, the fight may have ultimately achieved his goal of neutralizing the man-eater's threat.

Question 4: Where and how did the leopard keep his kill?

Answer: The leopard carried the child it had killed to a thick hedge of rambler roses after dragging the body across the village courtyard and over two high walls. Initially, the leopard dragged the child through a yam field, jumping over an 8-foot wall and then a 12-foot wall. When it reached the hedge, the leopard struggled to find an opening to continue further. It eventually released its hold on the child's throat at this spot but was forced to abandon the kill when the village raised an alarm. The sounds of beating drums and gunfire scared the leopard away before it could retrieve its prey.

Question 5: How did the narrator plan to catch hold of the leopard?

Answer: The narrator planned to catch the leopard by using the child’s body as bait. After inspecting the area where the leopard had left the child’s body, he drove a stout wooden peg into the ground in the middle of the village courtyard and chained the boy's body to it. He then positioned himself on the veranda of a nearby house, ensuring he had a clear view of the body but could remain hidden from sight. The narrator instructed the villagers to remain quiet and return to their homes, creating a calm, dark environment to lure the leopard back. He suspected that despite the previous night’s chaos, the leopard would return to reclaim its kill. His strategy was to wait patiently in the dark and ambush the leopard when it approached the body. However, heavy rain and a violent storm delayed the leopard's arrival, and ultimately, the narrator’s plan was disrupted by an unexpected fight between two leopards, preventing him from taking a shot at the man-eater.

Question 6: What did the narrator feel and what did he think while he was sleeping? What was it actually?

Answer: While the narrator was lying down and keeping watch, he felt something brush against his bare knees. This sensation made him think that the man-eating leopard had crept up on him and was preparing to attack. He could feel a slight pressure on his left shoulder, leading him to believe that the leopard was about to strike, potentially aiming for his throat. The narrator was moments away from pressing the trigger of his rifle when he realized what it actually was—a tiny, wet kitten seeking shelter after being caught in the storm. The kitten had mistaken the narrator for a safe spot, which gave him quite a fright before he understood the situation. The narrator initially mistook the kitten's presence for the stealthy approach of the dangerous leopard.

Question 7: What did the narrator finally witness? How was it?

Answer: The narrator finally witnessed a fierce and brutal fight between two leopards. One of the leopards was the notorious man-eater, while the other was a younger, stronger male that had wandered into the man-eater’s territory. The fight was unexpected and violent, unlike anything the narrator had seen before. The battle was intense, with growling and snarling echoing through the dark night. It was a rare and unusual spectacle, as carnivores like leopards typically avoid direct confrontations by sizing each other up and the weaker one retreating. However, this was a desperate, life-or-death struggle, as the man-eater was defending its territory, though it was older and likely weaker than its challenger. The fight went on in multiple rounds, with both leopards roaring and screaming, and the sound of the struggle eventually faded into the distance. The narrator realized that the man-eater had sustained serious injuries and may not survive, thus possibly ending its reign of terror. The violent confrontation left the narrator disheartened, as his own mission to kill the man-eater had been thwarted by the unexpected intervention of the other leopard. 

Question 8: How many rounds were there in the fight of the leopards? Whom do you think won the fight at last?

Answer: The fight between the two leopards occurred in three rounds:

The first round was the most intense and violent, with both leopards roaring and growling fiercely.

After a brief pause of 10 to 15 minutes, the second round resumed, slightly farther from the initial location. The local, younger leopard seemed to gain an advantage over the older man-eater.

The third round was shorter but still ferocious. After this, there was a long silence, followed by the sound of the leopards retreating into the distance.

Though the text doesn’t explicitly declare the winner, it's implied that the younger local leopard had the upper hand. The older man-eating leopard, already past its prime, appeared to have been severely injured, possibly fatally. The narrator hoped that the man-eater’s injuries would end its reign of terror, suggesting that the younger leopard likely won the fight in the end.

Question 9: Why was the narrator disheartened?

Answer: The narrator was disheartened because his primary goal was to kill the man-eating leopard that had terrorized the region, and he had carefully devised a plan to do so. However, the unexpected fight between the two leopards disrupted his plan. He had hoped to ambush the man-eater when it returned to reclaim its kill, but the ferocious battle between the younger local leopard and the man-eater made it impossible for him to take a shot. Moreover, the narrator realized that even though the man-eater might have been seriously injured or killed in the fight, the satisfaction and achievement of bringing the beast down himself was lost. He had hoped to be the one to end the leopard's terror, but now, it seemed the battle between the leopards had likely done what he had intended to do, leaving him with a sense of failure.

Question 10: What happened after the long silence that took place in between the fight of the leopards?

Answer: After the long silence that followed the intense fighting between the leopards, the narrator sensed that the confrontation had come to an end. He understood that both leopards had retreated, and it seemed the fight had ended without any further sounds. The tension in the air suggested a significant conclusion to the struggle. Though the exact outcome wasn't clear at that moment, the narrator was left with the hope that the man-eater had been severely injured or even killed, which could potentially end its reign of terror over the villagers. The silence after the fight signified a shift in the situation, and the narrator recognized that his mission had ultimately failed, as he was unable to personally take down the man-eater.