About the Author
Ruskin Bond, born on May 19, 1934, is an Indian author of British descent whose father was a Royal Air Force officer. He wrote his first novel "The Room on the Roof" at seventeen, which won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 1957. Bond received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1992 and the Padma Shri in 1999 for his contributions to children's literature. He currently lives in Landour, near Mussoorie.
Setting and Main Character
The story is set in Dehra, a town nestled in a valley at the foot of the Himalayas, India. The narrator is a young boy who lives with his grandparents. While the house and grounds belong to his grandfather's domain, the magnificent old banyan tree becomes the boy's special territory, primarily because his 65-year-old grandfather can no longer climb it.
The Banyan Tree
The ancient banyan tree, older than the house and grandfather himself, serves as the boy's private sanctuary. Its spreading branches curve to the ground and take root again, creating a natural maze of arches. The boy builds a small platform halfway up the tree where he spends afternoons reading adventure books like Treasure Island, Huckleberry Finn, and The Mowgli stories.
Friendship with the Squirrel
The boy's first friend in the tree is a small grey squirrel who initially resents the human invasion but gradually becomes friendly when he realizes the boy carries no weapons. The squirrel grows bold enough to take food directly from the boy's hands and eventually searches through his pockets for treats. Other squirrels consider this young squirrel foolish for trusting a human.
The Great Battle: Mongoose vs. Cobra
The most exciting adventure occurs on an April afternoon when the boy witnesses an epic battle between a mongoose and a large black cobra in the garden below. Both are skilled fighters - the cobra with its deadly venom and lightning-quick strikes, and the mongoose with its agility and thick protective hair.
The battle unfolds in three dramatic rounds:
- Round 1: The mongoose cleverly avoids the cobra's mesmerizing gaze and successfully bites the snake's back
- Round 2: The pattern repeats with the mongoose again outmaneuvering the cobra
- Round 3: The mongoose delivers the final blow, gripping the cobra by the snout until it stops struggling
Two bird spectators, a myna and a jungle crow, attempt to join the fight but only succeed in colliding with each other. Tragically, the crow gets struck by the cobra and dies, while the wise myna learns to stay away from further interference.
The Strange Case of the White Squirrels
Another remarkable incident involves Grandfather's white rat, purchased from the bazaar for four annas. The rat befriends one of the squirrels and they embark on adventures together through the tree's branches. When the squirrel begins building a nest, she first tries constructing it in the boy's pockets, leaving straw and grass in his clothes.
The mystery deepens when Grandmother's knitting needles go missing. The boy discovers them in a hole in the banyan tree, along with the knitting wool and three surprising occupants - white baby squirrels! Grandfather explains that since rats and squirrels are related, it was possible for them to have offspring, resulting in these unique white squirrels.
Themes and Messages
The story beautifully illustrates the harmony between humans and nature, showing how the boy becomes one with his natural environment. The banyan tree serves as a microcosm of the natural world, where different species interact, fight, befriend each other, and create new life. The narrative emphasizes observation, patience, and respect for wildlife while highlighting the fascinating and sometimes unexpected ways that nature operates.
Significance
Through the boy's adventures in the banyan tree, Ruskin Bond captures the wonder and excitement of childhood spent in close contact with nature, demonstrating how such experiences shape our understanding of the natural world and our place within it.