Summary
The Maltese Cat, a small but brilliant polo pony, leads the underdog Skidars team against the favored Archangels in the Upper India Free-for-All Cup. Despite facing opponents with superior horses and resources, the Skidars rely on strategy, teamwork, and mental preparation. The Maltese Cat, as team captain among the ponies, teaches his teammates to play smart rather than just hard - using tactics like keeping the ball at the boundaries to cramp the opposing team's style. When their human captain Lutyens breaks his collarbone in the final quarter, he continues playing with one arm, trusting completely in The Maltese Cat's intelligence and experience. The story builds to a thrilling climax where the underdogs win through pure determination and clever play, with The Maltese Cat making the decisive final goal despite injuring himself in the process. Kipling uses this polo match to explore themes of leadership, loyalty, and how intelligence and preparation can triumph over raw talent and resources. The bond between Lutyens and The Maltese Cat represents the kind of trust and partnership that makes victory possible against overwhelming odds. It's a story about how the little guy can win when everyone works together with a common purpose.
Coming Up in Chapter 9
The next story shifts from the polo fields to the high seas, where we meet McPhee, a gruff ship's engineer whose technical expertise and moral compass will be tested in ways that could save or doom innocent lives.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
T[269] HE MALTESE CAT stride, Shiraz ! We ' ve pulled up from bottom to second place in two weeks against all those fellows on the ground here. That 's because we play with our heads as well as our feet." " It makes me feel undersized and unhappy all the same," said Kittiwynk, a mouse-coloured mare with a red brow-band and the cleanest pair of legs that ever an aged pony owned. " They 've twice our style, these others." Kittiwynk looked at the gathering and sighed. The hard, dusty polo-ground was lined with thousands of soldiers, black and white, not counting hundreds and hundreds of carriages and drags and dog-carts, and ladies with brilliant-coloured parasols, and officers in uniform and out of it, and crowds of natives behind them; and orderlies on camels, who had halted to watch the game, instead of carrying letters up and down the station; and native horse-dealers running about on thin- eared Biluchi mares, looking for a chance to sell a few first-class polo-ponies. Then there were the ponies of thirty teams that had entered for the Upper India Free-for-All Cup— nearly every pony of worth and dignity, from Mhow to Peshawar, from Allahabad to Multan; prize ponies, Arabs, Syrian, Barb, country- bred, Deccanee, Waziri, and Kabul ponies of every colour and shape and temper that you could imagine. Some of them were in mat-roofed stables, close to the polo-ground, but most were under saddle, while their masters, who had been defeated in the earlier games, trotted in and out and told the world exactly how the game should be played. [270] THE MALTESE CAT It was a glorious sight, and the come and go of the little, quick hooves, and the incessant salutations of ponies that had met before on other polo-grounds or race- courses were enough to drive a four-footed thing wild. But the Skidars' team were careful not to know their neighbours, though half the ponies on the ground were anxious to scrape acquaintance with the little fellows that had come from the North, and, so far, had swept the board. 44 Let 's see," said a soft gold-coloured Arab, who had been playing very badly the day before, to The Maltese Cat; "did n't we meet in Abdul Rahman's stable in Bombay, four seasons ago? I won the Paik- pattan Cup next season, you may remember? " " Not me," said The Maltese Cat, politely. " I was at Malta then, pulling a vegetable-cart. I don't race. I play the game." uOh!" said the Arab, cocking his tail and swag- gering off. " Keep yourselves to yourselves," said The Maltese Cat to his companions. " We don't want to rub noses with all those goose-rumped half-breeds of Upper India. When we 've won this Cup they '11 give their shoes to know us." " We sha'n't win the Cup," said Shiraz. " How do you feel?" " Stale as last night's feed when a muskrat has run over it,"...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Strategic Patience - How Smart Teams Beat Strong Teams
Intelligence and preparation consistently outperform raw talent and resources when combined with disciplined execution of a long-term plan.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when apparent disadvantages can become strategic advantages through intelligent positioning.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you're tempted to compete on someone else's terms - then ask what you control that they don't, and how to make that the deciding factor.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Polo
A team sport played on horseback where riders use mallets to hit a ball through goal posts. In British colonial India, it was the elite sport of military officers and wealthy civilians. Teams needed expensive horses and equipment, making it a symbol of class and privilege.
Modern Usage:
Like expensive country club sports today - golf, tennis, or yacht racing - that separate the wealthy from working people.
Upper India Free-for-All Cup
The championship tournament described in the story, where polo teams from across British India compete. 'Free-for-All' means any team can enter, but in reality only the wealthy could afford to participate.
Modern Usage:
Like March Madness or the World Cup - a big tournament where underdogs sometimes shock everyone by beating the favorites.
Country-bred ponies
Horses bred locally in India, considered inferior to imported Arabian or English horses. They were cheaper but supposedly less refined than the expensive imported breeds favored by wealthy teams.
Modern Usage:
Like buying a reliable used car instead of a luxury vehicle - it might not look as fancy but can outperform the expensive option.
Station
A British military or administrative post in colonial India. These were self-contained communities with officers, soldiers, and their families living together in a foreign land.
Modern Usage:
Like a military base today, or any tight-knit workplace community where everyone knows everyone else's business.
Orderlies
Junior soldiers whose job was to carry messages and perform basic tasks for officers. They rode camels or horses to deliver communications between different parts of the military station.
Modern Usage:
Like delivery drivers, interns, or anyone whose job is running errands for the people in charge.
Native horse-dealers
Local Indian merchants who bought and sold horses to the British military and polo players. They were always looking for opportunities to make a sale, especially during big tournaments.
Modern Usage:
Like car salesmen at a race track, or vendors outside any big sporting event trying to make a quick profit.
Characters in This Chapter
The Maltese Cat
Protagonist and team leader
A small, experienced polo pony who serves as the captain and strategist for the underdog Skidars team. He's not the biggest or strongest, but he's the smartest and most experienced, teaching his teammates to play with their heads instead of just their hearts.
Modern Equivalent:
The veteran worker who knows all the tricks and keeps the team focused when everyone else panics
Kittiwynk
Team member and voice of doubt
A mouse-colored mare who feels intimidated by the fancy opposing teams and their superior resources. She represents the team member who needs encouragement to believe they can compete with the big players.
Modern Equivalent:
The coworker who's good at their job but gets intimidated when competing against people with better equipment or backgrounds
Shiraz
Team member
Another pony on the Skidars team who receives advice from The Maltese Cat about playing smart. Represents the willing student who can learn and improve with good coaching.
Modern Equivalent:
The newer employee who's eager to learn from the experienced workers
Lutyens
Human team captain
The human player who rides The Maltese Cat and trusts completely in the pony's intelligence and experience. When he gets injured, he continues playing because he knows his horse will carry him through.
Modern Equivalent:
The manager who trusts their best workers completely and knows when to let them take the lead
Key Quotes & Analysis
"We've pulled up from bottom to second place in two weeks against all those fellows on the ground here. That's because we play with our heads as well as our feet."
Context: The Maltese Cat is encouraging his teammate Shiraz before the big championship match
This quote establishes the central theme - that intelligence and strategy can overcome superior resources. The Maltese Cat is teaching that success comes from thinking, not just physical ability or expensive equipment.
In Today's Words:
We've climbed from last place to second because we're smart about how we play, not just trying to muscle through.
"They've twice our style, these others."
Context: Kittiwynk is expressing her intimidation while looking at the wealthy, well-equipped opposing teams
This captures the feeling of being outclassed by people with more money and better resources. Kittiwynk sees the fancy equipment and expensive horses and feels like they don't belong in the same competition.
In Today's Words:
These other teams look way more professional than us - they've got all the best gear and we look like amateurs.
"It makes me feel undersized and unhappy all the same."
Context: Despite The Maltese Cat's encouragement, Kittiwynk still feels intimidated by the competition
This shows the psychological challenge of competing against people with obvious advantages. Even when you know you're capable, it's hard not to feel small when facing superior resources and status.
In Today's Words:
I know we're good, but looking at all this fancy stuff still makes me feel like we don't measure up.
Thematic Threads
Leadership
In This Chapter
The Maltese Cat leads through intelligence and strategy rather than dominance, teaching teammates and earning trust through competence
Development
Builds on earlier workplace leadership themes, showing leadership can come from any position
In Your Life:
You might find yourself leading through expertise and reliability rather than formal authority at work or in family situations
Class
In This Chapter
The underdog Skidars team faces opponents with superior resources and breeding, yet wins through teamwork and intelligence
Development
Continues exploration of how merit can triumph over inherited advantages
In Your Life:
You might face situations where others have better connections or more money, but your preparation and teamwork give you the edge
Trust
In This Chapter
Lutyens plays with a broken collarbone, trusting completely in The Maltese Cat's judgment and intelligence
Development
Introduced here as mutual respect between human and animal, representing perfect partnership
In Your Life:
You might need to rely completely on a teammate's expertise in areas where they know more than you do
Strategy
In This Chapter
Victory comes through tactical thinking - using boundary play, energy conservation, and exploiting opponent weaknesses
Development
Introduced here as intelligent planning trumping brute force
In Your Life:
You might need to outthink rather than outmuscle competitors in your career or personal challenges
Perseverance
In This Chapter
Both horse and rider continue fighting despite injuries, maintaining focus on the goal rather than the pain
Development
Builds on themes from earlier stories about pushing through adversity
In Your Life:
You might need to keep performing your job or caring for family even when you're dealing with your own physical or emotional challenges
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific strategies did The Maltese Cat use to level the playing field against the bigger, stronger Archangels team?
analysis • surface - 2
Why was The Maltese Cat's approach of keeping play at the boundaries so effective against opponents who seemed to have every advantage?
analysis • medium - 3
Where have you seen this same pattern of the underdog winning through preparation and teamwork rather than raw talent or resources?
application • medium - 4
When you're facing someone with more money, connections, or natural ability, how do you identify what you can control and optimize?
application • deep - 5
What does the trust between Lutyens and The Maltese Cat teach us about leadership when you can't control everything yourself?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Underdog Strategy
Think of a current situation where you're competing against someone with clear advantages over you - maybe a job interview, a workplace project, or even dating. Map out their advantages versus yours, then identify three specific ways you could 'keep play at the boundaries' like The Maltese Cat did. What constraints could you create that would neutralize their strengths while amplifying what you do well?
Consider:
- •Focus on what you can control completely, not what you wish you could change
- •Look for their patterns of overconfidence or areas where they get lazy
- •Consider how you can turn their strengths into weaknesses through strategic positioning
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you won against the odds. What did you do differently than just trying to match their advantages? How can you apply that same approach to your current challenges?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 9: When Hard Work Pays Off
Moving forward, we'll examine professional integrity can lead to unexpected opportunities, and understand maintaining standards under pressure builds lasting reputation. These insights bridge the gap between classic literature and modern experience.