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Tight Corners Summary in English.

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In this humorous prose piece, the writer confesses how he was bailed out of a humiliating experience by a sudden stroke of luck and thus got relieved from a tight comer he had foolishly walked into.

The author’s friends quoted incidents such as

1. a man caught by the tide in Brittany and escaped by the skin of his teeth 

2. a man was on an elephant when a wounded tiger attacked it 

3. a man was on the top storey of a burning house 

4. a man was torpedoed in a war. All these incidents talk of physical problems which are claimed to be tight comers. But the author cites from his personal experience an example of a mental tight comer which almost took him to the brink of public disgrace at an auction house at Christie’s.

An auction was in progress at Christie’s. The author and his friend were passing along King Street after having lunch at a club. He persuaded the author to peep into the auction room where Barbizon pictures were on sale. Each picture was sold at two to three thousand pounds.

The author had only sixty-three pounds in the bank. He realized that it was not enough to borrow securities to the tune of five hundred pounds, which is the minimum required deposit to be eligible to bid. Yet, the author found himself bidding just for fun.

The author’s friend cautioned him that he may get caught. But he was overconfident and asserted that he was not going to run any risks. Things moved on well till some well-known dealer put up a picture for a price a little higher than any picture had reached in that auction so far. All the previous bids had been started with the most moderate sum of fifty guineas or a hundred guineas. One particular picture was started with an astounding sum of4000 pounds.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the auction hall. There was a hushed excitement expressing surprise at the sudden hike in the opening bid amount. But foolishly the author had his own voice saying “and fifty”. He expected competitors to hike the price and save him from trouble. But there was a stunned silence. The auctioner after waiting for a few minutes of silence clinched the deal with a hammer saying “four thousand and fifty guineas offered”. The author ’s blood congealed in obvious horror. The auctioner asked for an advance for the bid.

The author, despite the warning of his friend, had foolishly got into a mess. He had to pay four thousand and fifty guineas, the top price of that day. His friend had deserted him to have a hearty laugh.

Not exhibiting the inner turmoil and alarm, the author non-chalantly gave his visiting card. Whoever had bid came and paid for the picture and collected the painting. The author stayed behind at the end of the queue feverishly thinking of the next steps. He was trying to recall uncles and aunts who might lend him the required money. But deep within he realized that his contacts and relatives would not give him money but promises future support. The only open course of action was to confess his poor financial status. But he was scared of the reaction of the auctioning agents, about the credibility he had established by bidding for many ‘prized’ collections. He had created such an impression that anyone would ever treat his behaviour as a “genuine mistake”.

Someone came and politely asked the author if he was the gentleman who had made a bid for big Daubigny. The author confirmed it. He asked the author if he would take fifty guineas from the man who had made a bid for four thousand guineas.

Instead of weeping for joy for getting such an opportunity to be relieved from a predicament or a tight comer with a bonus of fifty guineas, the author asked, “Is that the most he would offer?”. The mediator said that there was no harm in asking for a little bit more. Cashing in on the opportunity the author said, “Tell him I will take a hundred”.

The author and his friend started laughing at the sudden turn of the events like O. Henry twist. But when the author saw the cheque for 100 guineas, he became suddenly serious and said that of all the luck, he was hanged. The author ’s friend reminded him that he would not have been at Christie had it not been for him. The author agreed that it was indelibly written on his heart with letters of fire and promised that he would never forget it.

People who take calculated risks may get away. But those who take high risks usually find themselves in tight comers. The author was lucky but every one may not have similar luck.

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