The Narrative Present
Notice the incomplete sentences in the following paragraphs. Here the writer is using incomplete sentences in the narration to make the incident more dramatic or immediate.

Can you rewrite the paragraph in complete sentences?
(You can begin: The vet and I made a dash back to the car. Bruno was still floundering…)
(i) A dash back to car. Bruno still floundering about on his stumps, but clearly weakening rapidly; some vomiting, heavy breathing, with heaving flanks and gaping mouth.
Hold him everybody! In goes the hypodermic – Bruno squeals – 10 c.c. of the antidote enters his system without a drop being wasted. Then minutes later: condition unchanged! Another 10 c.c. injected! Ten minutes later: breathing less stertorous – Bruno can move his arms and legs a little although he can not stand yet. Thirty minutes later: Bruno gets up and has a great feed! He looks at us disdainfully, as much as to say, ‘What’s barium carbonate to a big black bear like me?’ Bruno is still eating.

(ii) In the paragraphs above from the story the verbs are in the present tense (eg. hold, goes, etc.). This gives the reader an impression of immediacy. The present tense is often used when we give a commentary on a game (cricket, football, etc.), or tell a story as if it is happening now. It is, therefore, called the narrative present.
You will read more about the present tense in Unit 10

(i) Where did the writer find the baby bear?

(ii) How were the wild pigs being driven away? Why?

(iii) Find the words from the passage which mean similar to the words given below:

(a) for no good reason, (b) at once.

(i) What fell down the dead bear’s body ? Why were the shooters surprised?

(ii) How did the baby bear behave after his mother’s death?

(iii) Find two words (from the passage) opposite in meaning of the following words.

(a) release, (b) enemies.

(a) What does ‘it’ stand for here?

(b) How did she feel at receiving it?

(c) Find out the words from the passage which mean the same as the following:

(i) properly, (ii) named.

(i) Who was Bruno? What befall him once?

(ii) How did the poison affect Bruno?

(iii) Find words from the passage which mean the same as:

(a) moved forcibly, (b) the doctor of animals.

(a) Who does T refer to in the last line?

(b) What had happened?

(c) Find out the word from the passage which means the opposite of the following:‘nectar.’

(a) Who does ‘She’ refer to?

(b) What does the word ‘Baba’ signify?

(c) Find out the words from the passage which mean the same as the following:

(i) lovingly.

(ii) hidden.

(i) Why did all of them feel relieved?

(ii) Who was inconsolable? What did she do?

(iii) Find from the passage the antonyms of the given words:

(a) tensed, (b) accepts.   

(a) What were the friends visiting Mysore requested to do?

(b) What did they report?

(c) Find out the words from the passage which mean the same as the following:

(i) stop.

(ii) worried.

(a) What had friends guessed?

(b) How did she show her affection for Baba?

(c) Find out the word from the passage which means the same as the following : formed an opinion by guessing.

Justify the title of the narrative ‘The Bond of Love’.