Summary of The Bond of Love by Kenneth Anderson
Thinking About the Text (Q&A)
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 – Paragraph 3: The baby bear was found after its mother was shot.
- Bruno’s Food-chart – Paragraph 6: Describes all the food Bruno ate.
- An Accidental Case of Poisoning – Paragraphs 8-10: Bruno accidentally ate poison and was treated.
- Playful Baba – Paragraph 12: Bruno, now called Baba, was playful and loved tricks.
- Pain of Separation – Paragraph 14: The family missed Bruno when he was sent to the zoo.
- Joy of Reunion – Paragraph 16: Bruno recognized his owner and was overjoyed during their visit.
- A Request to the Zoo – Paragraph 18: The narrator’s wife asked the zoo to return Bruno.
- An Island in the Courtyard – Paragraph 21: The family built an island for Bruno to stay after his return.
II. Answer the following questions.
1. “I got him for her by accident.”
(i) Who says this?
(ii) Who do ‘him’ and ‘her’ refer to?
(iii) What is the incident referred to here?
Answer:
(i) The narrator says this.
(ii) 'Him' refers to the bear Bruno, and 'her' refers to the narrator’s wife.
(iii) The narrator found a baby bear when its mother was shot, and he brought it home for his wife.
2. “He stood on his head in delight.”
(i) Who does ‘he’ refer to?
(ii) Why was he delighted?
Answer:
(i) ‘He’ refers to Bruno (Baba), the bear.
(ii) He was delighted because he recognized his owner, the narrator’s wife, during her visit to the zoo.
3. “We all missed him greatly: but in a sense we were relieved.”
(i) Who does ‘we all’ stand for?
(ii) Who did they miss?
(iii) Why did they nevertheless feel relieved?
Answer:
(i) ‘We all’ refers to the narrator and his family.
(ii) They missed Bruno, their pet bear.
(iii) They were relieved because Bruno had grown too large and difficult to keep at home safely.
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?
Answer:
Bruno once ate barium carbonate poison, which caused paralysis, but he was saved by a vet’s injections. Another time, he drank engine oil, but it had no harmful effect on him.
2. Was Bruno a loving and playful pet? Why, then, did he have to be sent away?
Answer:
Yes, Bruno was very loving and playful, but he grew too big and mischievous, making it hard to manage him at home. That’s why he was sent to the zoo.
3. How was the problem of what to do with Bruno finally solved?
Answer:
Bruno was brought back from the zoo after the narrator’s wife requested his return. They built a special island in their compound where Bruno could live happily and safely.