The Owls in the Family (by Ruskin Bond): Notes, Q&A

The Owls in the Family by Ruskin Bond. This short story is in the syllabus of English Literature for most Class 5 ICSE students. Find study notes, questions and answers for this chapter.

The Owls in the Family – Story

One Morning we found a full-fledged bay spotted owlet on the ground by the balcony steps. When grandfather picket it up, it hissed and clacked its bill, but, after a meal of raw meat and water , settled down for the day under my bed.

The spotted owlet, even when full grown, is only the size of a myna, and has none of the sinister appearance of the larger owls. A pair of them may often be found in an old mango or tamarind tree, and by tapping on the tree trunk you may be able to persuade the bird to show an inquiring face at the entrance to its hole.

The bird is not normally afraid of man, nor is it strictly a night bird, but it prefers to stay at home during the day, as it is sometimes attacked by other birds, who consider all owls as their enemies.

The little owlet was quite happy under my bed. The following day a second owlet was found in almost the same place on the balcony, and only then did we realize that where the rainwater pipe emerged through the roof, there was a rough sort of nest, from which the birds had fallen.

We took the second young owl to join the first, and fed them both. When i went to bed they were on the ledge just inside the mosquito netting, and later in the night their mother found them there.

From outside she crooned and gurgled for a long time, and in the morning i found that she had left a mouse with its tail tucked through the mosquito net! Obviously she placed no reliance on me as a foster-parent.

They young birds throve and, ten days later at dawn, grandfather and i took them into the garden to release them. I had placed one on a branch of the mango tree, and was stooping to pick up the other, when i received quite a heavy blow on the back of my head.

A second or two later, the mother owl swooped down at grandfather, but he was agile enough to duck out its way. Quickly i placed the second owl under the mango tree. Then from the safe distance we watched the mother fly down and lead her offspring into the long grass at the edge of the garden.

We thought she would take her family away from the vicinity of our rather strange household, but next morning, on coming out of my room, i found two young owls standing on the wall just outside the door!

i ran to tell grandfather, and when we came back we found the mother sitting on the bird -bath ten yards away. she was evidently feeling sorry for her behavior the previous day, because she greeted us with a soft ‘whoo-whoo’.

“Now there’s an unselfish mother for you!” said Grandfather. ” It is obvious she did like them to have a good home. and they are probably getting a bit too big for her to manage”.

So the owlets became regular members of our household, and, strangely enough, were among the few pets that Grandmother took a liking to. She objected to all snakes, Most monkeys, and some crows, but she took quite a fancy to the owls, and frequently fed them on spaghetti.

They seemed quite fond of spaghetti. In fact, the owls became so attached to grand mother that began to show affections towards anyone in a petticoat, including aunt Mabel, who was terrified of them. She would run shrieking from the room every time one of the birds sidled up to her in a friendly manner.

Forgetful of the fact that grandfather and i reared them, the owls would sometimes swell their fathers and snap at anyone in trousers.

To avoid displeasing them, grandfather wore a petticoat at feeding time. This mild form of transvestism appeared to satisfy them, i compromised by wearing a apron.

In response to grandmothers’s voice, the owlets would make sounds as gentle and soothing as the purring of a cat. but when wild owls were around. ours would rend the night with blood -curdling shrieks.

Their nightly occupation was catching beetles, with which the kitchen-quarters were infested at the time. With their sharp eyes and powerful beaks they were excellent pest destroyers.

The owls loved to sit and splash in a shallow dish, especially if cold water was poured over them from a jug at the same time. They would get thoroughly wet, jump out on a perch, shake themselves, then returns for second splash and sometimes a third.

During the day they dozed in large cages under the trees in the garden. They needed cages for protection against attacks from the wild birds. At night they had the freedom of the house, where they exercised their wings as much as they liked.

Superstitious folks, who dread the cry of the owl, may be interested to know that- mice excepted- there were no untoward deaths in the house during the owls residence.

Looking back on those owlish days, i carry in my mind a picture of grandmother with a contented look in her rocking-chair.

Once, on entering her room while she was having an afternoon nap, i saw one of the owls has crawled up her pillow tills its head was snuggled under her ear.

Both grandmother and the little owl were SNORING…

Question and Answers

1. Based on what you have just read, say whether the following sentences are true or false.

• a) The spotted owlets are the largest owl species.[F]
• b) Spotted owlets and mynahs are friends.[F]
• c) Spotted owlets live in holes on trees.[T] (Answer)
• d) Spotted owlets are completely nocturnal birds-they come out only at night.
• e) Spotted owlets eat other small animals.[T]
• f) Spotted owlets have sharp eyes.[T]
• g) Spotted owlets have weak beaks.[F]
• h) Spotted owlets enjoy getting wet.[T]

2. The word ‘character’ is used for a person who appears in a story, book, play or a movie. There are four characters mentioned in the text. Can you identify them?
Answer: The four characters are – i) the narrator, ii) his grand father, iii) his grand mother and iv) Aunt Mabel.

Reference to Context:

3. “I had placed one on a branch of the mango tree, and was stooping to pick up the other, when I received a heavy blow on back of my head”. a) Where was the narrator?
Answer: The narrator was next to a mango tree in his garden.

b) What had he placed on the mango tree? What was he ‘stooping to pick up’?
Answer: He had placed one of the baby owls on the mango tree. He was stooping to pick up the other baby owl.

c) Who gave him the “heavy blow”?
Answer: The mother of the owlets gave him a “heavy blow”.

4. “I got the feeling that she was sorry for her behaviour the previous day, because she greeted us with a soft ‘whoo-whoo’.”
a) Who, according to the narrator, was feeling sorry?
Answer: According to the narrator the mother of the two owlets was feeling sorry.

b) How did she show she was feeling sorry?
Answer: She was sitting on the birdbath ten yards away. She greeted the narrator and his grandfather with a soft ‘whoo-whoo’ sound.

c) Why had she come there?
Answer: She had come there because she wanted her babies to have a good house as they were getting too big for her to manage.

d) Give an account of the incident that happened the previous day.
Answer: Ten days later the owlets were grown up well. The narrator and his grandfather took the young birds into the garden and released them. The narrator had placed one on a branch of mango tree and he was stooping to pick up the other. Just right the moment he received quite a heavy blow on the back of his head by the mother owl. Then she attacked the Grandfather of the narrator after one or two seconds later. But he was swift enough to move and save himself from the blow of the mother owl. Then the narrator quickly placed the second owl under the mango tree and hid themselves in a safe distance. The mother owl flew down and led her young ones into the long grass at the edge of the garden.

e) Write one word/adjective to describe each human character of the story.
Answer: i) The Grandfather of the narrator – affectionate;
ii) The narrator – animal-lover;
iii) The Grandmother of the narrator – adoring;
iv) Aunt Mabel – petrified;

5. “So the two owlets become regular members of our household, and strongly enough, were among the few pets that grandmother took a liking too.”

a) Do these line suggests that Grandmother liked most pets or that she did not like most pets?
Answer: These lines do not suggest that Grandmother liked most pets. But those two owlets were so adorable that she became fond of them. She had already few pets with her.

b) Who were the members of the household besides Grandmother?
Answer: Besides Grandmother, Aunt Mabel and Grandfather and those two owlets were the members of the household.

c) Which member of the household did not like the owlets? How do you know?
Answer: Aunt Mabel did not like the owlets. Because she would run shrieking from the room every time one of the birds went close to her in a friendly manner.

Read, Reflect and Write:

6. What do we know about the house where the narrator lived? Describe it based on the details given in the story. Answer: The house where the narrator lived had a veranda with steps. The house was with roof and rainwater pipe emerged through the roof. There was a garden nearby the house. There were old mango and tamarind tree. There were many pets in the house. We can also see that there used to be birdbath in the house.

7. List six sounds of an owl that the narrator has given in the text. Answer: Six sounds of an owl that the narrator has given in the text are – i) hissed, ii) clacked, iii) crooned, iv) gurgled, v) ‘whoo-whoo’ and vi) shrieks.

8. How did the owlets show their affection for Grandmother?

Answer: The owlets began to show affection like any one in a petticoat. In response to Grandmother’s voice, the owlets would make sounds as gentle and smoothing as the purring of a cat.

9. How did the mother owl show that she cared for the little owlets?

Answer: The mother owl crooned and gurgled with concern outside the narrator’s bedroom where the baby owls were kept and even brought a mouse for them to eat. Later, when the narrator was placing the baby owls on the tree branch, she swooped down and attacked him from behind. Later she left them at the narrator’s house so that they could be raised by the family.

10. Did the narrator and his Grandfather treat animals with respect? Give reason for your answer.

Answer: The narrator and his grandfather treated animals and birds with respect. They took in the two baby owls and fed them and protected them. And after ten days even released them back to their mother.