Ruskin Bond’s Personal Pick: A Most Delightful Excerpt, Chosen By The Author Himself

Boy Scouts Forever!

I was a Boy Scout once, although I couldn't tell a slip knot from a granny knot, or a reef knot from a thief knot, except that a thief knot was supposed to be used to tie up a thief, should you happen to catch one. I have never caught a thief and wouldn't know what to do with one since I can't tie a knot. Just let him go with a warning, I suppose. Tell him to become a Boy Scout.

Be prepared! That's the Boy Scout motto. And a good one, too. But I never seem to be well prepared for anything, be it an exam or a journey or the roof blowing off my room. I get halfway through a speech and then forget what I have to say next.

Or I make a new suit to attend a friend's wedding, and then turn up in my pyjamas.

So how did I, the most impractical of boys, become a Boy Scout? I was at boarding school in Simla when it happened.

Well, it seems a rumor had gone around the junior school (I was still a junior then) that I was a good cook. I had never cooked anything in my life, but I had spent a lot of time in the tuck shop making suggestions and advising Chippu, who ran the tuck shop, and encouraging him to make more and better samosas, jalebis, tikkis and pakoras. For my unwanted advice, he would favor me with an occasional free samosa, so naturally, I looked upon him as a friend and benefactor. With this qualification, I was given a cookery badge and put in charge of our troop's supply of rations.

There were about twenty of us in our troop, and during the summer break, our Scoutmaster, Mr Oliver, took us on a camping expedition to Tara Devi, a temple-crowned mountain a few miles outside Simla. That first night we were put to work, peeling potatoes, skinning onions, shelling peas and pounding masalas. These various ingredients being ready, I was asked as the troop's cookery expert what should be done with them. "Put everything in that big degchi," I ordered. "Pour half a tin of ghee over the lot. Add some nettle leaves and cook for half an hour."

When this was done, everyone had a taste, but the general opinion was that the dish lacked something.

More salt, I suggested.

More salt was added. It still lacked something.

Add a cup of sugar, I ordered.

Sugar was added to the concoction. But still it lacked something.

We forgot to add tomatoes, said Bimal, one of the Scouts.

Never mind, I said. We have tomato sauce.

Add a bottle of tomato sauce!

How about some vinegar? asked another boy.

Just the thing, I agreed.

A cup of vinegar!

Now it's too sour, said one of the tasters.

What jam did we bring? I asked.

Gooseberry jam.

Just the thing. Empty the bottle!

The dish was a great success. Everyone enjoyed it, including Mr Oliver, who had no idea what went into it.

What's this called? he asked.

It's an all-Indian sweet-and-sour jam-potato curry, I ventured.

For short, just call it a Bond-bhujji, said Bimal.

I had earned my cookery badge!

(Reprinted with Permission)

Title: All-Time Favourites For Children

Author: Ruskin Bond

Publisher: Puffin

Price: Rs 250

Age Group: 8 to16