SEBA Class 9 English Lesson - 9: The Bond of Love Question and Answer

The Bond of Love

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Thinking about the Text

I. Given in the box are some headings. Find the relevant paragraphs in the text to match the headings. An Orphaned Cub; Bruno’s Food-chart; An Accidental Case of Poisoning: Playful Baba; Pain of Separation; Joy of Reunion; A Request to the Zoo; An Island in the Courtyard.

Ans:

An Orphaned Cub	: Paragraph 3
Bruno’s Food Chart	: Paragraph 6
An Accidental Case of Poisoning	: Paragraph 8
Playful Baba	: Paragraph 12
Pain of Separation	:Paragraph 14
Joy of Reunion	: Paragraph 16
A Request to the Zoo	: Paragraph 18
An Island in the Courtyard	: Paragraph 21

II. Answer the following questions.

1. “I got him for her by accident.”

(i) Who says this ?

Ans: The above quoted statement is made by the narrator the prose piece.

(ii) Who do ‘him’ and ‘her’ refer to ?

Ans: ‘Him’ in the above quoted sentence refers to Bruno the sloth bear, while ‘her’ refers to the narrator’s wife.

(iii) What is the incident referred to here ?

Ans: The incident referred to here is the story of how the narrator got Bruno. While passing through sugarcane fields near Mysore, a friend of the the narrator happened to shoot a black sloth bear, and as they watched the fallen animal, they discovered that beneath its thick fur was hidden a baby bear. The narrator then captured the baby bear and later presented it to his wife, to pet. kept as a pet.

2.”He stood on his head in delight.”

(i) Who does ‘he’ refer to ?

Ans: ‘He’ in the above statement refers to Bruno.

(ii) Why was he delighted ?

Ans: Bruno was delighted because the narrator’s wife had come to visit him in the zoo. He had been separated from her for over three months, so was delighted to see her. When she petted him he stood on his head.

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

(i) Who does ‘we all’ stand for ?

Ans: “We’ in the above quoted sentence stands for the narrator and his family.

(ii) Who did they miss ?

Ans: All of them missed Bruno-their pet sloth bear.

(iii) Why did they nevertheless feel relieved ?

Ans: They felt relieved when Bruno was taken away by the zoo authorities because he had grown quite huge, and had to be kept chained up most of the time as he posed a threat to the tenant’s children. So Bruno being taken away to the zoo meant freedom, both for him and the narrator’s family.

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: The first time Bruno accidently ate barium carbonate meant to kill the rats. Paralysis set in and he had to be rushed to the vet. He suffered until vomiting and heavy breathing on the vet injected him with the antidote. On the second occasion, Bruno drank nearly a gallon of old engine oil, but he fortunately did not suffer any ill effects from it.

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

Ans: Yes, Bruno was a very loving and playful pet. Bruno had to be sent away because he had grown too large. He also had to be kept chained up most of the time as he posed a threat to the children. So sending him to the zoo would give him his own space to play around.

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

Ans: Obviously Bruno was not happy at the zoo and missed the narrator’s wife, as did she. The narrator then brought him home, built an island in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by a dry moat, and put Bruno on it with all his needs and toys.

Thinking about Language

I. 1.Find these words in the lesson. They all have ie or ei in them.

f ___Id ingred ___ nts h ___ ght misch __ vous fr ___ nds ____ ghty-seven rel ___ ved p ___ ce

Ans:

Field - ingredients - height - Mischievous - friends - eighty-seven Relieved piece

2. Now here are some more words. Complete them with ei or ie. Consul a dictionary if necessary.

bel ___ ve rec ___ ve w ____ rd I ___ sure s ___ z ew ___ ght ___ gn f ___ gn gr ____ f p ___ rce

(There is a popular rule of spelling: ‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’. Check if this rule is true by looking at the words above.)

Ans:

believe	receive	weird
leisure	seize	weight
reign	Feign	grief
pierce		row4 col 3

II. Here are some words with silent letters. Learn their spelling. Your teacher will dictate these words to you. Write them down and underline the silent letters.

knock	wrestle	walk	wrong
knee	half	honest	daughter
hours	return	hornet	calm
could	sign	island	button

III. How to look at an Index.

An index is a list of names or topics that are to be found in a book. It is a list arranged in alphabetical order at the end of a book. The following paragraph shows that the doctor is consulting the index of a medical book to find out which injection is appropriate for Bruno.

“Out came his medical books, and a feverish reference to index began: What poison did you say, sir ?” “Barium carbonate”, “Ah yes ― B ― Ba ― Barium Salts ― Ah! Barium carbonate! Symptoms paralysis ― treatment ― injections of… Just a minute, sir, I’ll bring my syringe and the medicine.”

1. You have read about the French Revolution and you want to know more about the Third Estate in the context of the French Revolution. You can refer to the index of the book. Living Word History by T. Walter Wall Bank and Arnold Schreier :

French Algerian War, 696 French and Indian War, 370, 401 French Revolution, 393, 404, 405, 408, 427, 489 Freud (froid), Sigmund (1856-1939), 479, illus, 477 Frobisher (frobisher), Martin (1535?-1594), 321, 338

Third Coalition, 415 Third Communist International, See Comintern Third Estate (France), 404, 405 Third Reform Bill, 454 Third Reich (riH), 641, 643, 652, 653

On which pages in this book will you find information about the French Revolution and the Third Estate ?

Ans: French revolution: Pages- 393, 404-405, 408, 427, 489 Third Estate (France) : Pages- 404, 405

2.To know what ‘Food Security’ and ‘Minimum Support Price’ mean in the context of the economic growth of a country you can go to the subject index given below from Poverty and Famines- an Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation by Amartya Sen. Under which heading in the index are you likely to find these topics ?

Famine relief, 43, 57, 87-8, 96-8, 116-17,131-2 Fishermen, 51, 67-9, 71, 72-3, 78, 119. Finland, 213 Floods, 52-3, 58, 131-2, 147-8 Food availability decline (FAD thesis), 6-7, 7-8, 41-2, 43-4, 53, 57-63, 80-1, 82 3, 88-93, 111, 117-20, 125, 137, 141, 153, 154-6, 157-8, 162. Food countermovement, 94, 138, 160-2. Food habits, 12-3, 25-6, 45, 50, 164

Ans: Food availability decline (FAD thesis)

3. Given below is a portion of an index page from the book, French’s Index of Differential Diagnosis, edited by F. Dudley Hart M.D., F.R.C.P.

Study the entries and find out whether the following topics are discussed in the book.

(i) bronchitis due to cigarette smoking

(ii) heart failure due to bronchitis

(iii) bronchitis in children

Ans: (i)yes, page 223

(ii) yes, page 82

(iii) yes, page 178

IV. 1.The Narrative Present

Notice the incomplete sentences in the following paragraphs. Here, the writer is using incomplete sentences in the narration to make the incident more dramatic or immediate. Can you rewrite the paragraph in complete sentences?

(You can begin: The vet and I made a dash back to the car, Bruno was still floundering.)

(i) A dash back to the car, Bruno still floundering about on his stumps, but clearly weakening rapidly; some vomiting, heavy breathing, with heaving flanks and gaping mouth.

Hold him, everybody! In goes the hypodermic – Bruno squeals-10 cc. of the antidote enters his system without a drop being wasted. Ten minutes later: condition unchanged! Another 10 c.c. injected! Ten minutes later: breathing less stertorous – Bruno can move his arms and legs a little although he cannot stand yet. Thirty minutes later: Bruno gets up and has a great feed! He looks at us disdainfully, as much as to say, “What’s barium carbonate to a big black bear like me? Bruno is still eating.

(ii) In the paragraphs above from the story the verbs are in the present tense (eg hold, goes, etc.). This gives the reader an impression of immediacy. The present tense is often used when we give a commentary on a game (cricket, football, etc.), or tell a story as if it is happening now. It is, therefore, called the narrative present.

You will read more about the present tense in Unit 10.

Ans. (i) The vet and I made a dash back to the car. Bruno was still floundering about on his stumps, but was clearly weakening rapidly. He also vomited a little, and his breathing was heavy, his flanks were heaving and mouth was gaping.

The vet asked us all to hold Bruno down as he pushed in the hypodermic needle Bruno squealed as 10 ce of the antidote entered his system without a drop being wasted. But when even after 10 minutes there was no change in his condition, the vet injected another 10 c.c of the antidote. 10 minutes later Bruno’s breathing became less stertorous. He could move his arms and legs a little but could not stand up yet. After 30 minutes, he got up and even have a great feed. He looked at us disdainfully as much as to say, “What’s barium carbonate to a black big bear like me?” Bruno was still eating.

2. Adverbs

Find the adverbs in the passage below. (You’ve read about adverbs in Unit

1.)

We thought that everything was over when suddenly a black sloth bear came out panting in the hot sun. Now I will not shoot a sloth-bear wantonly but, unfortunately for the poor beast, one of my companions did not feel that vay about it, and promptly shot the bear on the spot.

(i) Complete the following sentences, using a suitable adverb ending in- ly.

(a) Rana does her homework _____

(b) It rains _____ in Mumbai in June.

(d) The dog serves his master ____.

Ans. (a) Suddenly.

(b) Wantonly.

(d) Promptly.

(i)

(a) Rana does her homework regularly.

(b) It rains continuously in Mumbai in June.

(c) He does his work attentively.

(d) The dog serves his master faithfully.

(ii) Choose the most suitable adverbs or adverbial phrases and complete the following sentences.

(a) We should get down from a moving train. (never, sometimes, often)

(b) I was in need of support after my poor performance. (badly, occasionally, sometimes)

(c) Rita met with an accident. The doctor examined her (suddenly, seriously, immediately)

Ans: (a) We should never get down from a moving train.

(b) I was badly in need of support after my poor performance.

3.Take down the following scrambled version of a story, that your teacher will dictate to you, with appropriate punctuation marks. Then, read the scrambled story carefully and try to rewrite it rearranging the incidents.

A grasshopper, who was very hungry, saw her and said, “When did you get the corn? I am dying of hunger.” She wanted to dry them. It was a cold winter’s day, and an ant was bringing out some grains of corn from her home. She had gathered the corn in summer.

“I was singing all day,” answered the grasshopper.

“If you sang all summer,” said the ant, “you can dance all winter.” “What were you doing ?” asked the ant again.

The grasshopper replied, “I was too busy.”

“I collected it in summer,” said the ant. “What were you doing in summer ? Why did you not store some corn ?”

Ans: It was a cold winter’s day, and an ant was bringing out some grains of corn from her home. She had gathered the corn in the summer. A grasshopper, who was very hungry, saw her and said, “When did you get the corn ? I am dying of hunger” “I collected it in summer,” said the ant. “What were you doing in summer ? Why did you not store some corn ?” The grasshopper replied, “I was too busy.” “What were you doing ?” asked the ant again. “I was singing all day,” answered the grasshopper. “If you sang all summer,” said the ant, “you can dance all winter.”

Speaking

‘Animals also feel the pleasure of love and the pain of separation’

Make a presentation by giving examples from your own experience.

Suggestion : Students do it yourself.

Writing

Pets have unique care and handling requirements and should only be kept by those with the commitment to understand and meet their needs. Give your argument in support of or against this statement.

There is an on-going debate on whether snake charmers should continue in their profession. You can get some idea about the debate from the newspaper clipping (The Hindu, 16 June 2004) given below. Read it, discuss in pairs or groups, and write either for or against the profession of snake charmers.

Report comes in support of snake charmers By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JUNE 15. Over 30 years after the introduction of the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA) that banned the catching of snakes in India, a small community of snake charmers continues to practise the trade catching over 400,000 snakes every year-which ultimately die in defiance of the law.

A report based on new research by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), however, has strongly recommended that the traditional knowledge of the snake charmers and skills be now utilised for education and medicine by setting up sapera centres. This is mainly because the community has virtually no access to land, education or employment opportunities. They are dependent on snake charming to earn a livelihood. They trade around as vendors of traditional medicine, snake catchers and musicians. Ignorance about the law is quite common. The report entitled ‘Biodiversity, Livelihoods and the Law: The Case of the Jogi-Nath Snake Charmers of India based on path-breaking research was formally released by the Inspector General of Forests, V.K. Bahuguna, along with a presentation by members of the sapera community in the Capital on Monday.

“Despite thirty years of the law being in existence, over 70 per cent of the Jogi-Naths are still dependent on snake charming to earn a livelihood. Ignorance about the law was quite common. None of them own land, even though they would like to,” said Bahar Dutt, who led this research. Notably, most of those practising the trade in the current generation are all under 35 years of age.

Trapping occurs throughout the year and during their travels, though this activity increases during the monsoons. According to the data cach family on an average collects at least seven snakes.

Most snakes were force-fed and snake husbandry methods and health were found to be poor. “The snake charmers community council imposes a heavy fine on a person if the snake dies in his custody as it is considered an extremely bad omen. As a result, the snakes are released when the charmers realise that their condition is deteriorating said Dutt. Their ambition to showcase the reptiles and earn money

was not fulfilled, as they flouted four WPA provisions, for illegally possessing the animals, not feeding them properly, causing injuries by extracting teeth u scientifically and killing snakes for the valuable snake parts and bones. Their offence generally invites imprisonment for three to seven years and a fine up to 25,000 in each case.

“On the positive side researchers found that the snake charmers possess a unique ability to handle venomous snakes with a tremendous knowledge of the different species and their behaviour. They are also called by local farmers to retrieve snakes, who would otherwise just kill them, from agricultural fields or human inhabited areas,” she said.

Ans: (i) Pets have unique care and handling requirements and should only be kept by those with the commitment to understand and meet their needs.

In Support of the Statement

We bring home pets to give us company and friendship. Yet we cannot be only selfishly motivated, but have to keep in mind that they are living beings who need to be taken care of according to their needs and requirements. Though we may not understand them at first, they too have feelings and can be both happy and sad. Only those who are really and truly committed to understanding their needs and have the ability to meet their needs too, should bring home pets. You bring a dog home, but have no proper place to keep it or have no time to give it a bath or take it out for walks or have a small child at home so have to keep it chained always then you have no right to bring it home the first place. Just wanting it is not enough-you have to be committed to it. You should know what to do if it is sick, recognise symptoms, know its food habits, know what makes it happy, know when to take it for a check up to a vet, etc. Be prepared to give a part of your time to your pet. Just a little care from you can earn multifold rewards-for giving pets a little makes them give their whole selves to you!

Against the Statement

Anyone and everyone has the right to own pets. If you want one just go ahead and get one. You will soon understand its needs and truly speaking it is an animal after all with very little needs. If you are happy it will be happy too. Animals are very adjusting and if you do not have time for it, they really can manage. They get used to staying as you keep them. Just feed them whatever they eat and you have met their requirements. All this fuss about taking unique care of your pets and being sensitive to their needs and committed to their requirements is just that a fuss. Go ahead and bring home any pet animal, and soon you will find that it has adjusted to your needs and moods and not you to its.

(ii) The profession of snake charmers.For the Profession

India is a country of rich traditions and snake charming is a very old cultural tradition here. India’s true wealth and charm lies in the continuity of its traditions, hence to let its abounding inheritance die is a crime. It is true that the practise of snake charming is not healthy for the snakes, but if proper steps are taken to educate the snake-charmers then they will be able to take good care of the snakes, and maybe even contribute towards their sustenance. For it is true that these people have traditional knowledge about snakes and their skills can be utilised for the benefit of snakes rather than for their detriment. If they are adopted by the government only for the purpose of keeping the tradition alive, and made to show-case the art of snake charming at government parks and zoos, then both shapers and snakes can lead a healthy and happy life. Moreover these shapers have no other means of livelihood as they have no land and are uneducated. So they need to be rehabilitated, and setting them up to do what they know best, with more refined techniques, is the best way.

Against the Profession

India is traditionally very rich, but many of its traditions have roots in ignorance. Now that we are a more educated society it is a crime to continue such traditions that harm other living beings or the environment. One such tradition is that of snake charming. Snake charmers collect snakes, force feed them, adopt poor snake husbandry methods, cause injuries to snakes by unscientific teeth extraction, keep them in poor health and even leave them to die when they become too weak. How can we keep alive a tradition that causes so much pain to these reptiles, who have as much a right to peaceful existence on this earth as we do? Moreover who in todays fast world and world of so much other entertainment is interested in watching snakes slither and move to the tune of the “been India has many traditions inherited from ancient times which are wonderful and cause no harm to others. Let us strive to keep them alive, and let us make an effort to rehabilitate the shapers into another profession-maybe even use their skill and knowledge for the benefit of snakes.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS

Answer the following questions :

1. Who according to you was the most attached to Bruno ? Cite an example from the text.

Ans: The narrator’s wife was the one most attached to Bruno. She refused to take food and was inconsolable when Bruno was taken away to the zoo. It was at her insistence and initiative that Bruno was brought back to the family home and an island created for him. And even then, she used to go visit her Bruno on his island by swinging across the moat on a rope. And Bruno too reciprocated her love for him and was equally affectionate towards her.

2. Why was Bruno sent away and where ?

Ans: With time Bruno grew bigger and was soon too big for the family home. Moreover his presence was a threat to the tenant’s children. Because of this Bruno had to be kept chained up most of the time. So finally it was decided unanimously, that it would be better if Bruno was sent away to live in the zoo. That way he would have his own space and would not have to spend his days chained up.

3.Why was Bruno brought back from the zoo ?

Ans: When Bruno was sent to the zoo, the narrator’s wife, who loved him like her own child was inconsolable. She wept and fretted and even refused food for the first few days. Letters to the curator inquiring about Bruno revealed that he was in the same state. And when finally she visited him at the zoo, she refused to leave and cried bitterly. Even Bruno seemed to be sad and be too cried. Watching this display of affection and emotion melted the hearts of the zoo officials. And finally after some formalities, Bruno was handed back to his family.

4. How did the narrator’s wife reach and leave Baba’s island ?

Ans: The narrator had tied a rope to an overhanging branch of a mango tree. The rope had a loop at the end. Putting one foot in the loop, the narrator’s wife would kick off with the other and thus bridge the six foot gap of the moat surrounding Bruno’s island. The return journey was made in the same way.

5. Describe the island created for Baba. Was it necessary ? If yes why ?

Ans: The island created for Baba was twenty feet long and fifteen feet wide, and was surrounded by a dry pit, or moat which was six feet wide and seven feet deep. It also had a wooden box layered with straw that functioned as Baba’s bed. His favourite toys-a stump and a bamboo stick, were also placed there. Yes, it was necessary, to make the island since this allowed Bruno freedom from chains and also kept him from harming the tenant’s children

6. Which were some of the tricks Baba could do ?

Ans: Baba could box or tackle anyone when asked to “wrestle’. He could also use a stick and point it like a gun when told to “hold gun’, and when asked “where’s baby?” he cradled a stump of wood.

7. How and where did Baba find barium carbonate ? Who was it actually meant for ?

Ans: Baba found Barium carbonate while snooping around in the library for food. The Barium carbonate was meant as poison for the rats.

Reference to the context

1. “The way my wife reaches the island and leaves it is interesting.”

(a) Which is the island mentioned to here ?

Ans: The island mentioned in the above quoted line is the one created for Bruno the sloth bear in the courtyard of the narrator’s house.

(b) How does the author’s wife reach and leave the island ?

Ans: The author’s wife journeyed to and fro from the island with the help of a rope that the author had tied to an overhanging branch of a mango tree. The rope had a loop at its end. Putting one foot in the loop, the author’s wife would kick off with the other and thus bridge the six foot gap of the moat surrounding Bruno’s island. The return journey was made in the same way.

2. “Paralysis set in to the extent that he could not stand on his feet.”

(a) Who is the ‘he’ referred to here ?

Ans: Bruno the sloth bear is referred to as ‘he’ here,

(b) Why was ‘he’ paralysed ?

Ans: Bruno was paralysed because he ate some of the barium carbonate kept in the author’s library, which was originally meant to serve as rat poison.

3. “Baba where’s baby ?”

(i) Who or what was the baby ?

Ans: Baby was actually a stump of wood which Baba kept carefully concealed in his straw bat.

(ii) What did Baba do when he was asked where the baby was ?

Ans: When asked about the baby, Baba would bring out a stump of wood that he kept hidden in his straw bed and affectionately cradle it.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Baba was paralysed after eating

(a) Barium Carbonate.

(b) Sodium Carbonate.

(d) aerated water.

Ans: (a) Barium Carbonate.

2. When he got too big to be kept at home, Bruno was sent to the

(a) island in the middle of the courtyard.

(b) jungle.

(d) Orissa zoo.

Ans: (c) Mysore zoo.

3. The author’s wife changed Bruno’s name to ‘Baba’, a Hindustani word signifying

(a) small boy.

(b) dear boy.

(d) black sheep.

Ans: (a) small boy.

4. The author first saw Bruno

(a) after his wife found him and wanted him as a gift.

(b) when he went to the Doctor’s.

(d) after his mother had been killed by the author’s companion.

Ans: (d) after his mother had been killed by the author’s companion.

THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE (Additional Exercises)

Complete the following words with ‘ei’ or ‘iet

ach __ ve f ___ rce s __ veh ___ r ch ___ f b ___ nnialeffic ___ nt Med ___ val n ___ thern ____ ghbour All ____ n conc ___ ve dec ____ ve v ___ led perc ___ ve

Ans:

Achieve - fierce - sieve - Heir - chief - biennial - Efficient - mediaeval - neither - Neighbour - alien conceive - deceive - Veiled - perceive

Underline the silent letters in the following words:

Honour	scent	wriggle
Write	queue	scenic
Talk	masculine	knife
Weigh	wrap	islet

Ans:

Honour	scent	wriggle
Write	queue	scenic
Talk	masculine	knife
Weigh	wrap	islet

SEBA Class 9 English Lesson - 9: The Bond of Love Question and Answer