by What happens when the quietest, most harmless man in the room suddenly decides he will not tolerate insult anymore? That is exactly what makes Bonku Babu’s Friend so interesting. At first, this looks like the story of a simple schoolteacher whom everyone laughs at. But very soon, it turns into something far more surprising—an unusual meeting, a life-changing message, and a complete change in Bonku Babu himself. So, as we go through the story, watch carefully how an ordinary, timid man becomes someone who finally finds his voice.
Bonku Babu, whose full name is Bonkubihari Datta, is a geography and Bengali teacher at Kankurgachhi Village Primary School. He is a very mild and patient man. For years, his students have teased him in many ways, yet he almost never gets angry. Even then, he continues teaching because he cannot easily leave his job, and because there are a few sincere boys in every class that make teaching worthwhile for him. He even sometimes invites those good boys home and tells them fascinating stories about distant places and adventures.
Now apart from school, Bonku Babu regularly attends evening gatherings at the house of Sripati Majumdar, a lawyer. These meetings are unpleasant for him because the grown men there, they also make fun of him. In the story it has been said that previously he has been humiliated in different ways: Like, once, after talking about ghosts, someone disguised as a “spook” jumped on him from a tamarind tree, injuring his neck and ruining his new kurta. His umbrella and shoes are sometimes hidden, and he is also forced into embarrassing situations like being asked to sing when he cannot.
Still, he keeps attending because Sripati Babu is influential in the village and on the school committee. And also he used to think that if he will not go what will Sripati Babu think? And not only this, Sripati Majumdar thought that it was important to have a butt of ridicule in the group. Butt of ridicule means a person or thing that is the main target of mockery, jokes, scorn, or teasing. Here it is a person, and that is Bonku Babu. So even if Bonku Babu tried to keep away, he was fetched from his home so that he could provide amusement to everyone by being the subject of other people’s jokes.
One evening, the discussion at Sripati Babu’s house turns to space, satellites, rockets, and the possibility of beings from another planet. Bonku Babu had earlier noticed a strange moving light in the sky and shown it to Nidhu Babu, but at the gathering Nidhu Babu falsely takes credit for seeing it first. Others that are present there are- Chandi Babu, Ramkanai, and Bhairav Chakravarty. Even though they know nothing about satellites, but still they all talk giving all sorts of stupid and silly opinions, argue, and then start mocking Bonku Babu when he very gently suggests that perhaps a creature from another planet could come there. Sripati Babu dismisses the idea and says such beings would never choose a place like theirs. Chandi Babu, Nidhu Babu, and Ramkanai then insult Bonku Babu further by joking that he would make the ideal human specimen for aliens to take away. After hearing all this, Bonku Babu feels hurt and tears almost came out from his eyes. Bonku Babu leaves the gathering early saying that he has to correct papers.
Now, on his way home, Bonku Babu takes a shortcut through the bamboo grove owned by Poncha Ghosh. There he notices something strange: the crickets have gone silent, and a pink light is glowing near the pond in the grove. He sees an extraordinary object like a giant glass bowl turned upside down over the pond. It appears almost alive, as if it is breathing. Then Bonku Babu is suddenly frozen in place by an unseen force. A thin voice speaks first in an unknown language and then in English. Soon, the force releases him, and a strange being emerges from the craft.
The being introduces itself as Ang, from the planet Craneus. Ang first checks whether Bonku Babu is human and whether this is Earth. Ang explains that he had intended to go to Pluto but landed on Earth by mistake because his instruments were not functioning properly. And while he was saying all this, he was pressing Bonku Babu’s arms and legs with its long, bony fingers. He says he is a far superior being to man. To support this claim, he tells Bonku Babu that he knows 14,000 languages, plus 31 languages spoken on planets outside the solar system, and that he has visited 25 such planets. He also says he is 833 years old. Ang further shows Bonku Babu a small pebble-like object that can make an enemy completely powerless without physical injury—the same thing that had immobilized him.
Ang then asks Bonku Babu whether there is any place he has always wished to see. Bonku Babu says that, above all, he would like to visit the North Pole. Then using a tube-like device, Ang shows him breathtaking sights, beautiful sights: snow-covered land, the Aurora Borealis, an igloo, polar bears, and two walruses fighting. Then Ang asks about Brazil, and through the same device Bonku Babu sees a dense forest, an anaconda, crocodiles, and finally the terrifying attack of piranhas that strip flesh from a crocodile. These visions overwhelm Bonku Babu and convince him completely of Ang’s superiority.
Before leaving, Ang gives Bonku Babu the most important message of the story. He tells him that although Bonku Babu is a good man, he has a major fault: he is too meek and mild. Meek means a person who is quiet, gentle, submissive, or easily imposed upon, often avoiding conflict. Ang says Bonku Babu must speak up against injustice and protest when someone insults or hurts him without provocation. Quietly tolerating such behavior is wrong, not only for humans but for any creature anywhere. Then Ang suddenly departs in his spaceship from Poncha Ghosh’s bamboo grove. As Bonku Babu walks home, the crickets begin chirping again. He is filled with wonder and joy because, out of billions of people, he alone has had this extraordinary encounter.
Then the next day, at the usual meeting in Sripati Babu’s house, the men are discussing reports of the strange light and the sudden loss of leaves from the bamboos around the pond in Poncha Ghosh’s grove. They notice one thing that Bonku Babu is late.
Then, finally, Bonku Babu arrives, but he is completely changed. Instead of his old timid self, he speaks boldly and sharply. He declares that it was the last time he is visiting them. But before leaving he wanted to say them a few things. He tells them they talk nonsense, calls out Chandi Babu for childish tricks, warns Nidhu Babu that if he calls him “Bunkum,” he will answer with “Nitwit,” and rejects Sripati Babu’s circle of sycophants, and tells him that if he would like then he can send his cat to him because it is good at licking feet. Sycophant is a person who uses insincere, excessive flattery to win favor from influential, wealthy, or powerful people for personal gain. He even tells them openly that an Ang from Craneus landed in Poncha Ghosh’s pond and had a long conversation with him. Before leaving, he slaps Bhairav Chakravarty on the back and strides out confidently, stride means taking long, decisive steps while walking or running. So he went away whistling, sparkling-eyed, and holding his head high.
Character Sketch of Bonku Babu
1. A gentle and patient man
Bonku Babu is presented as a very mild, patient, and soft-natured person. Even though his students trouble him and people at the evening gathering insult him, he almost never loses his temper. This shows that he is naturally calm and peace-loving.
2. A sincere and dedicated teacher
He is a geography and Bengali teacher at Kankurgachhi Village Primary School. In spite of constant teasing, he continues teaching because he cannot easily leave the job and because there are still a few sincere boys in every class who make teaching meaningful for him. This proves that he is responsible, dutiful, and committed to his profession.
3. A man with imagination and love for knowledge
Bonku Babu likes telling good students stories about distant places and adventures. Later, when Ang asks him where he would like to go, he says the North Pole. This shows that he has curiosity, imagination, and a deep interest in the wider world. He may live in an ordinary village, but inwardly he is drawn to extraordinary places and ideas.
4. Lonely and socially weak
Bonku Babu is not only mocked by children but also by grown men at Sripati Majumdar’s house. He is humiliated through tricks and insults, yet he keeps attending the gathering because Sripati Babu is influential and Bonku Babu worries about what he may think if he stays away. This shows that Bonku Babu is socially insecure and lacks the confidence to resist powerful people.
5. A target of ridicule
At the gatherings, Bonku Babu is treated as the butt of ridicule. His shoes and umbrella are hidden, he is embarrassed publicly, and people use him for entertainment. This reveals how helpless his position has become. He is not respected as a human being but reduced to an object of mockery.
6. Sensitive and easily hurt
Although Bonku Babu does not protest openly, he is not emotionless. When the men joke that he would be the ideal human specimen for aliens to take away, he feels deeply hurt and tears almost come to his eyes. This shows that behind his silence there is real pain. He suffers inwardly even when he says nothing.
7. Simple, innocent, and non-aggressive
Bonku Babu does not appear cunning, proud, or aggressive. His manner is simple and straightforward. Even when discussing unusual ideas, he speaks very gently. This simplicity is one reason Ang chooses to talk to him instead of the others, who are noisy, silly, and mocking.
8. Too meek and submissive
Bonku Babu’s biggest weakness is that he is too meek and mild. Ang directly points this out and tells him that silently tolerating insult and injustice is wrong. So, while Bonku Babu’s goodness is admirable, his inability to protest becomes a serious flaw in his character.
9. Capable of change
The most striking thing about Bonku Babu is that he is not weak forever. After meeting Ang, he undergoes a major change. He returns to the gathering as a bold and confident man, speaks sharply, rebukes those who insulted him, and refuses to remain their victim any longer. This proves that he had hidden strength within him; it only needed awakening.
10. A symbol of self-respect regained
At the end of the story, Bonku Babu walks away confidently, whistling, sparkling-eyed, and holding his head high. This final image is very important. It shows that he has recovered his dignity and self-respect. He is no longer the timid man who silently accepts humiliation
Question Suggestions for Class 9
Questions to check the basic understanding of the story: if you can answer them all, then you are good to goooo!!!
- Who is Bonku Babu?
- What subjects does Bonku Babu teach?
- What is Bonku Babu’s full name?
- What kind of man is Bonku Babu?
- Where does Bonku Babu work?
- Why does Bonku Babu continue teaching despite being teased?
- At whose house are the evening gatherings held?
- Who is Sripati Majumdar?
- Why are the gatherings unpleasant for Bonku Babu?
- Name the people present in the gathering.
- How many languages does Ang say he knows?
- How old is Ang?
- What is the use of the pebble-like object Ang shows to Bonku Babu?
2. Questions on teasing and humiliation
- How is Bonku Babu treated by the students and the men at the gathering?
- Mention any two or three ways in which Bonku Babu is humiliated.
- Why does Bonku Babu keep attending Sripati Babu’s gathering?
- What do you understand by the phrase “butt of ridicule”? How does it apply to Bonku Babu?
- Why does Bonku Babu not protest against the insults at first?
3. Questions on the discussion at the gathering
- What was the topic of discussion at Sripati Babu’s house that evening?
- What had Bonku Babu earlier shown to Nidhu Babu?
- How do the others react when Bonku Babu suggests that beings from another planet might come there?
- Why does Bonku Babu leave the gathering early?
4. Questions on the strange event in the bamboo grove
These are direct story questions and can be asked in short-answer form.
- What unusual things does Bonku Babu notice in Poncha Ghosh’s bamboo grove?
- What does Bonku Babu see near the pond?
- How is the strange object described?
- What happens to Bonku Babu when he approaches the object?
- In what way does the voice first speak to Bonku Babu?
5. Questions on Ang
- Who is Ang? From which planet does Ang come?
- Why does Ang say he landed on Earth?
- How does Ang show that he is superior to human beings?
- Why does Bonku Babu become convinced of Ang’s superiority?
6. Questions on what Ang shows Bonku Babu
- What place does Bonku Babu first say he wants to visit?
- What sights does Ang show Bonku Babu connected with the North Pole?
- What does Bonku Babu see when Ang shows him Brazil?
- Which frightening scene in Brazil leaves a strong impression?
- How do these visions affect Bonku Babu?
7. Questions on the message of the story
- What important lesson does Ang give Bonku Babu before leaving?
- What does Ang say is Bonku Babu’s major fault?
- Why is Ang’s advice the turning point of the story?
- What is the central message of Bonku Babu’s Friend?
8. Questions on Bonku Babu’s transformation
- How does Bonku Babu change after meeting Ang?
- How do the people at the gathering react when Bonku Babu returns the next day?
- Why is Bonku Babu’s behaviour at the end surprising?
- What does Bonku Babu say to Nidhu Babu?
- What does Bonku Babu say to Sripati Babu?
- What does Bonku Babu say about Sripati Babu’s circle?
- How does Bonku Babu leave the gathering at the end?
- Why is the ending satisfying for the reader?
9. Character-based questions
- Write a character sketch of Bonku Babu.
- How would you describe Bonku Babu at the beginning of the story?
- How would you describe Bonku Babu at the end of the story?
- Write a brief note on Ang.
- What kind of person is Sripati Majumdar?
- What does Nidhu Babu reveal about his character in the story?
- How do Chandi Babu, Ramkanai, and Bhairav Chakravarty contribute to Bonku Babu’s humiliation?
10. Theme-based questions
- What is the theme of self-respect in the story?
- How does the story show the difference between goodness and weakness?
- How is mockery and social cruelty presented in the story?
- How does Satyajit Ray combine science fiction with a moral lesson?
- Why can this story be called both a science-fiction story and a human story?
11. Long-Answer questions
- “Bonku Babu’s meeting with Ang changes his life.” Discuss.
- “Ang acts as a teacher in the story.” Explain.
- “The real climax of the story is Bonku Babu’s change, not Ang’s arrival.” Discuss.
- How does the author prepare the reader for the appearance of Ang?
- How does the ending justify the lesson Ang gives Bonku Babu?
