My Favourite Nature Stories

by Ruskin Bond

‘When I came to live in Mussoorie just over fifty years ago, I lived in Maplewood Lodge, a cottage below Wynberg-Allen School. Its windows opened on to a well-forested hillside. So naturally I wrote about the trees, wild flowers, and birds and other creatures who lived among them. Then circumstances forced me to move higher up the mountain, and for the last thirty-five years I have lived on the top floor of Ivy Cottage, in Landour Cantonment. Here there are windows too, and they open on to the sky, clouds, the Doon valley and range upon range of mountains. And from this perch on the hillside I feel that I am part of the greater world, mother India as well as the natural world of planet Earth.’In this charming collection, Ruskin Bond talks about his various encounters with the natural world. From the chorus of cicadas to the song of the whistling thrush, from his love for sea shells to his favourite place on earth, Bond details why he has such an overwhelming love for nature. This book is for all who cherish the green world, just as Bond does.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Short Stories, India, Indian Literature, Travel, Essays

150 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2016

About the author

Ruskin Bond is an Indian author of British descent. He is considered to be an icon among Indian writers and children's authors and a top novelist. He wrote his first novel, The Room on the Roof, when he was seventeen which won John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize in 1957. Since then he has written several novellas, over 500 short stories, as well as various essays and poems, all of which have established him as one of the best-loved and most admired chroniclers of contemporary India. In 1992 he received the Sahitya Akademi award for English writing, for his short stories collection, "Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra", by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters in India. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 for contributions to children's literature. He now lives with his adopted family in Landour near Mussoorie.

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I will ever get over this book! I mean it made an entrance in my life out of nowhere and bewitched me in all its glory the entire week! Well, author, I know you have that magic and power. And now I am in love with the book. I haven't been in love with a book for like months like this but I am glad I have met the love of my life like this.

I was really stressed out and I was in need of something to calm my mind. Of course, it has to do something with books. I needed something in between poetry and wholesome fiction or a non-fiction. I tried so many books but then this book came to my rescue!

I just love the humour in each chapter. Short and well-written, a book you wouldn't realise you needed until you read it.

A must read recommendation.

[Shoa Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Once you have lived with mountains, there is no escape. You belong to them."
Kicked off the 2018 Reading Challenge and our very own Indian Readers' IR challenge with this profoundly simple and beautiful collection. Ruskin Bond's love for the hills and all wonderful things surrounding them was so palpable, it would transport any reader to all the wonderful places he's lived in.
P.S. I didn't know it was non-fiction when I started it!



Also, this was a signed copy! Whoop!

[Arun Divakar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Ruskin Bond writing about nature is like taking a walk in the woods all by yourself. You see the trees, smell the flowers, hear the birds and also glimpse the animals in the undergrowth. Bond has a way of bringing these things alive with his words. His words evoke a sense of tranquillity before the mountains were encroached by mindless building of resorts and other constructions. A time when life in the mountains was about cold mornings, wind on the treetops, birds all over the place and good, clean air. These are not exactly stories per se. They are more of essays on the lines of a memoir where Bond recreates sketches of his childhood and adulthood among the trees and forests in the mountains of India.

I had totally forgotten that I read this book sometime in 2018 and it took me a weekend trip to Kerala’s hillstations recently to remember this book. Everywhere that I looked, even atop the most distant hills there are buildings and ongoing construction which is a far cry from how these places used to look not so long ago. Memories of a trip from a decade ago flashed through my mind and that was when it hit me that yes I did read a book by Ruskin Bond and no I had not written a review on it yet. So here we are !

Recommended if you are a nature lover.

[Alamgir Baidya · Rating 5 out of 5]

রাস্কিন বন্ডের কোনো বই আমার রিভিউ পড়ে না কেনাই ভালো। কারণ, এই গল্পদাদুর প্রতি আমার মুগ্ধতা মাত্রাতিরিক্ত এবং সেটা খুবই স্পষ্টভাবে প্রতীয়মান।

প্রকৃতি-সংক্রান্ত তাঁর কিছু লেখার সংকলন ‘মাই ফেভারিট নেচার স্টোরিজ’ পড়ে ফেললাম। ১৪৮ পাতার ক্ষুদ্র পরিসরে উঠে এল মুসৌরী ও দেরাদুনের পাহাড়, পাহাড়ী জঙ্গল, দেবদারু পাইনের ছায়াঘেরা বন যেখানে কীটপতঙ্গের কলকাকলি বেয়ে রাত্রি নামে রোজ; বাস্তুসাপ ও লেখক যেখানে একই কটেজে বন্ধুভাবে বসবাস করেন। তবে পুরোনো দিল্লীর দালান-ইমারতের সুপ্রাচীন ও সুবিদিত পায়রার দলও বাদ পড়েনি এই আলোচনায়।

বাঙালীর কাছে প্রকৃতি-সাহিত্য মানেই বিভূতিভূষণ। কিন্তু তাঁর লেখালেখির সাথে এই বইয়ের তুলনা টানা উচিৎ নয় দুটো কারণে। প্রথমত, বাংলার পল্লীপ্রকৃতির শ্যামলিমা ঘরোয়া; এই প্রকৃতির সৌন্দর্য বুনো – অন্তত এই ভেতো বাঙালীর কাছে। দ্বিতীয়ত, বিভূতিভূষণ মূলত একজন বাহ্যিক দর্শক হিসাবে নিজের মুগ্ধতা ভাগ করে নিয়েছেন পাঠকের সঙ্গে; রাস্কিন সেখানে নিজেই এই পাহাড়ী প্রকৃতির একজন অবিচ্ছেদ্য অঙ্গ। কাজেই প্রকাশভঙ্গির তারতম্য অনিবার্য।

[my fangirlish ramblings · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite Nature Tales by Ruskin Bond is a beautiful collection of short stories from his life. He vividly describes about the serene beauty of Gahrwal, UP and other parts of the world he has been to.
He talks about how he misses his home no matter where he goes.
The stories are really well described in a lucid way talking about species of animals and how they live with us. It says so much about trees and their species as well. It is super informative and is a lovely lovely collection. He talks about how every animal adapts to its surrounding, how they make noises and what they eat, how they mate and lots of other things. He also writes about some funny encounters of his life. Some lines in this book – really cracked me up.
If you wish to read something to cheer up and lighten your mood – this is it.

[Indrani Sen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another gem of a book from Ruskin Bond available in Kindle Unlimited.

The nature stories (anecdotes) from around Musoorie and Dehradun are truly heartwarming. From large trees to mountains to birds to small insects, nothing has escaped this nature lover's eyes. Mr Bond has an unique love and eye for nature. With him you live in his lovely cottage with a spectacular view, take night walks and meet the many lovely trees and some lovely people. The piece on first rain coming in the plains of Meerut is so evocative and the only experience which wasn't completely novel to me.

I have a great hankering for a hill station holiday in north India now. I would really love to live similarly in a rented cottage in the middle of nature for some time at least.

[Aishwary Mehta (The_Fugitive_Biker) · Rating 5 out of 5]

18th book of 2020 (142 books read overall)

Quote from the Book I Liked - 'Time, place and emotions must coalesce, hence the rarity of these occasions. Delight cannot be planned for - she makes no appointments.' (Page no. 25)

Rating - 5 Stars

Plot Summary - In this charming collection, Ruskin Bond talks about his various encounters with the natural world. From the chorus of cicadas to the song of the whistling thrush, from his love for seashells to his favourite place on earth, Bond details why he has such an overwhelming love for nature. This book is for all who cherish the green world, just as Bond does.

My Review - This book is not just a book of short stories by Ruskin Bond, but these stories are more of a feeling. While reading them, you'll get transcended to the mountains, surrounded by the huge Chinar trees of the Himalayan Ranges. Where the rivers flow silently, where the monkeys dance over the trees. All those who have visited the mountains once or even those who haven't will find an immediate connection, a peaceful notion of being within nature. Of being a larger part than a speck of dust in this universe. The stories are those of Ruskin Bond's early days when he used to live in the house surrounded by mountains and where he found his true place. I'll recommend this book to all, Everyone!

Conclusion - This book is not a short storybook but a feeling in itself.

Full Review on Blog.
Link to Blog - The Tales of Fugitive Biker

[Vidya · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so SO glad I own this book! 💙 A perfect amalgamation of nature stories, suited to this monsoon season. I would pick this book any day during this season and just get lost in the music played by crickets, drown in the beauty of wild flowers, and in the memories of a walnut tree which was one of the best companions of Ruskin Bond and which was harshly cut down to make way for new roads to a factory.

One day, am going to pick this book up again, sit near by my closed window listening to the thick beads of rain droplets hitting the window pane making that beautiful, peaceful music as I read along. 💙⛈☂

[Joynab Rimu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read,so soothing 💚

[Razi Shaikh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of book you travel with. You read a chapter, soak in its essence, let your imagination unfurl. You read another. You stretch out your legs, keep the book down, gaze through the train window. You see green hills rolling, you see goats grazing, farmers tilling, trees swaying and mountains unmoving. You go back to the book. And let the world wait.

[Veda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading the book will feel like having your favourite icecream after a long walk on a bright sunny day !

[Meera · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Little things stay with us,remain with us over the years.."

And This Little Book and the Little Things in it ...will stay Forever...:D

[Debparna Saha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't have any memories of my grandfather while growing up. Everytime I read any of Ruskin Bond's books it reminds me what would feel like growing up with a grandparent. No matter what, every page makes me smile. This book wasn't any exception. ❤️❤️😇😇

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short stories so beautifully told, it is as if the author were painting a picture in my mind with his words.

[Sumithra Krishnan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gorgeous book! The book takes you on a journey to mountain slopes, a cottage in the forest, frog concerts, old lanes of Delhi and gushing rivers. These short essays and stories reveal the author's love for nature amidst which he lived. The vividness of the prose creates a longing for the mountains and all things nature every time a chapter comes to an end. You want to pack your bags and go visit all the places described in the book. And it does makes you question your notions of comfort and luxury. Once you have lived with the mountains and Street of the red well are some of my top favorites from this endearing collection.

[Gunjan Juyal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me go back into my memory lane, and reinterpret the importance of the mundane-like experiences that somehow felt significant

Being born and brought up in Dehradun, at a time when much of what Bond describes could still be found and an around there, I had so many memories that I could immediately relate to when reading this book.

It made me reinterpret the importance of those childhood experiences of mine which felt mundane yet were imprinted into my mind, snippets of time that I reimagined and relived whenever life got too hard to handle.

"And you, dear reader, will have similar impressions to carry with you all your days.. Someone who gave you a flower, a kiss on the forehead. To the end of your days you will carry that kiss with you. And it may protect you from all harm."

[Shubham Roy Choudhury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sir Ruskin's timeless stories are both endearing and magical.💕

[Era · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was first published on The Era I Lived In

The book is divided into small, thoughtfully titled stories that slowly but steadily transport you to the places, midst the flora and fauna, views of which Bond has captured in his simple yet poignant writing. There is not a single dull moment and despite the swift flow of stories like torrential rain, I spent many days savoring this book in small morsels.

From the onset, I felt that the book would have benefited with sketches or pictures of the many species of flowers, ferns, birds, insects, trees and more. Though I am familiar with 70% of them mentioned here, I took time to Google the rest to get a deeper insight into the experiences of the author. But towards the end, I was satisfied that I had ‘seen’ and experienced them all in the words of Ruskin Bond.

The warmth of nostalgia, the tenacity of curiosity, the joy of kindness making the author treat the snakes, moths and flowers tenderly filled my heart with love for our environment like never before is inspiring.

I particularly loved the metaphors adorning the ending of every story. Their charm inspired me to re-read the last two paragraphs of all stories even after finishing the book. Like every Ruskin Bond book the simplistic, charismatic appeal of Ruskin Bond’s writing will leave you wanting to read more of his works.

I loved the fact that though the author touches upon the binomial nomenclature (mentioning the genus & species) of a few insects and flowers he restrained from going into biological nitty-gritty.

Doing so, the author successfully retained the charm of the stories as being written by someone experiencing the majesty of nature and not an expert in the field.

The book inspires us to be curious, aware of our surroundings, taking time to patiently admire nature’s bounty. The motivation to be tenacious like water, loyal like the trees, disciplined like the seasons while swaying to the music of the insects and frogs left me with a smile that lasted long after I put the book down.

I highly recommend this book to every nature lover of all age groups and also to those are looking for a break in their monotonous lives with a dive in the lap of nature in the charming words of a seasoned, celebrated author as Ruskin Bond.

[Jayati Deshmukh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a treat for the senses. I could almost literally see, smell, hear and feel the descriptions! They are that real! The author describes the flora and fauna of the mountains in such a manner that it touches the heart. One can visualize the huge trees, colorful birds, butterflies, frogs, snakes, insects, langurs, ferns, scenes of the valley, gushing rivers and gentle springs. It's a treat for the senses! It makes me want to go and live in the mountains, overlooking beautiful views from my window and experiencing similar things for real!

"Once you have lived with mountains, there is no escape. You belong to them."

[Jayashrita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruskin Bond’s memoirs are more than stories, they are like an emotion. This book, consists of many such short stories, his accounts of nature around him. His descriptions are so vivid that one can find oneself immersed in that environment.
This book, in my opinion, is best read alone -in a quiet environment, with nothing but the ambient noise to disturb you.
I would recommend this to anyone, who loves nature, cherishes the sound of the rain, and knows the smell of wet mud.

[Soham Banerjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, everyday life brought to magic in his own way. Reading every page was full of homeliness, without any rush.

[Vaibhav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once you have lived with mountains, there is no escape. You belong to them.

In Ruskin's bond My favourite Nature stories he looks out of the window sitting in his Maplewood Lodge below the Wynberg Allen school in Mussorie and Ivy Cottage in Landour cantonment and writes about everything that nature has to offer.
It is a collection of his 21 short stories which can be read over a span of one to two hours which describes the riches and beauties of the external world. He writes about the hills submerged with the clouds, shadows of the Balahissar hills each story described with the beautiful titles some of them being - A marriage of Waters, When cicadas chorus and The gentle Night Befriends me.

He writes about Mountain rains in the night and how you wake up to the scent of wet earth and fallen neem leaves, and find that a hot and stuffy bungalow has been convened into a cool, damp place. The occasional snake, floods out of its home, makes its appearance on the road or hillsides with the sounds of cicadas and crickets.

He has described the beauty of night explaining When night comes on, great moths fly past, and beetles of all shapes and sizes come whirring in at the open windows. The fireflies also light up their lamps, flashing messages to each other through the mango groves. Sound of the nightjars, owls and other birds make the night a not so silent place.

On his long walks he encountered various flowers such as marigold, fresh, golden, dew-drenched, kissed by the morning sun Crushed geranium and chrysanthemum leaves, mint and myrtle, lime and neem trees after the rain, and the leaves of ginger, marigolds and nasturtiums. There were wild strawberries, wood sorrel, orchids, violets and dandelions, and a nest of ferns. He saw shrubs and climbers—the ineptly named Dog Rose, sparkling white in summer; the Sweet Briar with its deep pink petals and bright red rosehips; the Trailing Rose, found in shady places; and the wild Raspberry (the fruit more attractive than the flower).

Beautiful picturesque country roads are described in the book describing wide plains with great herds of smoke-coloured, delicate-limbed cattle being driven slowly home for the night, accompanied by troops of ungainly buffaloes, and flocks of goats and black long-tailed sheep.

Is the ocean, but another droplet in the universe, in the greater scheme of things? The book tell us that we belong to the universe rather than to just one corner of the earth. That we should try to embrace the moments that come across us as small miracles, like the fragrance of the first summer rain on parched earth, or the song of the whistling-thrush emerging like a sweet secret from a dark forest; moments when heaven is here, compensating for the irritations and petty disasters that
we create around ourselves each day.

Next time try to recognize a shaft of sunlight, slanting through the pillars of banyan tree; or dewdrops caught in a spider’s web; or, in the stillness of the mountains, the sudden chatter of a mountain stream as you round the bend of a hill; or an emperor’s first glimpse of a winding river and the world beyond. Time, place and emotion must coalesce, hence the rarity of these occasions. Delight cannot be planned for—she makes no appointments!

[Meghana Rao · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very delightful read !! It's all about nature and his genuine experience with it ... beautiful !!
Some of my favorite lines from the book
*Once you have lived with mountains, there is no escape. You belong to them*
*Such moments come to each of us— moments when we feel deeply moved or inspired, moments when time seems to stand still… They come but rarely, as small miracles, like the fragrance of the first summer ram on parched earth, or the song of the whistling-thrush emerging like a sweet secret from a dark forest; moments when heaven is here, compensating for the irritations and petty disasters that we create around ourselves each day*
*whenever I see the cosmos in flower, I go among them, for they are eternal even if I am not.*
*Never mind. Men come and go, the mountains remain*
* I was barefooted; not because I couldn’t afford shoes, but because I felt free with my bare feet, because I liked the feel of warm stones and cool grass, because not wearing shoes saved me the trouble of taking them off*
*It is difficult to understand the reasons for people reacting in such a petrified way to the presence of a snake on the road, in the garden, or on the back verandah. After first freezing with fright, and then discovering that the snake has no evil intentions, humans become very brave indeed, shouting ‘Snake, snake!’ until other humans arrive, armed
with stout sticks. And if by that time the snake has not made itself scarce, it is beaten to death. I suppose it all has something to do with the story of the devil taking the form of a serpent in order to tempt Eve. But Eve would have fallen, anyway, regardless of what earthly form the devil took. Poor dead snake*

[Kirubanithi S Lakshmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

How often do we realize how beautiful we are blessed all around us with many many companions and pleasures? Yes, we are. The morning crow, flapping pigeons, marching ants and beetles, floating butterflies and bugs, creeping greenaries and the sturdy peepal-banyans, the sea of blue up above sometimes war of clouds shedding rains, and many many more we can tell, that are so magical and spellbounding around us.

Yet, do we attend them all so? One man did. What I have said is just a cup of his thoughts spread all over this beautiful collections of his personal stories of nature around him or his stay. Do one feel lonely then? Never!

He also talks about man's plan to demolish the resting mountains and snoring forests and what else as an individual he feels about them. A very positive narration which makes you fall in love on all creatures, be it animals or plants and he seeds a "will" inside us to live in harmony with them all. There are few stories that talks about lots of flowers we have all seen on roadsides or hill picnics but never paid a close attention on its beauty or purpose. His narration will make you look for them for sure. Not to forget the humour he has added all over the book.

A small yet beautiful read of the beauteous around us, the nature.

Fav quote:
"Even when there is no breeze, the slender heart-shaped leaves (of peepal) revolve prettily. Creating their own currents of air. No wonder the sages of old found it a good tree to sit beneath, and no wonder they called it sacred."

[Jeshua Aswin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I had already been to Mussoorie, I am planning for another trip before long. I couldn't resist but wonder how beautifully one could articulate the teeny weeny things we might overlook in nature. Clouds End, here I come running to you—without shoes to feel the sand and stones on my barefoot.

If you are a writer or a wannabe author, this book inspires you more than his other phenomenal work, "How to be a writer?", because of the trivial subjects—rocks, streams, abyss, snakes, birds, and the like—he fiddled with throughout the book.

The readers are prone to get distracted when they come across too much jargon in every chapter. I, seriously, doubt if he is a writer or a botanist as he keeps hitting us with a new species in the interval of microseconds.

Special mention to the final paragraph where the author made me connect with the past. Everyone is sure to take a route to your childhood and reminisce the days and people we have met and lost as we complete the book.

[Balaji M · Rating 5 out of 5]

The feel good stories

Narration of these nature stories makes us to travel all thw way down to Himalayan valleys.
One can able to get the feel, that how Ruskin looks out the nature, like, Rain, Mountains, river, plants, trees, flowers, fruits, worms, birds etc. He carried those experiences and dropped on us through these stories. To get the nature feel, go for these stories. Recommended.

[Sheen Pandita · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mother bought me stack of books as a teenager to read, one of them was the room on the roof, since then whenever i come cross any Ruskin bond book, i always read it.
This book though short was equally significant read for me. I have always enjoyed how he decribes the mountians, nature and people. In fact my love for nature stems feom reading his books, and this book was another gem read for me.

[Shivam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply Amazing!! Sir, Bond at his best. Even when i never ever lived in the hills and witnessed whatecer serene naturists beauty he felt and lived through, his writing still fakes me to feel whatever he was seeing & feeling. Made me realise even more happier to acknowledge that Ruskin Bond & i holds the same fondness for the nature. Truly brilliant. One should definitely read this if they are nature lover.

[Rugma Nair · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, a guarantee read by Mr Bond. I wonder if even a biologist/botanist would even know in depth about different genres of plants/ferns and what not. Even if you know them in paper and have the ability to identify them by name, to love them, to nurture them and to live with them, is whole another story. Just sit back and read this book and I am sure it opens up a window to a beautiful orchard, so beautiful that I dreamt of it one night!

[Swarna Prakash M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short stories that took me for a walk, down the author’s memory lane. A walk that I would remember for a while.