Mar 19, 2014 05:20 PM
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(Updated Mar 19, 2014 05:20 PM)
In the land of lilies and orchards,
There lived a weird Uncle Ken,
None could predict in one’s wildest dreams,
What he would do and when.
The tale is set in Dehra,
Picturesque descriptions galore,
Just 158 pages in the book,
And one keeps longing for more.
Ruskin Bond: This Indian author of British descent has written novels of light fiction and over 300 short stories. He has won the Padma Bhooshan in 2014. In my experimental spree of trying different authors, I came across his name as one among the most cherished in the ‘short story’ world. I had not read his works and was curious to start one soon.
Plot: To be frank, this is no story collection. It is about the adventures and misadventures of an eccentric but well-meaning relative of the author - Uncle Ken. This uncle, being the only son of his parents, has been pampered through his life. Whenever he is goaded by anyone to search for a job, he conveniently hops from one sister’s place to another and enjoys their hospitality for weeks together. Uncle Ken has 4 sisters including Ruskin’s mother. Ruskin as a schoolboy visits Dehra during vacations.
One daren’t say that Uncle Ken does not work. He has tried an assortment of jobs- from being a tutor to a tourist guide to a butterfly catcher. Either way, he ends up losing his job and whiling away his time in their bungalow in the laid-back town of Dehra. The bungalow overlooks a beautiful garden laden with sweet peas, dandelions, marigolds and daisies.
Listing a few of the episodes I enjoyed reading and guffawing at:
1. Life with Uncle Ken: This story covers a range of misdeeds that the uncle executed with splendor! As a tourist guide, he managed to take a group of American tourists to see some sights only to realize that the whole tribe has gone up the wrong hill and has forgotten the way back. As a tutor for the maharaja’s two kids, he took Ruskin(who was a little boy then) along for some assistance whenever he did not know the answers. As a driver, Uncle Ken succeeded to knock away the Maharaja’s wall and give a nervous breakdown to a couple of elderly onlookers. As an assistant manager at a Simla hotel, his kith and kin danced under the illusion that he has landed upon a steady job till the hotel closed down within 3 days of his joining.
2. Monkey trouble: Ruskin’s grandfather had a fascination to keep unusual pets. A dog, a cat, a parrot, a goat, several white mice and a tortoise were among the varied species that enjoyed food and shelter in their home. As if this array was not enough, a new she- monkey catches the fascination of the grandfather’s eye and secures an honourable position in the house. She tries all sorts of pranks on strangers and family members alike. On one occasion, she tries Uncle Ken’s stylish comb for the solemn task of scratching her armpits, much to the exasperation of the uncle and the amusement of Ruskin!
3. The Ghost who got in: We’ve heard of scary ghosts, but this one seems to be mischievous! He showers flower petals at the family members and decayed leaves or banana peels on the exorcist(tantrik baba) who comes to drive him away. Puncturing way-side vehicle tyres, pulling the parrot’s tail, hiding grandma’s spectacles and plucking sweet peas from the garden were his routine tasks. Extreme nonsense, but hilarious!
4. A crow for all seasons: This equally hilarious episode is an autobiography of a crow who resides in a tree from the yard. All crows have their own ‘area’ for living and eating as per ‘rules’ and no crow trespasses on any other area! On one occasion, Uncle Ken gets angry and flings a metallic ring that is used to hang towels which gets stuck like a necklace over the crow. Suddenly the other crows start regarding him with suspicion since he no longer looks like a genuine crow!
Quotes:
Uncle Ken liked to whistle tunelessly. When Uncle Ken had a bad tooth removed, we thought that his whistling would stop. But it became louder and shriller.
In an attempt to catch a rare butterfly, he caught an angry wasp which stung him through the net. After this, uncle retired from the butterfly business, insisting that tiger-hunting was safer.
Uncle Ken: Imagine a world without beautiful peacocks, swans, nightingales, ducks….
Ruskin: Yes, granny makes good duck curry.
Even in the most normal circumstances, something unusual would happen to Uncle Ken and those around him. He was a catalyst for confusion!
My Opinion: “God gives us relatives, Thank god we can choose our friends”, says Ethel Watts Mumford who couldn’t have hit at the truth more aptly. We all have at least one weird relative we wouldn’t like to be found dead in a ditch with. However, in our heart of hearts we know that without them, our life would be lacking some spice(read entertainment). Uncle Ken is one such endearing example.
I read somewhere that the best way to judge a book is by the feeling that we get when it is over. And I did feel sad when it got over. No wonder Ruskin Bond has a venerable rank among the young and old alike. He has this eloquent knack of extracting the extraordinary out of the ordinary!
Word of precaution: This one is best enjoyed when you are alone, since there is the risk of being termed as a lunatic since you will laugh if you read while traveling or in public!
Happy reading!
