Ruskin’s bond continues as ever

This vibrant, endearing collection of tales can warm the coldest of winter evenings, says Jaskiran Chopra

Ruskin Bond’s uncorrupted literary universe has remained much the same, whether the book is written for children or for adult readers. His way of looking at things has been simple and full of fine observation. The minute details, all-pervasive good humour and benevolence make his writing so endearing and special.

In his Children’s Omnibus (Volume II), all this can be seen and enjoyed by readers across all ages. Though he has been popularly known as a children’s writer, it is only when Bond crossed the age of 30 and settled in Mussoorie that he began to write for children. His view of the world is childlike and has a rare innocence which we find in almost all his work.

This book too has stories that are for the regular reader. They include ‘And Now We are Twelve’, ‘Adventures in Reading’ and ‘Mussoorie’s Landour Bazaar’. Children, trees, mountains, rain, books, ghosts, animals and birds are part of this collection of stories and can be found in almost all of them. There is a great variety here — horror, mythology, school stories, a fairy tale or two, poems, stories about the author’s childhood and his adopted family, and so on.

Ghost tales like ‘Woman in White’ and ‘Some Hill Station Ghosts’ are quite gripping and yet not so scary that children might be psychologically hampered. They are filled with Bond’s characteristic sense of humour. The story ‘Adventures in Reading’ tells us about the books that Bond has preserved with him — his father’s Prayer Book and Psalter and Charles Lamb’s The Humour which fits into his wallet. He also talks of how he actually writes by hand even today. “I like taking my notebooks and writing pads to odd places... There are a number of favourite places where I do my writing. One is under the chestnut tree on the slope above the cottage.” 

The author also talks about the readings from his childhood — Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, comics etc. Whether it is Popeye, the parrot who would not talk, or the leopard in Tehri or Bond’s grandfather’s pet python, there are animals in many of the stories and all of them are important characters. This makes the stories attractive to children as does the narration of fairy tales like Seven Brides for Seven Princes in which the monkey turns into a princess at the end of the story.

Uncle Ken, Bond’s crazy maternal uncle, also appears to make us smile at his idiosyncrasies and eccentric behaviour. Again, Bond’s Aunt Ruby is troubled greatly by Tutu, the monkey, and also by Popeye, the parrot, who initially does not talk at all. The aunt scorns him for this and later when the parrot begins talking, he scorns her in her own words — “You’re no beauty! Can’t talk, can’t sing, can’t dance!” Though the situations are really strange, Bond makes them sound normal.

The descriptions of the Shimla Bazaar and the Landour Bazaar in Mussoorie are fascinating; the little teashops, bakers, peanut sellers, tailors, etc, all attract him. His love for the hills comes through clearly in this collection of stories. This collection is vibrant, endearing and full of charming tales that can warm the coldest of winter evenings. One can imagine readers curling up with this book in bed or on a rocking chair by the fireplace.