Class 9 English Chapter 9 The Bond Of Love

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

Answer: An Orphaned Cub- 3;

Bruno’s Food-chart- 6;

An Accidental Case of Poisoning- 8; Playful Baba- 12;

Pain of Separation- 14; Joy of Reunion- 16;

A Request to the Zoo- 18;

An Island in the Courtyard- 21

Answer the following questions

Question 1. “I got him for her by accident.”

1. Who says this?
2. Who do ‘him’ and ‘her’ refer to?
3. What is the incident referred to here?

Answer: “I got him for her by accident.”

1. The narrator says the statement.
2. ‘Him’ refers to the baby sloth bear and ‘her’ refers to the narrator’s wife.
3. The incident is about how the narrator got the baby sloth bear to his house.

Also See: NCERT Solutions for English Class 9th Chapter 12 The Song of The Rain

Question 2. “He stood on his head in delight.”

1. Who does ‘he’ refer to?
2. Why was he delighted?

Answer: “He stood on his head in delight.”

1. ‘He’ refers to Bruno, the sloth bear.
2. Bruno was sent to the zoo. He was delighted to see the narrator’s wife after a long time.

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

1. Who does ‘we all’ stand for?
2. Who did they miss?
3. Why did they nevertheless feel relieved?

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

1. ‘We all’ stands for the narrator and his family members- wife and son.
2. They missed the bear.
3. They felt relieved because it was becoming difficult to keep the bear at home due to his growing size.

Answer the following questions in 30 to 40 words each.

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

Answer: The first time when Bruno ate something that should not be eaten was the poison that the narrator had put to kill the rats and mice in his library. Bruno entered the library and ate some of the poison. He was paralyzed to such an extent that he could not stand on his feet. He was taken to the vet’s residence.

The second time he found nearly one gallon of old engine oil which the narrator 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 there was no ill-effect on him.

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

Answer: Yes, Bruno was a loving and playful pet. The bear became very attached to narrator’s two Alsatian dogs and to all the children of the tenants living in the bungalow. He was left quite free in his younger days and spent his time in playing and running into the kitchen.

He had to be sent away because he had grown many times the size he was when he came. It was becoming difficult to keep him in the house.

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

Answer: Bruno was sent to a zoo because he could not be kept in the house anymore due to his growth. But in the zoo, he was fretting and was not eating food. He was becoming weak. Then the narrator drove his wife to the zoo and she fed Bruno with a lot of food and drink. She understood that Bruno would not be alright in the zoo and requested the zoo authority to give him back to her.

The narrator and his wife got Bruno back and created a special island for him.

Also See: NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 11 If i were you

Thinking about Language

I. 

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

f ld; ingred nts; h ght; misch vous; fr nds; ghty-seven; rel ved; p ce

Answer: field; ingredients; height; mischievous; friends; eighty-seven; relieved; piece

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

bel ve; rec ve; w rd; l sure; s ze; w ght; r gn; for gn; gr f; p rce

Answer: believe; receive; weird; leisure; seize; weight; reign; foreign; grief; pierce

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

Answer:

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.”

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 World History by T. Walter Wallbank and Arnold Schrier:

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

Answer: The French Revolution: 393, 404-405, 408, 427, 489

Third Estate: 404, 405

Question 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?

Answer: The heading under which we are likely to find these topics is Famine Relief. Famine relief: 43, 57, 87-8, 96-8, 116-17, 131–2

Question 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.

1. bronchitis due to cigarette smoking
2. heart failure due to bronchitis
3. bronchitis in children

Answer:

1. bronchitis due to cigarette smoking- Yes, it is discussed in the book on page 223.
2. heart failure due to bronchitis- Yes, it is discussed in the book on page 82.
3. bronchitis in children- Yes, it is discussed in the book on page 178.

IV.

Question 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…)

• 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 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 arm 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.

• 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.

Answer: The vet doc and I made a dash back to the car. Bruno was still floundering about on his stumps, but clearly weakening rapidly. He was vomiting. He was breathing heavily. His flank was gaping and he was gaping open his mouth.

The vet ordered his assistants, “Hold him, everybody!” Bruno squealed when he was injected with hypodermic. 10 c.c. of the antidote was injected to his system without a drop being wasted. Ten minutes later, condition was still unchanged!

Bruno was then injected with another 10 c.c of the antidote. After ten minutes, his breathing became less stertorous. Bruno was now able to move his arm and legs a little although he could not stand yet. Thirty minutes later, Bruno got up and had a great feed! He looked at us disdainfully, as much as to say, ‘What’s barium carbonate to a big black bear like me?’ Bruno was still eating.

Also See: NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 10 Kathmandu

Question 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 way about it, and promptly shot the bear on the spot.

• Complete the following sentences, using a suitable adverb ending in –ly.

1. Rana does her homework .
2. It rains in Mumbai in June.
3. He does his work .
4. The dog serves his master .

Answer:

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 way about it, and promptly shot the bear on the spot.

(i)

1. Rana does her homework neatly.
2. It rains heavily in Mumbai in June.
3. He does his work diligently.
4. The dog serves his master obediently.

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

1. We should get down from a moving train. (never, sometimes, often)
2. I was in need of support after my poor performance. (badly, occasionally, sometimes)
3. Rita met with an accident. The doctor examined her . (suddenly, seriously, immediately)

Answer:

1. We should never get down from a moving train. (never, sometimes, often)
2. I was badly in need of support after my poor performance. (badly, occasionally, sometimes)
3. Rita met with an accident. The doctor examined her immediately. (suddenly, seriously, immediately)

Question 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?”

Answer: 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. She wanted to dry them.

A grasshopper, who was very hungry, saw her and said, “I am dying of hunger. When did you get the corn?”

“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.

Answer: 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.

Answer:
In favour of the Motion, Pets play a significant role in the life of its owner. They become the members of the family. Animals do have emotions and sentiments. They play the role of a father, a mother and a brother/sister. They need to be tackled properly and utmost care. I am of the opinion that pets give us happiness and assist us in regaining confidence in the trying circumstances. These pets need proper care and love. Those who fulfil their requirements become the most fortunate people because they get true friends. It’s very difficult to get a worthy and honest friend in this commercial world. But animals reciprocate love and take care of the entire family. I strongly say that animals should be treated amiably and amicably.

or

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, each 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 unscientifically 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 Rs 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.

Answer: To be attempted by the student.

THE SNAKE TRYING

Thinking about the Poem

Question 1. What is the snake trying to escape from?

Answer: The snake is trying to escape from the pursuing stick. Humans try to kill snakes presuming that all of them are poisonous.

Question 2. Is it a harmful snake? What is its colour?

Answer: No, it is not a harmful snake. It is green in colour.

Question 3. The poet finds the snake beautiful. Find the words he uses to convey its beauty.

Answer: The poet finds the snake beautiful. The words that he uses to convey its beauty are: beautiful, graceful, glides, small and green.

Question 4. What does the poet wish for the snake?

Answer: The poet wishes that the human behind it with the stick should let it go. The snake should not be killed.

Question 5. Where was the snake before anyone saw it and chased it away? Where does the snake disappear?

II.

Question 1. Find out as much as you can about different kinds of snakes (from books in the library, or from the Internet). Are they all poisonous? Find out the names of some poisonous snakes.

Answer: Not all snakes are poisonous. Some of the poisonous snakes are: Cobra, Krait, Russell’s viper,

Saw Scaled Viper and King Cobra.

Question 2. Look for information on how to find out whether a snake is harmful.

Answer: Do it yourself.

Question 3. As you know, from the previous lesson you have just read, there are people in our country who have traditional knowledge about snakes, who even catch poisonous snakes with practically bare hands. Can you find out something more about them?

Answer: Do it yourself.