Saturday, January 3, 2009
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
NO ROOM FOR A LEOPARD
1) Introduction About Author :-
Ruskin Bond is a long time resident of Landour and Mussoorie, a beautiful hill station in Uttar Pradesh of India. He is a prolific writer of poetry, fiction and non-fictional essay, and has published some 70 odd books to date. He has weekly English language column in leading Indian newspapers. Ruskin Bond was born in 1939. As he lost his father at an early age and had to grow up in his step-father’s house, he became rather an introspective reticent person who immersed himself in a world of books. As a child he spent long period with his grand parents in Mussoorie and imbibed a love for nature and animals from his grandfather. Ruskin Bond started writing at the age of ten. His novel The Roof won him the prestigious John Llewell Rhys when he was only 18. In 1992 his collection of stories Trees Still Grow in Dehradun got him the Sahitya Akademi Award.
Ruskin Bind’s works mainly depict children growing up and maturing through adversity and experience. The natural scenic hills of Dehradun and Mussoorie almost invariably from the setting of his works and reflect his ardent faith in the healing powers of nature.
Now at 61, Ruskin lives at Landour, Mussoorie along with his adopted son’s family, surrounded by pines; the blue firmament, the sun kissed dew-drenched buttercups, vine and children. And he still continues to pour his heart out in his writings. He said in a recent interview, “I don’t always write professionally or for money. It is something I feel I have to do to relate my impressions in the day-to-day life that I see around me.”
Major Works of Ruskin Bond :
1999 A Season of Ghost.
1994 Delhi is not far : the best of Ruskin Bond.
1994 Quakes and flames Bond.
1992 An island of trees : nature stories and po Bond.
1992 Mussoorie and Landour : days of wine and R Bond.
1991 Snake trouble.
1989 Time stops at Shamli and other stories.
1988 Beautiful Garhwal : Heaven in Himalayas.
1988 The night train at Deoli and other stories.
1986 The adventures of Rusty.
1985 To live in magic : a book of nature poems.
1980 A flight of pigeons.
1977 A girl from Copenhagen.
1975 Lone fox dancing : lyric poems.
1972 An axe for the Rani.
1972 It isn’t time that’s passing.
1969 Strange men, strange places.
1968 My first love and other stories.
1967 The neighbor’s wife and other stories.
1957 The room on the roof.
2. Summary :
This story was first published in A Bond with the Mountains in 1998. It is a very moving account of the killing of a trusting leopard by a group of shikaris. Leopard skins were selling in Delhi at over a thousand rupees each. Of course, there was a ban on the export of its skins but there were always ways and means… Because of such unscrupulous persons, the leopard, like many other members of the cat family, is nearing extinction in India.
Because of deforestation taking place in the hills and surrounding areas, many animals have been driven into the vallerys inhabited by human beings. This exposes them to grave risks and fatal encounters – one such encounter has been described in this story. But for the rapid deforestation the shikaris would not have caught and killed the leopard so very easily. In the familiar surrounding of the forest the leopard would have found a safe haven.
Of course, this deforestation has brought one indirect advantage too – of bringing humans and non-humans closer to each other. The piotagonist – we are given neither his name or age – came into close contact with the floktails, kaleej pheasants langurs, red foxes and even a sinewy orange – gold leopard. As he had not come to take anything from the jungle the birds and animals soon grew accustomed to his face. They began to recognize his footsteps. After some time, his approach did not disturb them. The birds would no longer fly away, they would just watch him with some curiosity and continue to munch up the tender green shoots of the oak. Not only that, when one day they saw a leopard poised on a rock about twenty feet above the young narrator, they tried to warn him of the hidden danger by grunting and chattering. They thus showed their concern for him. A deep bond thus got established between the narrator and the animals world without their ever exchanging a single word.
The difference between the children’s thinking and the adult thinking has also been brought out. Children love nature. They love all the birds and animals. It come naturally to them. No ulterior consideration enters their innocent minds. They can never ever think of harming the animals or exploiting them for their personal gain or profit. But the adults are solely driven by mercenary considerations. If a leopard’s skin can fetch them a good price, they would not think twice before killing him. Compassion, trust, love… these mean nothing to them. An idyllic world stands shattered because of this selfish cruelty.
The young narrator loved every bird and animal. He meant them no harm. They in return trusted him and accepted him and cared for him, in their own way. But their acceptance of his presence, of human presence proved to be their undoing. The leopard became trusting, became less cautious, took the shikaris also to be friends. And lost his life. Hereafter at least animals stoped trusting human being. And this distrust soon spread far and wide. Even though all men are not selfish and cruel, many of us deeply love animals and care for them but the act of shikaris will make them suspicious forever.
A long and hazardous journey in pursuit of something noble is often the theme of good and absorbing children’s stories. The perilous journey exemplifies the value of coopretation and the quality of friendship. Here the young narrator crosses the forest and the small stream at the bottom of the hill every morning and evening, all by himself. We are not told why he does so. It is left to our imagination. Perhaps he goes to school, though his bag of books or satchel in never mentioned. But that is not important. What is significant is the trust that develops between him and the animals and the subsequent breach of that trust.
The best in children’s literature has a double purpose. While it entertains the young reader and the adult as well, it also teaches something – helps understand the norms of the society in which we live. Transmission of ethical and social values is skillfully woven into the texture of the story. Ironically, in this story, the ways and thinking of the adult world are censured. At the end of the story the child does not stand enlightened, he stands embittered, disillusioned. In a way this story is a comment on the modern world and its life style. The adults no longer provide role models for our children. Models of right thinking and right behavior. Children are making them aware of their misdeeds.
3) The Theme of the Story :
A long and hazardous journey in pursuit of something noble is often the theme of good and absorbing children’s stories. The perilous journey exemplifies the value of co- operation and the quality of friendship. Here the young narrator crosses the forest and the small stream at the bottom of the hill every morning and evening, all by himself. We are not told why he does so. It is left to our imagination. Perhaps he goes to school, though his bag of books or satchel in never mentioned. But that is not important. What is significant is the trust that develops between him and the animals and the subsequent breach of that trust.
The best in children’s literature has a double purpose. While it entertains the young reader and the adult as well, it also teaches something – helps understand the norms of the society in which we live. Transmission of ethical and social values is skillfully woven into the texture of the story. Ironically, in this story, the ways and thinking of the adult world are censured. At the end of the story the child does not stand enlightened, he stands embittered, disillusioned. In a way this story is a comment on the modern world and its life style. The adults no longer provide role models for our children. Models of right thinking and right behavior. Children are making them aware of their misdeeds.
4) Characterization :-
In ‘No Room for a Leopard’ the protagonist is a young boy of about twelve years of age. We are not told his name. that is not important. What matters is his love of animals and complete affinity with nature. In ‘No Room for Leopard’ even his age is never mentioned. Only from the illustration do we surmise that he is no more than 10 -11. We don’t know why he crossed the forest every morning and evening. True, his cottage was just above the forest but we are not told why he travelled all by himself and why his people back home never worried about his safety. Surely they would have known about the many birds and animals frequenting that area. The shikaris show more concern when they tell him that there is a leopard around and he should carry a gun.
Nor are we told anything about the shikaris except that they were only interested in the money the leopard’s skin would fetch them. We don’t know their names or number. We don’t know where they came from or where went. They symbolize an attitude – selfish materialism. And it’s contrasted with the child’s spontaneous love for the animals.
5) Criticism :
The title of the story its self suggest that the work which done by shikari is so serious and undoing. Leopard did not know that the person who came he was not his friend but he was the killer of his life it put trust him and went near by so shikari easily killed Leopard but shikari wouldn’t think twice before killing him. He has no care about the friendship of Leopard and Child. Leopard had a friend or friendship with human beings so it came near him.
“No room for a Leopard” story suggest that the person when became mature, adult he did not think about the anything. He thinking only for his self. He became a selfish. He want to achieve something. He want to do which he expect or from which he get something. He did not care about other self but he only and only think for their selves. So by this story Ruskin Bond criticized that type of person who killed or harming other self for their on selfish. Ruskin Bond try to enlighten us by such type of person and suggest that us don’t be selfish every time for our selves. We should try to think about others relations and their friendship.
The selfishness of shikari made cruelty and only for their self they killed innocent leopard. Here after at least animals stopped trusting human being and this distrust soon spread far and wide. Even though all men are not cruel and selfish many of us deeply love animal and care for them but the act of shikaris will make them suspicious forever.
6) Why do I chose this story :
In this story there are clear picture above the modern people selfish doing. I like this story because the innocent child who loved only bird and animal child had no any selfishness and we can easily find different between adult and children thinking adult always thinking about their innerselves. They have not care about other self. He want to get something from it but they should try to think about innocent animal and brid also and other life as well as their relkation. We should not attact on like shikari attack on the Leopard. Shikari had no any other aspect but shikari had only thinking for his self.
Ruskin Bond is a long time resident of Landour and Mussoorie, a beautiful hill station in Uttar Pradesh of India. He is a prolific writer of poetry, fiction and non-fictional essay, and has published some 70 odd books to date. He has weekly English language column in leading Indian newspapers. Ruskin Bond was born in 1939. As he lost his father at an early age and had to grow up in his step-father’s house, he became rather an introspective reticent person who immersed himself in a world of books. As a child he spent long period with his grand parents in Mussoorie and imbibed a love for nature and animals from his grandfather. Ruskin Bond started writing at the age of ten. His novel The Roof won him the prestigious John Llewell Rhys when he was only 18. In 1992 his collection of stories Trees Still Grow in Dehradun got him the Sahitya Akademi Award.
Ruskin Bind’s works mainly depict children growing up and maturing through adversity and experience. The natural scenic hills of Dehradun and Mussoorie almost invariably from the setting of his works and reflect his ardent faith in the healing powers of nature.
Now at 61, Ruskin lives at Landour, Mussoorie along with his adopted son’s family, surrounded by pines; the blue firmament, the sun kissed dew-drenched buttercups, vine and children. And he still continues to pour his heart out in his writings. He said in a recent interview, “I don’t always write professionally or for money. It is something I feel I have to do to relate my impressions in the day-to-day life that I see around me.”
Major Works of Ruskin Bond :
1999 A Season of Ghost.
1994 Delhi is not far : the best of Ruskin Bond.
1994 Quakes and flames Bond.
1992 An island of trees : nature stories and po Bond.
1992 Mussoorie and Landour : days of wine and R Bond.
1991 Snake trouble.
1989 Time stops at Shamli and other stories.
1988 Beautiful Garhwal : Heaven in Himalayas.
1988 The night train at Deoli and other stories.
1986 The adventures of Rusty.
1985 To live in magic : a book of nature poems.
1980 A flight of pigeons.
1977 A girl from Copenhagen.
1975 Lone fox dancing : lyric poems.
1972 An axe for the Rani.
1972 It isn’t time that’s passing.
1969 Strange men, strange places.
1968 My first love and other stories.
1967 The neighbor’s wife and other stories.
1957 The room on the roof.
2. Summary :
This story was first published in A Bond with the Mountains in 1998. It is a very moving account of the killing of a trusting leopard by a group of shikaris. Leopard skins were selling in Delhi at over a thousand rupees each. Of course, there was a ban on the export of its skins but there were always ways and means… Because of such unscrupulous persons, the leopard, like many other members of the cat family, is nearing extinction in India.
Because of deforestation taking place in the hills and surrounding areas, many animals have been driven into the vallerys inhabited by human beings. This exposes them to grave risks and fatal encounters – one such encounter has been described in this story. But for the rapid deforestation the shikaris would not have caught and killed the leopard so very easily. In the familiar surrounding of the forest the leopard would have found a safe haven.
Of course, this deforestation has brought one indirect advantage too – of bringing humans and non-humans closer to each other. The piotagonist – we are given neither his name or age – came into close contact with the floktails, kaleej pheasants langurs, red foxes and even a sinewy orange – gold leopard. As he had not come to take anything from the jungle the birds and animals soon grew accustomed to his face. They began to recognize his footsteps. After some time, his approach did not disturb them. The birds would no longer fly away, they would just watch him with some curiosity and continue to munch up the tender green shoots of the oak. Not only that, when one day they saw a leopard poised on a rock about twenty feet above the young narrator, they tried to warn him of the hidden danger by grunting and chattering. They thus showed their concern for him. A deep bond thus got established between the narrator and the animals world without their ever exchanging a single word.
The difference between the children’s thinking and the adult thinking has also been brought out. Children love nature. They love all the birds and animals. It come naturally to them. No ulterior consideration enters their innocent minds. They can never ever think of harming the animals or exploiting them for their personal gain or profit. But the adults are solely driven by mercenary considerations. If a leopard’s skin can fetch them a good price, they would not think twice before killing him. Compassion, trust, love… these mean nothing to them. An idyllic world stands shattered because of this selfish cruelty.
The young narrator loved every bird and animal. He meant them no harm. They in return trusted him and accepted him and cared for him, in their own way. But their acceptance of his presence, of human presence proved to be their undoing. The leopard became trusting, became less cautious, took the shikaris also to be friends. And lost his life. Hereafter at least animals stoped trusting human being. And this distrust soon spread far and wide. Even though all men are not selfish and cruel, many of us deeply love animals and care for them but the act of shikaris will make them suspicious forever.
A long and hazardous journey in pursuit of something noble is often the theme of good and absorbing children’s stories. The perilous journey exemplifies the value of coopretation and the quality of friendship. Here the young narrator crosses the forest and the small stream at the bottom of the hill every morning and evening, all by himself. We are not told why he does so. It is left to our imagination. Perhaps he goes to school, though his bag of books or satchel in never mentioned. But that is not important. What is significant is the trust that develops between him and the animals and the subsequent breach of that trust.
The best in children’s literature has a double purpose. While it entertains the young reader and the adult as well, it also teaches something – helps understand the norms of the society in which we live. Transmission of ethical and social values is skillfully woven into the texture of the story. Ironically, in this story, the ways and thinking of the adult world are censured. At the end of the story the child does not stand enlightened, he stands embittered, disillusioned. In a way this story is a comment on the modern world and its life style. The adults no longer provide role models for our children. Models of right thinking and right behavior. Children are making them aware of their misdeeds.
3) The Theme of the Story :
A long and hazardous journey in pursuit of something noble is often the theme of good and absorbing children’s stories. The perilous journey exemplifies the value of co- operation and the quality of friendship. Here the young narrator crosses the forest and the small stream at the bottom of the hill every morning and evening, all by himself. We are not told why he does so. It is left to our imagination. Perhaps he goes to school, though his bag of books or satchel in never mentioned. But that is not important. What is significant is the trust that develops between him and the animals and the subsequent breach of that trust.
The best in children’s literature has a double purpose. While it entertains the young reader and the adult as well, it also teaches something – helps understand the norms of the society in which we live. Transmission of ethical and social values is skillfully woven into the texture of the story. Ironically, in this story, the ways and thinking of the adult world are censured. At the end of the story the child does not stand enlightened, he stands embittered, disillusioned. In a way this story is a comment on the modern world and its life style. The adults no longer provide role models for our children. Models of right thinking and right behavior. Children are making them aware of their misdeeds.
4) Characterization :-
In ‘No Room for a Leopard’ the protagonist is a young boy of about twelve years of age. We are not told his name. that is not important. What matters is his love of animals and complete affinity with nature. In ‘No Room for Leopard’ even his age is never mentioned. Only from the illustration do we surmise that he is no more than 10 -11. We don’t know why he crossed the forest every morning and evening. True, his cottage was just above the forest but we are not told why he travelled all by himself and why his people back home never worried about his safety. Surely they would have known about the many birds and animals frequenting that area. The shikaris show more concern when they tell him that there is a leopard around and he should carry a gun.
Nor are we told anything about the shikaris except that they were only interested in the money the leopard’s skin would fetch them. We don’t know their names or number. We don’t know where they came from or where went. They symbolize an attitude – selfish materialism. And it’s contrasted with the child’s spontaneous love for the animals.
5) Criticism :
The title of the story its self suggest that the work which done by shikari is so serious and undoing. Leopard did not know that the person who came he was not his friend but he was the killer of his life it put trust him and went near by so shikari easily killed Leopard but shikari wouldn’t think twice before killing him. He has no care about the friendship of Leopard and Child. Leopard had a friend or friendship with human beings so it came near him.
“No room for a Leopard” story suggest that the person when became mature, adult he did not think about the anything. He thinking only for his self. He became a selfish. He want to achieve something. He want to do which he expect or from which he get something. He did not care about other self but he only and only think for their selves. So by this story Ruskin Bond criticized that type of person who killed or harming other self for their on selfish. Ruskin Bond try to enlighten us by such type of person and suggest that us don’t be selfish every time for our selves. We should try to think about others relations and their friendship.
The selfishness of shikari made cruelty and only for their self they killed innocent leopard. Here after at least animals stopped trusting human being and this distrust soon spread far and wide. Even though all men are not cruel and selfish many of us deeply love animal and care for them but the act of shikaris will make them suspicious forever.
6) Why do I chose this story :
In this story there are clear picture above the modern people selfish doing. I like this story because the innocent child who loved only bird and animal child had no any selfishness and we can easily find different between adult and children thinking adult always thinking about their innerselves. They have not care about other self. He want to get something from it but they should try to think about innocent animal and brid also and other life as well as their relkation. We should not attact on like shikari attack on the Leopard. Shikari had no any other aspect but shikari had only thinking for his self.
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