The Tiger-Skin Rug

by Gerald Rose

“The Tiger-Skin Rug” by Gerald Rose. Published by Bloomsbury. A delightful story of an adventurous tiger who decides to pretend to be a tiger-skin rug in the Rajah’s palace.

A very thin tiger lived on the edge of a jungle once upon a time. He was sad as he was getting old and finding it difficult to hunt for food. The monkeys made fun of him for being thin. At night, he would gaze longingly at the Rajah’s palace. He could see the Rajah and his family eating their food in comfort from the windows. He wished that he could join them for food.

One day, the tiger saw a servant beating the rugs and putting them out for drying in the sun in the palace gardens. One of the rugs was an old tiger skin. The tiger had an idea. When the servant had turned, the tiger jumped and took the tiger skin down. He hid it in a bush and draped himself over the line. Thus began his life as a rug in the palace. He was put in the dining hall. After the meal by the Rajah and his family, the tiger would jump up to finish eating all the scraps of food that they had left and drink some tea before lying down for a good night’s sleep.

What happened next? How long could this pretence go on? Would the tiger be discovered? If so, would he be allowed to stay in the palace or made into a real rug? Read the delightful book with charming illustrations to find out the fate of the tiger.

My eight year old has loved reading this book from the time he was four. We used to read the book quite a bit and he was thrilled each time we read it. It was one of his favourites and he just couldn’t stop laughing when the servant beat the tiger thinking he was a rug. This book along with “The Tiger Who Came to Tea” by Judith Kerr was enjoyed by us thoroughly.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 4+.

Reasons to Read

For a fun read full of adventure and charming illustrations from a bygone era that is bound to leave the children chuckling.