THE BOND OF LOVE

THE BOND OF LOVE

1. “I get him for her by accident.”

(i) Who says this?

Ans. The author says this.

(ii) Who doʻhim' and 'her' refer to?

Ans. 'Him' refers to the sloth bear and 'her' refers to the author's wife.

(iii) What is the incident referred to here?

Ans. The incident referred to here is the driving away the wild pigs from the fields by shooting at them.

2. "He stood on his head in delight."

(i) Who does 'he' refer to?

Ans. He refers to the Baba bear.

(ii) Why was he delighted?

Ans. He was delighted to see the author's wife in the zoo.

3. "We all missed him greatly: but in a sense we were relieved."

(i) Who does 'we all' stand for?

Ans. ‘We’ all stand for the author, his wife, his sons and his friends.

(ii) Who did they miss?

Ans. They missed poor Bruno.

(iii) Why did they nevertheless feel relieved?

Ans. They were nevertheless felt relieved because Baba had got too big to be kept at home.

III. Answer the following Questions in 30 to 40 words each.

1. On two occasions Bruno ate/drank something that should not be eaten/drunk. What happened to him on these occasions?

Ans. One day, the author put down poison (Barium Carbonate) to kill the rats and mice that had got into his library. Bruno came there and he ate some of the poison. It made him paralysed and he could not stand on his feet. The second time Bruno drank nearly one gallon of old engine oil. But it did not have ill effect on him.

2. Was Bruno a loving and playful pet? Why, then, did he have to be sent away?

Ans. Yes, Bruno was a loving and playful pet. But he had to be sent away because he was getting too big to be kept at home. He had grown many times the size he was when he was brought. He had become a terror for the tenant’s children. He had to be kept chained most of the time. Then one day the author and his family decided to send Baba tot eh zoo at Mysore.

3. How was the problem of what to do with Bruno finally solved?

Ans. Bruno had become a terror for the tenant’s children and thus had to be kept chained most of the time. Then one day the author and his family decided to send Baba tot eh zoo at Mysore. They wrote a letter to the zoo authorities for granting permission. He gave a positive response. In this way, Bruno was sent to the zoo in a cage.

LONG ANSWER QUESTION

Q. How could the author's wife succeed to bring back Baba from the zoo in Mysore?

Ans. Baba had been sent away to the zoo in Mysore. But the author's wife missed him badly. She did not eat anything for a few days. Then she wrote a number of letters to the curator, asking about Baba. She got the reply that he was well, but fretting. He refused food too. She got the report that Baba looked very thin and sad. One day the author's wife insisted that she should be taken to Mysore by car. So the author took her to Mysore. He had thought that the bear would not recognise her. While she was yet some yards from his cage, Baba saw and recognized her. He howled with happiness. She ran up to him and patted him through the bars. For the next three hours she did not leave the cage. At the closing time, the author’s wife and Baba cried bitterly. She requested the curator if she could have her Baba back. He advised her to see the superintendent at Bangalore to seek his permission. The author and his wife met the superintendent at his bungalow. He was a kind-hearted man. So he allowed the author's wife to have Baba back.

Q. ‘Love is Mutual'. Illustrate this with reference to the story 'The Bond of Love'.

Ans. The Bond of Love' is the story of love and friendship between a human being and an animal. It is a very heart-touching story. It shows that love is mutual. The title of the story is quite suitable. The bond of love between the bear and the author's wife is also mutual. They love each other deeply. When the bear is sent away at the zoo, both of them remain sad. They refuse to eat anything. But when they meet at the zoo, they feel very happy. When closing time arrives, they cry bitterly. Even the staff of the zoo also feels sad. This love is clearly seen when the writer's wife keeps sitting for hours on the island with the bear. Thus we can say that love is mutual.