Chapter 0 of 15

CBSE Class 7 English★ 4-6 marks in Class 7 English assessments; comprehension, irony, and theme (supplementary reader)

'A Tiger in the House'

'A story about a tiger cub raised as a pet in a loving home. As he grows, his wild instincts emerge, and the family must face the difficult decision to send him to a zoo. A story about love, letting go, and the untamable nature of the wild.'

⏱ 12 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Summarise the story of Timothy
2Describe how Timothy was raised at home
3Explain why the family sent Timothy to the zoo
4Explain the irony of Grandfather's zoo visit
5Identify the theme that wild animals belong in the wild

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Why this chapter matters

'A Tiger in the House' tells of Timothy, a tiger cub raised as a pet whose wild instincts eventually emerge. It builds comprehension and reflection on the truth that wild animals cannot be fully tamed, ending with a chilling ironic twist at the zoo.

Before you start — revise these

A 5-minute refresher here will save you 30 minutes of confusion below.

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Class 6 English: Reading animal stories

Comprehension and identifying themes about animals

A Tiger in the House

Introduction

'A Tiger in the House' is the story of Timothy, a tiger cub raised as a pet by a family in India. Timothy grows up in a loving home, playing with the family's pets and sleeping in the house. But as he grows, his wild instincts begin to emerge. The family must accept that a tiger, no matter how well-loved, belongs in the wild — or at least in a zoo.

'You can take a tiger out of the wild, but you cannot take the wild out of the tiger. Timothy was loved, but he was still a tiger.'

2. Summary of the Story

Finding Timothy

Grandfather finds a small tiger cub in the Terai jungle near Dehri. He brings it home. The cub is named Timothy.

Growing Up at Home

Timothy is raised like a pet:

He drinks milk from a bottle
He plays with the family's puppy and other pets
He sleeps in a comfortable basket
He follows Grandfather around the house

Timothy's Changing Nature

As Timothy grows, his behaviour changes:

He becomes larger and stronger
His playful bites become dangerous
He starts showing aggressive behaviour
He cannot be trusted with smaller animals

The Decision

The family realises that Timothy can no longer live in the house. He is becoming dangerous. They decide to send him to the Lucknow Zoo.

The Visit to the Zoo

Grandfather visits Timothy at the zoo. He goes to the tiger cage and calls Timothy. A large tiger comes near. Grandfather pets it through the bars. The tiger seems friendly and responds to his voice.

The Shocking Truth

A zoo keeper approaches and tells Grandfather that this is not Timothy. Timothy died two months ago. This is a different tiger — a new one. Grandfather was petting a strange, wild tiger that had never been tamed.

'Grandfather had been stroking a wild tiger that could have killed him at any moment. But the tiger did not attack. Perhaps it sensed no fear. Perhaps it was just a lucky day.'

3. Characters

Character	Role	Traits
Grandfather	Timothy's caretaker	Loving, adventurous, trusting
Timothy	The tiger	Playful cub, growing wild
Grandmother	Family elder	Practical, cautious
Zoo keeper	Informant	Reveals the truth

4. Themes

Theme	Explanation
Wild vs domestic	A wild animal cannot be fully tamed
Love and letting go	Sometimes love means letting go
Growing up	The cub becomes a dangerous adult
Danger of denial	The family ignores Timothy's true nature
Irony	Grandfather pets the wrong tiger — a wild one

5. Literary Devices

Device	Example
Irony	Grandfather pets a wild tiger thinking it is Timothy
Foreshadowing	Early hints that Timothy is becoming dangerous
Character contrast	Grandfather's trust vs Grandmother's caution
Suspense	The moment of realisation at the zoo

6. Key Vocabulary

Word	Meaning
Cub	A young tiger or lion
Terai	A forest region at the base of the Himalayas
Tame	Domesticated; not wild
Instinct	Natural, unlearned behaviour
Zoo	A place where wild animals are kept for display

7. Exam Focus

2-Mark Questions

Where did Grandfather find Timothy?
How did Timothy behave as a cub?
Why did the family send Timothy to the zoo?
What did Grandfather discover when he visited the zoo?

5-Mark Questions

Describe how Timothy was raised in the house.
Why did the family decide to send Timothy to the zoo?
What is ironic about Grandfather's visit to the zoo?
What does the story say about keeping wild animals as pets?

8. Self-Test

Q1. Where was Timothy found? A1. In the Terai jungle near Dehri.

Q2. What did Timothy drink as a cub? A2. Milk from a bottle.

Q3. Who did Timothy play with at home? A3. The family's puppy and other pets.

Q4. Where was Timothy sent? A4. To the Lucknow Zoo.

Q5. Why was Grandfather's visit to the zoo ironic? A5. Because he was petting a wild tiger, not Timothy — Timothy had died two months earlier.

Summary

Grandfather finds a tiger cub and brings it home.
Timothy is raised as a pet and is friendly and playful.
As he grows, his wild instincts emerge.
He is sent to the Lucknow Zoo for safety.
Grandfather visits and pets a tiger he thinks is Timothy.
The zoo keeper reveals that Timothy died months ago — this is a different tiger.
The story is a powerful reminder that wild animals belong in the wild.
It ends with a chilling twist: Grandfather was petting a dangerous wild tiger.

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

Central truth

A wild animal, however loved, keeps its wild instincts -- 'you cannot take the wild out of the tiger'.

Timothy grows dangerous as he matures.

The ironic twist

Grandfather pets a tiger at the zoo thinking it is Timothy, but Timothy died two months earlier -- it is a wild tiger.

He had been stroking a dangerous, untamed tiger.

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Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Thinking Timothy stayed tame forever

✓ As Timothy grew, his wild instincts emerged and he became dangerous, which is why he was sent to the zoo.

WATCH OUT

✗ Believing Grandfather petted Timothy at the zoo

✓ The tiger Grandfather petted was NOT Timothy -- Timothy had died, and it was a different, wild tiger.

WATCH OUT

✗ Missing the theme

✓ The story shows that wild animals cannot be fully tamed and belong in the wild.

WATCH OUT

✗ Listing plot when the theme is asked

✓ For theme questions, state the wild-vs-domestic idea and support it with Timothy's change and the zoo twist.

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Comprehension Check

Short questions on Timothy and the family

Questions

Working with the Text

Timothy's upbringing, the zoo decision, and the twist

Questions

Practice problems

Try each one yourself before tapping "Show solution". Active recall > rereading.

Q1MEDIUM· Describe

Describe how Timothy was raised in the house.

▶ Show solution

Grandfather found the tiger cub in the Terai jungle and brought it home. Timothy was raised like a pet -- he drank milk from a bottle, played with the family's puppy and other pets, slept in a comfortable basket, and followed Grandfather around the house, behaving gently and affectionately as a cub.

Q2MEDIUM· Explain

What is ironic about Grandfather's visit to the zoo?

▶ Show solution

Grandfather went to the cage, called Timothy, and petted the tiger that came near, believing it was his old pet. The irony is that Timothy had died two months earlier, so Grandfather was actually stroking a wild, untamed tiger that could have attacked him at any moment.

Q3EASY· Recall

Why did the family send Timothy to the zoo?

▶ Show solution

As Timothy grew larger and stronger, his wild instincts emerged -- his bites became dangerous and he could not be trusted with smaller animals -- so the family sent him to the Lucknow Zoo for safety.

Q4EASY· Value

What does the story say about keeping wild animals as pets?

▶ Show solution

It shows that wild animals, however loved and well-raised, keep their natural instincts and can become dangerous. They cannot be fully tamed and ultimately belong in the wild.

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•Grandfather finds a tiger cub in the Terai jungle and names it Timothy.
•Timothy is raised as a pet -- milk, play with pets, sleeping in a basket.
•As he grows, his wild instincts emerge and he becomes dangerous.
•The family sends him to the Lucknow Zoo for safety.
•Grandfather visits and pets a tiger, believing it is Timothy.
•The zoo keeper reveals Timothy died two months ago -- it was a wild tiger.
•Theme: wild animals cannot be fully tamed and belong in the wild.

CBSE marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 4-6 marks, depending on school paper design

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
Comprehension / Very Short	1-2	1-2	Timothy's home, food, the zoo
Short / Long Answer	3-5	1	Upbringing, zoo decision, the irony
Value-based	3	0-1	Wild animals as pets

Prep strategy

Describe Timothy's pet-like upbringing
Explain why he became dangerous
Be ready to explain the zoo twist clearly
State the wild-vs-domestic theme

Where this shows up in the real world

This chapter isn't just an exam topic — it lives in the world around you.

Wildlife awareness

The story warns against keeping wild animals as pets and supports their place in the wild or sanctuaries.

Understanding instinct

It illustrates how natural instincts shape animal behaviour, no matter how an animal is raised.

Appreciating storytelling

The twist ending shows how irony and suspense make a story memorable.

Exam strategy

Battle-tested tips from teachers and toppers for this chapter.

Describe Timothy's upbringing with specific details
Explain why his nature changed as he grew
Make the zoo twist and its irony clear
State the wild-vs-domestic theme for value questions

Going beyond the textbook

For olympiad aspirants and curious learners — topics that build on this chapter.

Research the ethics of keeping wild animals in zoos versus sanctuaries.
Read other animal stories by Ruskin Bond and compare their view of the wild.

Where else this chapter is tested

CBSE board isn't the only one — other exams test this chapter too.

CBSE Class 7 School ExamHigh

Olympiad / reading comprehensionMedium

Environmental awarenessMedium

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Questions students ask

The real ones — pulled from the Q&A community and tutor sessions.

As Timothy grew, he became large and strong, his playful bites turned dangerous, and he could not be trusted with smaller animals. His wild instincts made it unsafe for him to live in the house, so he was sent to the zoo.

It is chilling because Grandfather had been calmly stroking a wild tiger through the bars, thinking it was his gentle pet Timothy. In reality Timothy was dead, and the tiger he petted was a dangerous wild animal that could have killed him.

Practice more, ask doubts, find a tutor

CBSE Class 7 mock tests

CBSE Class 7 PYQs

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