Beehive Chapter 9 Class 9 NCERT: The Bond of Love & The Snake Trying

Summary and Analysis of 'The Bond of Love'

Kenneth Anderson's 'The Bond of Love' is a powerful narrative about an orphaned sloth bear cub, Bruno, who is rescued by the author and brought home. The story chronicles the incredible bond that develops between Bruno and the author's wife. She raises him with immense love, and he reciprocates with playful affection. Bruno grows up doing all sorts of tricks, eating and drinking everything, and becoming a beloved, if unconventional, family member. A turning point occurs when Bruno accidentally consumes barium carbonate, a poison meant for rats. His life is saved only by a timely visit to the vet. Later, as he grows too large to be kept at home, the family reluctantly sends him to the Mysore Zoo. The separation is heart-wrenching for both Bruno and the author's wife. After three months of fretting, she visits him at the zoo, and their emotional reunion proves their bond is unbroken. Bruno recognizes her instantly and howls with happiness. Seeing their mutual distress, the author arranges for Bruno's return, and a special island is created for him in their compound, where he and his beloved 'mother' are happily reunited.

Understanding the Poem: 'The Snake Trying'

'The Snake Trying' by W.W.E. Ross is a short but impactful poem that subverts the common human reaction of fear and violence towards snakes. The poet observes a snake trying to escape from being hit by a stick. Instead of portraying the snake as a dangerous aggressor, the poet describes its 'graceful' and 'beautiful' movements as it glides through the water to hide among the 'green thin reeds'. The central message is one of empathy. The poet urges the pursuer to let the snake go, emphasizing that it is a small, green, and harmless creature, even to children. The poem challenges the ingrained prejudice that all snakes are venomous and must be killed. It encourages us to appreciate the beauty of nature in all its forms and to practice compassion rather than react with mindless aggression. The poet acts as a voice for the voiceless, asking us to reconsider our relationship with the natural world.

Key Characters and Their Significance

How to Write a Character Sketch for Exams

When asked to write a character sketch, especially for someone like the narrator's wife in 'The Bond of Love,' follow these steps:

1. Introduction: Briefly introduce the character and their role in the story. (e.g., "The narrator's wife is the emotional heart of the story 'The Bond of Love'...").
2. Personality Traits: Dedicate a few sentences to each key trait. Use adjectives and support them with specific examples from the text. For the narrator's wife, you would use traits like 'loving,' 'caring,' 'determined,' and 'unconventional.'

• Loving/Caring: Mention how she nursed Bruno, gave him a name, and grieved when he was sent away.
• Determined: Describe how she insisted on visiting the zoo and then refused to leave without Bruno, persuading her husband to bring him back.

1. Character's Role/Significance: Explain the character's importance to the story's theme. (e.g., "Her character is crucial in demonstrating the central theme that love and affection can create a powerful bond between humans and wild animals.").
2. Conclusion: Briefly summarize your points and give a concluding thought on the character.

Practice Questions with Solutions

• Describe the bond of love between the narrator's wife and the sloth bear, Bruno, using evidence from the text. Step 1: Introduction of the bond. The bond between the narrator's wife and Bruno was akin to that of a mother and her child. It was built on unconditional love, care, and mutual affection. Step 2: Evidence from Bruno's early days. The author's wife was inconsolable after the mother bear was shot. She took the cub home, christened him Bruno, and raised him on milk from a bottle. This shows her immediate maternal instinct. Step 3: Evidence of their deep connection. She shared a close relationship with the growing bear, who performed tricks for her amusement. When Bruno was poisoned, her panic and relief upon his recovery showed her deep attachment. The most powerful evidence is their reunion at the zoo, where Bruno recognized her and cried with joy, and she spent hours petting him through the bars. Step 4: Concluding evidence. Her determination to bring Bruno back home, leading to the creation of a special island for him, is the ultimate proof of their unbreakable bond. Final answer: The bond between the narrator's wife and Bruno is a profound example of interspecies love, demonstrated through her initial care, their playful interactions, the emotional pain of their separation, and their joyous, permanent reunion.
• What is the central message of the poem 'The Snake Trying'? How does the poet convey this message? Step 1: State the central message. The central message of the poem is that not all creatures we fear are harmful, and we should respond with empathy rather than violence towards nature. Step 2: Explain the poet's perspective. The poet challenges the stereotype of snakes being dangerous. Instead of seeing a threat, the poet sees a 'beautiful' and 'graceful' creature trying to escape harm. Step 3: Analyze the imagery used. The poet uses positive imagery to describe the snake, such as its 'thin long body' and how it 'glides through the water'. He describes its hiding place as 'green thin reeds', a safe, natural space. This contrasts with the 'stroke' of the stick, which represents human aggression. Step 4: Identify the direct appeal. The poet makes a direct plea: 'O let him go'. He justifies this by stating the snake is 'harmless even to children', directly countering the most common fear associated with snakes. Final answer: The poem's central message is a plea for compassion towards all living beings. The poet conveys this by contrasting the snake's graceful beauty with human aggression, using positive imagery, and making a direct appeal to let the creature live peacefully.
• Why was Bruno sent to the zoo? Was it the right decision? Discuss. Step 1: Explain the reason for sending Bruno to the zoo. Bruno was sent to the zoo because he had grown too big to be kept at home. As a full-grown sloth bear, he posed a potential, albeit unintentional, danger to the tenants' children and was difficult to manage in a residential setting. Step 2: Analyze the decision from a practical standpoint. From a practical and safety-conscious perspective, the decision was understandable. The author and his friends advised it, considering the safety of others and the specialized care a large wild animal requires. Step 3: Analyze the decision from an emotional standpoint. From an emotional viewpoint, it was a heart-wrenching and ultimately wrong decision for both Bruno and the narrator's wife. Both suffered immensely from the separation, showing signs of depression and grief. Bruno fretted and refused food, while the narrator's wife was inconsolable. Step 4: Conclude with the final outcome. The story proves it was the wrong decision for their specific situation because their bond was too strong. The fact that they went through great lengths to bring him back and create a special enclosure for him shows that their love outweighed the practical difficulties. Final answer: Bruno was sent to the zoo for practical safety reasons as he grew too large. However, this decision was emotionally devastating for both him and the narrator's wife. The story ultimately suggests it was the wrong decision for them, as their bond necessitated their reunion.
• 'Love can bridge any gap.' Justify this statement in the context of 'The Bond of Love'. Step 1: Introduce the statement and connect it to the story. The statement 'Love can bridge any gap' is the core theme of 'The Bond of Love'. The story demonstrates this by showing how love bridges the gap between species (human and bear), the gap created by physical distance (home and zoo), and the gap between fear and acceptance. Step 2: Explain the species gap. The most significant gap is between human and wild animal. The narrator's wife does not see Bruno as a dangerous beast but as her child. Her unconditional love tames him and creates a bond of trust and affection, bridging the natural gap between their species. Step 3: Explain the distance gap. When Bruno is sent to the zoo, a physical distance is created. However, their emotional connection remains strong. The reunion at the zoo, where they instantly recognize each other after months apart, proves that their love transcended this physical separation. Step 4: Explain the societal gap. The family's decision to bring a bear home and later create an island for it goes against societal norms. Their love for Bruno helps them bridge this gap, ignoring the advice of friends and finding a unique solution to keep their family together. Final answer: In 'The Bond of Love', the powerful affection between the narrator's wife and Bruno bridges the gaps of species, distance, and societal norms. Their story is a testament to the idea that true love and compassion are universal forces that can overcome any obstacle.

Frequently Asked Questions