Class 9 English - MP
Prose: The Bond of Love
The Bond of Love by Kenneth Anderson is a touching prose piece from the Class 9 MPBSE English curriculum that explores the emotional connection between a human and a wild animal. The story revolves around the author's wife and her pet sloth bear, Bruno, whom she affectionately names Baba. It highlights themes of love, compassion, and animal empathy, showing that animals possess deep emotional intelligence. For MPBSE board exams, this chapter is crucial for testing reading comprehension, character sketching, and understanding the central theme of empathy towards nature, frequently featuring in both short-answer and long-answer sections.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Rescue of the Sloth Bear
The author rescues a baby sloth bear by shooting its mother, who was carrying the cub on her back, and brings it home as a gift for his wife.
Bruno Becomes Baba
The author's wife renames the bear 'Baba' and pampers him like a child, teaching him various playful tricks and feeding him a diverse diet.
Accidental Poisoning Incidents
Baba accidentally consumes barium carbonate meant for rats and later old engine oil, but miraculously survives both life-threatening poisonings.
Separation and Grief
As Baba grows too large for the household, he is reluctantly sent to the Mysore zoo, where both he and the author's wife suffer deeply from separation.
Emotional Reunion
After months apart, the author's wife visits the zoo, and Baba immediately recognizes her through his enclosure, demonstrating an unbreakable bond of love.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Madhya Pradesh (MPBSE) Class 9 English exams, this chapter typically carries around 4 to 6 marks. Questions commonly include extracts for reading comprehension, short answer questions about Bruno's life and accidents, and long-answer questions focusing on the emotional bond between animals and humans or character sketches of the author's wife.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Bruno sent away to the zoo?
Bruno was sent away because he grew too large to be kept safely in a domestic household, as he posed potential risks to other people and pets.
How did the author's wife react to the separation from Baba?
She was deeply depressed, wept constantly, refused to eat properly, and constantly urged her husband to let her visit Baba at the Mysore zoo.
Did Bruno recognize the author's wife when she visited the zoo?
Yes, despite months of separation, Bruno recognized her instantly from a distance, howled with happiness, and stood on his head in excitement.
Learn Prose: The Bond of Love with Your AI Tutor
10 different ways to study this chapter. Free for 3 chapters per day.
Lecture
Key Points
Interactive
Quiz
Flashcards