Bond of Love Class 9 English Chapter 8 Summary
The author gets a baby bear by chance
‘The Bond of Love’ is the story of love and friendship between a pet bear cub and the author’s wife. He got the bear cub for her by accident. Two years ago, they were passing through the sugarcane fields near Mysore. People were driving away the wild pigs from their fields. Some were shot dead and others escaped. Suddenly a sloth-bear came out of the f fields. She was panting in the hot sun.
The actual incident
The author dfdn’t want to shoot at her. One of his companions shot the bear on the spot. They came near the fallen animal. They saw a baby-bear riding on his mother’s back. The little bear ran around the dead body of his mother. He was making a pitiful noise. Then ‘ he ran away into a sugarcane field.
Author’s present to his wife
At last, the author was able to catch him The little bear struggled to free himself. He tried to scratch him with his long, hooked claws. They put him in a gunny-bag. They brought him to Bangalore. The author presented the little creature to his wife. She was really delighted. The cub was a male. She named it Bruno.
How baby bear is brought up
The author’s wife looked after the baby-bear like her own child. Bruno soon took to drinking milk from a bottle. He started eating and drinking a lot of things. He ate porridge, vegetables, fruit, nuts, meat, rice, eggs etc. He drank tea, milk, coffee and even beer and liquor.
How baby bear spends time
They had two Alsatian dogs. The baby bear became friendly with the dogs and all the children. He enjoyed himself freely. He spent his time in playing and running into the kitchen. He also slept in their beds.
A strange incident
One day an accident befell him. The author had put down barium carbonate in the library. It was a poison. It was put down there to kill rats. Bruno entered the library and ate some of the poison. He suffered from a stroke of paralysis. But he dragged himself slowly to the author’s wife. He was weakening rapidly. He was vomiting and breathing heavily.
Taken to a veterinary surgeon
He was taken to a veterinary surgeon. 10 c.c. of anti-dote was given to him. His condition remained unchanged. Another 10 c.c. was injected. Brupo got up and enjoyed a good meal. Another time the little bear drank a gallon of old engine oil. But it had no ill-effects whatever on him.
His joyful feats
Months rolled on. Bruno had grown in size. He had equalled the two dogs in height. He even looked bigger than them. At times, he was playful and mischievous. He was very fond of them all. Above all, he loved the author’s wife. She loved him too. She had changed his name from Bruno to Baba. The baby-bear could also do a few tricks. At her command, Baba could Nvrestle’ or “box’. He would hold a stick like a ‘gun’. But because of the tenants’ children, he had to be chained most of the time.
Bruno sent to Zoo in Mysore
The author, his son and friends advised her to give Baba to the Zoo at Mysore. He had become very big. He couldn’t be kept at home. At last, she consented. A letter was written to the curator of the zoo. The zoo sent a cage from Mysore in a lorry. Baba was packed off.
Bruno missed at home
But all of them missed Bruno greatly. His wife wept and was inconsolable. For a few days she would not eat anything. She wrote a number of letters to the curator of the Zoo. Even Baba was inconsolable there. He refused food too. He was well but looked thin and sad. The author stopped his wife from visiting Mysore for 3 months. She was adamant. At last, he took his wife to Bruno or Baba.
Author’s wife visits Bruno in the Zoo
Friends had guessed that the bear would not recognise her. But the moment Baba saw her he recognised her. He cried with happiness. She ran up to him. She patted him through the bars. He stood in delight. She would not leave the cage for 3 hours. She gave him tea, cakes, ice-cream etc. At last, the ‘closing time’ came. They had to leave now.
Getting Bruno back home
The author’s wife wept bitterly. Baba also cried bitterly. Fven the hard curator was sad and moved. She requested him to send Baba back. He showed his helplessness. Baba was now the government property. Then, they went to the superintendent. She pleaded with tears in her eyes. The superintendent was a kind- hearted man. He consented. He also lent them a cage for transporting Baba back to Bangalore. Baba was driven into a small cage. He was hoisted on the top of the car.
Bruno at home
At home, an island was made for Baba. It was twenty feet long and fifteen feet wide. It was surrounded by a moat. It was six feet wide and seven feet deep. A wooden box was kept for Baba to sleep in at night. Straw was placed inside to keep him warm. In a few days Baba was released in the island: He was delighted. The author’s wife spent hours sitting there. Baba sat on her lap. Baba was fifteen months old and quite heavy now.
Love between man and animals
It is the story of man’s love and friendship with a baby-bear. The baby-bear has many human qualities. He has sense of love, affection and loyalty.
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