Tuesday 18 December 2018
Introduction
The story highlights the emotional bond between human beings and animals. The narrator’s wife shares affection with a wild bear and they get attached to each other shows that animals have feelings and reciprocate to love with warmth and affection.
Lesson and Explanation
I WILL begin with Bruno, my wife’s pet sloth bear. I got him for her by accident. Two years ago we were passing through the sugarcane fields near Mysore. People were driving away the wild pigs from the fields by shooting at them. Some were shot and some escaped. We thought that everything was over when suddenly a black sloth bear came out panting in the hot sun.
Panting: taking short, quick breaths
The narrator’s wife got a pet sloth bear as a pet due to an accident. Two years before the time when this story was written, the narrator and his friends were passing through sugarcane fields near Mysore. Farmers were driving out pigs from their fields by shooting at them. As it was apparently over, suddenly, a sloth bear appeared from the fields. It was breathing heavily due to running and the excessive heat.
Now I will not shoot a sloth bear wantonly but, unfortunately for the poor beast, one of my companions did not feel that way about it, and promptly shot the bear on the spot.
wantonly: for no good reason
The narrator says that he would never shoot at a bear without any reason but one of his companions did, and the bear was shot dead.
As we watched the fallen animal we were surprised to see that the black fur on its back moved and left the prostrate body. Then we saw it was a baby bear that had been riding on its mother’s back when the sudden shot had killed her. The little creature ran around its prostrate parent making a pitiful noise.
prostrate: lying on the ground facing downwards
The animal lay on the ground but a part of its fury black body moved. It was a baby bear that had been lying on the mother bear’s back. Now that the mother bear was dead, the baby got up and ran around the mother’s body, crying.
I ran up to it to attempt a capture. It scooted into the sugarcane field. Following it with my companions, I was at last able to grab it by the scruff of its neck while it snapped and tried to
scratch me with its long, hooked claws.
scooted: ran away
scruff of the neck: take hold of the back of the neck or collar suddenly and roughly
The narrator tried to catch the baby bear. The bear escaped into the sugarcane field. The group chased it and finally, the narrator caught hold of it from the back of its neck. The bear tried to scratch them with its hook - shaped claws.
We put it in one of the gunny-bags we had brought and when I got back to Bangalore I duly presented it to my wife. She was delighted! She at once put a coloured ribbon around its neck, and after discovering the cub was a ‘boy’ she christened it Bruno.
Christened it: named it
The group stuffed the bear in a gunny bag and took it to Bangalore (present day Bengaluru). The narrator gifted the bear cub to his wife. She was happy to have it, tied a coloured ribbon around its neck. As it was a male cub, she named it ‘Bruno’.
Bruno soon took to drinking milk from a bottle. It was but a step further and within a very few
days he started eating and drinking everything else. And everything is the right word, for he ate porridge made from any ingredients, vegetables, fruit, nuts, meat (especially pork), curry and rice regardless of condiments and chillies, bread, eggs, chocolates, sweets, pudding, ice-cream, etc., etc., etc. As for drink: milk, tea, coffee, lime-juice, aerated water, buttermilk, beer, alcoholic liquor and, in fact, anything liquid. It all went down with relish.
condiments: spices
Relish: great enjoyment
The bear drank milk from a bottle. After a few days, it started drinking and eating many things - everything and anything. The bear enjoyed eating and drinking.
The bear became very attached to our two Alsatian dogs and to all the children of the tenants living in our bungalow. He was left quite free in his younger days and spent his time in playing, running into the kitchen and going to sleep in our beds.
It became friendly with the narrator’s Alsatian dogs also. Also, with the tenant’s children who lived in the narrator’s bunglow. As the bear was left free, it played, ran around the house and even slept in the narrator’s bed.
One day an accident befell him. I put down poison (barium carbonate) to kill the rats and mice that had got into my library. Bruno entered the library as he often did, and he ate some of the poison. Paralysis set in to the extent that he could not stand on his feet. But he dragged himself on his stumps to my wife, who called me. I guessed what had happened. Off I rushed in the car to the vet’s residence. A case of poisoning! Tame Bear—barium carbonate—what to do?
Accidentally, Bruno drank the poison kept in the library to kill rats. He was paralysed and could not stand on its feet. As it reached the narrator’s wife, she called him and he realized what had happened. He took bruno to a veterinary doctor.
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.” 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.
Floundering: struggling to move
Heaving: taking deep breaths
Flanks: the side of the body between the ribs and hips
Gaping: wide open
The doctor took out his medical books and searched the index for poisoning by Barium Carbonate. He took out a syringe and the medicine. Bruno was struggling to move, vomiting, breathing heavily and his mouth was open.
Hold him, everybody! In goes the hypodermic— Bruno squeals — 10 c.c. 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.
Hypodermic: a long needle used to give an injection under the skin
Squeals: screams
Antidote: a medicine taken or given to counteract a particular poison
Stertorous: noisy
Disdainfully: disapprovingly
The doctor asked everyone to hold Bruno. As it screamed, the medicine was injected. As the condition did not change, another injection was given. Ten minutes later Bruno’s breathing eased, it could stand after thirty minutes and ate food. It gave them such a look which showed that it had been fine all the time and as if nothing had happened to it.
Another time he found nearly one gallon of old engine oil which I had drained from the sump of the Studebaker and was keeping as a weapon against the inroads of termites. He promptly drank the lot. But it had no ill effects whatever.
the sump: the base of an internal combustion engine, which serves as a reservoir of oil for the lubrication system
Studebaker: an old American car
In another incident, Bruno drank the used engine oil which the narrator had taken out of his Studebaker car and had kept to get rid of termites. That did not affect Bruno.
The months rolled on and Bruno had grown many times the size he was when he came. He had equalled the Alsatians in height and had even outgrown them. But was just as sweet, just as mischievous, just as playful. And he was very fond of us all. Above all, he loved my wife, and she loved him too! She had changed his name from Bruno, to Baba, a Hindustani word signifying ‘small boy’. And he could do a few tricks, too. At the command, ‘Baba, wrestle’, or ‘Baba, box,’ he vigorously tackled anyone who came forward for a rough and tumble. Give him a stick and say ‘Baba, hold gun’, and he pointed the stick at you. Ask him, ‘Baba, where’s baby?’ and he immediately produced and cradled affectionately a stump of wood which he had carefully concealed in his straw bed. But because of the tenants’ children, poor Bruno, or Baba, had to be kept chained most of the time.
Concealed: hidden
As the days passed, Bruno grew bigger and outgrew the alsatian dogs. Still, it was sweet, naughty and playful like before. He was fond of everyone. The narrator’s wife was very attached to Bruno and vice versa. She changed his name to ‘Baba’ which means a small boy in Hindustani language. Baba did some tricks - when he was ordered ‘Baba wrestle’ or ‘Baba box’, he would wrestle the person and overpower him. When commanded ‘Baba, hold gun’ he would point a stick at the person, as if ready to shoot him. When asked ‘Baba, where’s baby?’ he would take out a piece of wood and cradle it affectionately like a baby. He had hidden the piece of wood under the straw bed. As he had grown big, he was chained because he could be a threat to the tenant’s children.
Then my son and I advised my wife, and friends advised her too, to give Baba to the zoo at Mysore. He was getting too big to keep at home. After some weeks of such advice she at last consented. Hastily, and before she could change her mind, a letter was written to the curator of the zoo. Did he want a tame bear for his collection? He replied, “Yes”. The zoo sent a cage from Mysore in a lorry, a distance of eighty-seven miles, and Baba was packed off.
curator: here, a person in charge of the zoo
fretting: worried; unhappy; not relaxed
The narrator and his son advised to send Baba to the zoo. When his wife was adviced so by the friends too, she agreed and a letter was written to the zoo incharge to inquire if he would like to keep a bear at the zoo. He affirmed and then, Baba was sent to Mysore zoo, packed in a cage kept on a lorry. He travelled a distance of eighty - seven miles to reach the zoo.
We all missed him greatly; but in a sense we were relieved. My wife was inconsolable. She wept and fretted. For the first few days she would not eat anything. Then she wrote a number of letters to the curator. How was Baba? Back came the replies, “Well, but fretting; he refuses food too.”
Although everyone missed Baba but they were relaxed too. The narrator’s wife was disturbed, she wept and worried about Baba’s well - being. Initially, she did not eat or drink. She wrote a letter to the zoo incharge to inquire about Baba. He replied that Baba was also undergoing a similar situation like her.
After that, friends visiting Mysore were begged to make a point of going to the zoo and seeing how Baba was getting along. They reported that he was well but looked very thin and sad. All the keepers at the zoo said he was fretting. For three months I managed to restrain my wife from visiting Mysore. Then she said one day, “I must see Baba. Either you take me by car; or I will go myself by bus or train.” So I took her by car.
Restrain: stop
She would ask her friends visiting Mysore to visit Baba and check out on him. Everyone gave a similar report that Baba was fine but appeared thin and sad. The staff at the zoo said that he seemed worried. The narrator restrained his wife from visiting the zoo for three months. One day she said that she wanted to see Baba and if he would not take her, then she would go herself by train or bus. Finally, they went to see Baba at the zoo.
Friends had conjectured that the bear would not recognise her. I had thought so too. But while she was yet some yards from his cage Baba saw her and recognised her. He howled with happiness. She ran up to him, petted him through the bars, and he stood on his head in delight.
Conjectured: formed an opinion by guessing
Their friends had predicted that Baba would not recognize her and the narrator had thought so too but to his amazement, she was a few steps away from the cage when Baba saw her and recognized her. He screamed with happiness. She ran up to him, petted him and Baba was very happy to have her back.
For the next three hours she would not leave that cage. She gave him tea, lemonade, cakes, ice cream and what not. Then ‘closing time’ came and we had to leave. My wife cried bitterly; Baba cried bitterly; even the hardened curator and the keepers felt depressed. As for me, I had reconciled myself to what I knew was going to happen next.
She remained there for three hours. She fed Baba different things which were his favourites. As the zoo had to close, they had to leave. The narrator’s wife did not want to leave Baba and both of them cried bitterly. Even the zoo incharge was sad. The narrator was fine because he knew that the next step would be to take Baba back along to Bengaluru.
“Oh please, sir,” she asked the curator, “may I have my Baba back”? Hesitantly, he answered, “Madam, he belongs to the zoo and is Government property now. I cannot give away Government property. But if my boss, the superintendent at Bangalore agrees, certainly you may have him back.”
The wife requested the incharge that she wanted to take Baba back. He replied that the bear was Government property and that she needed permission from the Superintendent in Bengaluru.
There followed the return journey to Bangalore and a visit to the superintendent’s bungalow. A tearful pleading: “Baba and I are both fretting for each other. Will you please give him back to me?” He was a kind-hearted man and consented. Not only that, but he wrote to the curator telling him to lend us a cage for transporting the bear to Bangalore.
They returned to Bengaluru and visited the Superintendent at his bungalow. She cried and requested that both of them had been worrying for each other. She requested to have Baba back. The Superintendent was a kind - hearted man and he accepted her request. He wrote to the zoo incharge to arrange a cage for transporting Baba to Bengaluru.
Back we went to Mysore again, armed with the superintendent’s letter. Baba was driven into a small cage and hoisted on top of the car; the cage was tied securely, and a slow and careful return journey to Bangalore was accomplished.
Hoisted: raised by means of ropes or pulleys
Accomplished: completed
They went to Mysore with the Superintendent’s letter. Baba was put in a cage and the cage was kept on the top of the car. It was tied securely and they returned to Bengaluru.
Once home, a squad of coolies were engaged for special work in our compound. An island was made for Baba. It was twenty feet long and fifteen feet wide, and was surrounded by a dry pit, or moat, six feet wide and seven feet deep. A wooden box that once housed fowls was brought and put on the island for Baba to sleep in at night. Straw was placed inside to keep him warm, and his ‘baby’, the gnarled stump, along with his ‘gun’, the piece of bamboo,
both of which had been sentimentally preserved since he had been sent away to the zoo, were put back for him to play with.
Squad: team
Gnarled: rugged, twisted
At their home in Bengaluru, a team of workers was employed to execute some work in the backyard. As Baba was a full - grown bear, he had to be kept isolated. So, an island which was twenty feet long and fifteen feet wide was built. It was surrounded by a dry pit which was six feet wide and seven feet deep. (You must have seen similar islands in the zoo where bears are kept). It was made like this because the bear would not be able to cross the pit over to areas that were inhabited by people as it could be a threat to them. Things which were used by Baba had been kept securely. These were kept on the island. They were a wooden box which was previously used to keep cocks and hens and would now be used by Baba to sleep in at night. Straw was kept in the box to keep him warm. The piece of wood which Baba cradled like a baby, the stick that he used to point a gun were also placed on the island so that he could play with them.
In a few days the coolies hoisted the cage on to the island and Baba was released. He was delighted; standing on his hind legs, he pointed his ‘gun’ and cradled his ‘baby’. My wife spent hours sitting on a chair there while he sat on her lap. He was fifteen months old and pretty heavy too!
When the place was ready, the workers placed the cage on the island and Baba was removed from it. He was happy to be free, stood on his back legs, pointed the stick and cradled the piece of wood. The narrator’s wife spent many hours with him as he lay in her lap although he was fifteen months old and was quite heavy in weight.
The way my wife reaches the island and leaves it is interesting. I have tied a rope to the overhanging branch of a mango tree with a loop at its end. Putting one foot in the loop, she kicks off with the other, to bridge the six-foot gap that constitutes the width of the surrounding pit. The return journey is made the same way. But who can say now that a sloth bear has no sense of affection, no memory and no individual characteristics?
The narrator’s wife visits Baba frequently and the way in which she reaches and leaves the island is interesting. They have a rope tied to a mango tree with a loop at one end. She would place one foot in the loop and kick off with the other. This way she would fly in the air to cover the six foot long distance to reach the island. She would make the return trip in a similar way. On seeing the affection shared by Baba and the narrator’s wife, we can conclude that animals have emotions, they remember people and all of them have individual qualities just like human beings have.
Summary
In the story, the narrator highlights the emotional bond shared by his wife and their pet bear Bruno. He got the baby bear in an accident and presented it to his wife. She named the bear ‘Bruno’ and treated it like a baby. The bear was fed milk with a bottle and later it started eating different food items. He enjoyed eating and drinking everything and anything. Bruno was attached to everyone including their tenant’s children and their pet Alsatian dogs. It would play, run around the house and even sleep in their bed.
One day, accidentally, it ate a poison - Barium carbonate which had been kept in the library to kill mice and rats. Bruno was under a fit of paralysis and was taken to a veterinary doctor. He was injected twice and finally, revived. After a while, Bruno resumed eating normally. In another incident, he drank a gallon of old engine oil which the narrator had kept to fight a termite attack. This did not have any ill - effect on Bruno.
As days passed, Bruno grew bigger but remained as sweet and playful. The narrator’s wife changed his name to ‘Baba’ which was a Hindustani word for ‘a small boy’. He had learned a few tricks too. When commanded ‘Baba, wrestle’ or ‘Baba, box’, he would tackle and overpower the person. When ordered ‘Baba, hold gun’ he would point a stick at the person. When asked ‘Baba, where’s baby?’ he would take out the piece of wood and would cradle it affectionately like a baby. As he was big now, he had to be chained because he could harm the tenant’s children.
The narrator, his son and their friends advised the narrator’s wife to send Baba to a zoo as he was too big to be kept as a pet. She gave in and finally, after taking consent from the zoo incharge, they packed Baba in a cage and sent him to the zoo at Mysore. Everyone missed him but felt relieved as it was not comfortable to keep him at home. The narrator’s wife missed Baba immensely. She cried and worried about him. She wrote letters to the zoo incharge to ask about Baba’s well - being. They replied that Baba was fine but did not eat and remained sad much like her. She would ask her friends visiting Mysore to visit Baba. Everyone said that he was sad and appeared thin. After three months had passed, the narrator’s wife convinced him to take her to meet Baba. Everyone had predicted that the bear would not recognize her but she had not even reached the cage when Baba recognised her. He stood on his two paws and was delighted to see her. She petted Baba and fed him his favourite food. She spent three hours there until the visiting hours ended and left teary - eyed. She requested the zoo incharge to allow them to take Baba back for which they had to take permission from the Superintendent in Bangalore. As they got the required permission, Baba was put in a cage, the cage kept on top of their car and Baba was brought back home.
They got a special island made for Baba to live on. It was surrounded by a deep dry pit. Baba was provided with his belongings, a box to sleep in, straw to keep him warm, his stick and piece of wood to play with.
The narrator’s wife would visit Baba on the island by swinging on a rope tied to a mango tree. She would make the big bear sit in her lap for hours and would pat him affectionately.
