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CBSE Class 9 English Question 16 of 18

The Bond of Love — Question 16

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16
Question
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 com from her home, She had gathered the com in summer. “I was singing all day,” a
Answer

It was a cold winter’s day and an ant was bringing out some grains of com from her home. She had gathered the com 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 com?” “I collected it in summer,” said the ant. “What were you doing in summer? Why did you not store some com?” 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.”

Overview: The Bond of Love

Kenneth Anderson narrates how his wife adopted a sloth bear cub (Bruno, later called Baba) after Anderson accidentally shot its mother. Bruno became a beloved pet — eating everything, surviving two poisoning incidents, playing with dogs. When he grew too large, he was sent to Mysore Zoo, but both he and Anderson's wife were miserable. She visited, and Bruno hugged her, refusing to let go. She arranged to bring him home, where a special enclosure was built.

Key Points

  • Bruno is a sloth bear cub adopted after his mother was shot
  • Named Bruno, later affectionately called Baba
  • Survived barium carbonate poisoning (rat poison)
  • Survived engine oil poisoning
  • Grew large — sent to Mysore Zoo for safety
  • Both Bruno and the author's wife were miserable during separation
  • At the zoo, Bruno immediately recognised her and hugged her
  • She arranged to bring him home — special island enclosure built
  • Theme: Human-animal bonds can be as deep as human bonds
  • Raises ethical questions about keeping wild animals as pets

Frequently Asked Questions

How did the author's wife come to adopt Bruno?
During a hunt, Kenneth Anderson shot a bear. A baby bear cub was riding on the mother's back. The cub was brought home and the author's wife adopted it, naming it Bruno. She raised it with love and affection.
Why was Bruno sent to the zoo and what happened?
Bruno grew too large to keep at home safely. He was sent to Mysore Zoo. But both he and the author's wife were heartbroken. When she visited, Bruno recognised her instantly, hugged her, and wouldn't let go. She eventually brought him back home.

Common Mistakes

  • Not reading the text carefully before attempting questions.
  • Giving vague answers without specific textual references.
  • Confusing characters, events, or themes from different chapters.
  • Writing too much for short-answer questions (should be 30-40 words).

Scoring Tips

  • For extract-based MCQs: read the passage carefully; eliminate wrong options systematically.
  • For short answers: be concise (30-40 words), use key vocabulary from the text.
  • For long answers: structure with introduction, body, conclusion. Quote from the text.
  • Always identify the chapter/poem name and author when answering.