Conclusion

Boy’s Scouts Forever

Ruskin Bond (1934- ) is an Indian author of British descent. He is a prolific

writer who has written many stories, novels, essays, and lots of books for children. Some of his
best-known books are The Blue Umbrella and Delhi is Not Far. He was a Boy Scout once,
although he couldn’t tell a slip knot from a granny knot, or a reef knot from a thief knot, except
that a thief knot was supposed to tie up a thief, should you happen to catch one. He have never
caught a thief and wouldn’t know what to do with one since he can’t tie a knot. Just let him go
with a warning, I suppose. Tell him to become a Boy Scout.
Be prepared’ That’s the Boy Scout motto. And a good one, too. But he never seem to be well
prepared for anything, be it an exam or a journey or the roof blowing off my room. He get
halfway through a speech and then forget what he have to say next. Or he make a new suit to
attend a friend’s wedding, and then turn up in my pajamas. So how did he, the most impractical
of boys, become a Boy Scout? He was at boarding school in Shimla when it happened.

He had never cooked anything in my life, but of course, he had spent a

lot of time in the tuck shop making suggestions and advising Chippu, who ran the tuck shop,
and encouraging him to make more and better samosas, jalebis, and pakoras. For my unwanted
advice, he would favor me with an occasional free samosa, so naturally, he looked upon him as
a friend and benefactor. With this qualification, I was given a cookery badge and put in charge
of our troop’s supply of rations. There were about twenty us in our troop and the summer
breaks our Scoutmaster, Mr Oliver, took us on a camping expedition to Tara Devi, a temple-
crowned mountain a few miles outside Shimla. That first night we were put to work, peeling
potatoes, skinning onions, shelling peas and pounding masalas. These various ingredients
being ready, he was asked-as the troop’s cookery expert-what should be done with them. Put
everything in that big degchi he ordered. ‘Pour half a tin of ghee over the lot. And some nettle
leaves and cook for half an hour ,When this was done, everyone had a taste, but the general
opinion was that the dish lacked something. More salt , suggested . More salt was added .It still
lacked something. ‘ Add a cup of sugar ‘, he ordered. Sugar was added to the concoction. But
still it lacked something. We forgot to add tomatoes , said Bimal , one of the scouts.Never
mind, he said. ‘We have tomato sauce. Add a bottle of tomato sauce!’How about some
vinegar? Asked another boy.Just the thing, he said. ‘A cup of vinegar!Now

It’s too sour, said one of the tasters.What jam did we bring?” he asked.Gooseberry jam.Just
the thing. Empty the bottleThe dish was a great success. Everyone had enjoyed it, including Mr
Oliver, who no idea what went into it.What’s this called?’ he asked.It’s an all-Indian sweet-
and-sour jam-potato curry, he ventured.‘For short, just call it Bond-bhuji, said Bimal.He had
earned my cookery badge!
 *****

Uncle Ken’s Rumble in the Jungle

In this story, author recollects, in a joyful and lively manner, the

misadventures of his eccentric relative, Uncle Ken. They undergo a jungle tour in search of red
jungle fowl. Uncle Ken drives a car through a forest along with Ruskin Bond. By the time, they
reach the forest rest house, “one of the car doors had fallen off its hinges, and a large lantana bush
had got entwined in the bumper” (141). The happy and careless Uncle Ken never minds saying its
all part of the adventure. They enter in thick jungle with the help of a forest guard.

They see a number of spotted deer and several pheasants, but no red jungle fowl. That evening
they sit out on the verandah of the rest house. When Uncle Ken starts singing, the Jackals in the
jungle also make sounds. The frogs become silent when they hear those sounds. The next day
they go and search for the Red Jungle Fowl but their efforts are a mere waste. They return with
disappointment. The weather has changed overnight and a light drizzle is falling as they started
out. Then there is a heavy downpour by the time they reach the bridge across the Suseva river.
An elephant was standing in the middle of the bridge. Uncle Ken blows his horn, and that is a
mistake. The elephant takes a few steps forward. Uncle Ken drives the car into reverse. At last
they reach Kansrao railway station. He turns the car to the forest. The narrow road is filled with
rain water. They encounter more elephants. Uncle Ken is not afraid of elephants. He has been for
numerous elephant’s rides at the Lucknow zoo. However they escape from an attack by elephants.
The car is overturned by one of the elephants. The other elephants join in the mayhem and soon the
car is a flattered piece of junk”

The station master gives them two rupees each for the train journey to Dehradun. This is
the cheapest rail journey in India. They reach home. Grandfather asks about the car. Uncle Ken
replies that the car met with an accident and he has left the car outside the Kansrao railway
station. He says he will collect it later. He says he is hungry. One of their grandfathers’s hunting
friends sent a jungle fowl. The granny has made a nice roast. She serves them food with a red
jungle fowl.

Thus, Ruskin’s childhood world is full of such hair-raising misadventures. His childhood
days with Uncle Ken are full of grandiose schemes.

*****