How did the Tiger King meet his end?

What is ironical
about his death?
Ans – The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram is known as the
Tiger King because he is known to hunt Ninety-nine Tigers in
his life span. When he was a baby, the chief astrologer had
predicted that his death would be caused by a tiger, in
particular the hundredth tiger. So when he grew older and
became the King, he set out on a hunting spree to kill
hundred tigers, to proof the astrologer wrong.
Everything went well until he killed Ninety-nine tigers. But
when the hundredth tiger was finally found, old and inactive.
The Maharaja with boundless joy took careful aim and took a
shot and the tiger fell in a crumpled heap. The Maharaja
thought that he have killed the hundredth tiger and his vow
has been fulfilled, it was only after he left that it was found
that he had actually missed the shot and the tiger had fainted
from the shock of the bullet.
A few days later the Maharaja’s son’s third birthday was
celebrated. Until now the Maharaja had given his entire mind
over to tiger hunting, but now the King, believing that he had
killed hundred tigers, turned his attention to his child. He
wished to give him some special gift on his birthday and he
spotted a wooden tiger in a toyshop. The wooden tiger had
been carved by an unskilled carpenter. Its surface was rough
and tiny slivers of wood stood up like quills all over it. One of
those slivers pierced Maharaja’s right hand, and it caused
infection which, in four days, developed into a suppurating
sore which spread all over the arm. Three famous surgeons
were called in to treat the King, but unfortunately the King did
not survive and met his end.
The irony here is how the King killed Ninety-nine live and
ferocious tigers, fighting some of them with his bare hands
and how in the end a wooden toy tiger killed him. It was as if
the lifeless tiger was avenging the hunted tigers. Also the fact
that everyone knew about how the King missed his shot at
the hundredth tiger except the King, himself is ironical.