CBSE Class 10 Answered

In my younger days, I knew someone named Loona Bimberton whom I disliked. She once bragged about an adventurous flight with an Algerian aviator for which she got a lot of applause. This really infuriated me and I felt a need to outdo her.

I decided to take away her glory by killing a tiger and procuring its skin. In order to ensure my safety, I paid a thousand rupees to the villagers who laid the bait for the tiger. I paid Miss Louisa Mebbin to accompany me that night. On a moonlit night, we waited for it on a constructed platform.

When the tiger moved towards the bait, I fired a shot. Surprisingly, my rifle had claimed the goat’s life instead of the tiger’s. Much to my disappointment, the wild animal had died of a shock due to its old age.

Louisa hinted that she might reveal my secret to Loona Bimberton. Being an opportunist by nature, she asked for a cottage in return for her silence and I had to oblige. Even after all these years I regret the entire episode. Though it helped me outdo Loona Bimberton, I had to pay a huge price for it.