Chapter 8 — A Short Monsoon Diary

The diary extracts were written by Ruskin Bond. The textbook introduces them as extracts from his diary in which he portrays the silent miracles of nature and life's little joys and regrets.

The diary is set in Mussoorie, a hill station. Bond describes the hills, ravines, oak trees, and the surrounding flora and fauna through the monsoon and winter seasons.

Bond notes that the mist does not only conceal the hills — it also blankets them in silence. Only an hour before the trees had been ringing with birdsong, but once the mist climbs the hill the forest becomes deathly still, as though it were midnight.

On June 24, the monsoon mist is so dense that it conceals everything on the hillside. Bond can hear Bijju running about and calling to his sister, but the mist prevents him from seeing Bijju.

The leopard lifted a dog from near the servants' quarter below the school. The following evening it attacked one of Bijju's cows but fled when Bijju's mother came screaming imprecations (curses) at it.

Scarlet minivets are bright red birds (the females are yellow) that flit silently among leaves like brilliant jewels. Despite their vivid colouring, they sometimes contrive to go unnoticed by remaining absolutely silent. Drongos, described as unnecessarily aggressive, chase the minivets away.

The cobra lily appears at the very start of the monsoon — Bond sees the first cobra lily rear its head from the ferns on June 25. By August 31, its seeds are turning red, which Bond takes as a sign that the rains are coming to an end.

Bond mentions wild balsam, dahlias, begonias, and ground orchids blooming as late-monsoon flowers. On August 31 he also describes mauve lady's slipper orchids and white butterfly orchids putting on a fashion display on the grassy slopes of Landour, and wild dahlias in red, yellow, and magenta rearing from rocky crevices.

The heavy monsoon rains flood their holes and burrows, so snakes, rodents, and creatures like the shrew (chuchundar) are driven out and take shelter in roofs, attics, and godowns.

When the children encountered the shrew (chuchundar) blundering about the rooms, the grandmother admonished them not to kill it, saying 'Chuchundars are lucky — they bring money!' Sure enough, Bond received a cheque in the mail shortly after.

On August 2, Bond writes that all night the rain had been drumming on the corrugated tin roof — a steady swish of a tropical downpour with no storm or thunder. He describes it as a good sound to read by, and says that although tin roofs spring unaccountable leaks, there is a feeling of being untouched by and yet in touch with the rain.

By October 3, Bond notes they have gone straight from monsoon into winter rain, with snow at higher altitudes. After an evening hailstorm the sky and hills are suffused with golden light. The final entry (March 23) describes a black cloud squatting over Mussoorie, followed by a hailstorm and then a rainbow forming — marking the end of winter.

Yes. The full NCERT PDF for Class 8 English Honeydew, including Chapter 8 'A Short Monsoon Diary', is available free on CBSE PrepMaster. No sign-up or subscription is needed.