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left free, it played, ran around the house and even slept in the narrator’s
bed.

One day an accident befell him. I put down
poison (barium carbonate) to kill the rats and
mice that had got into my library. Bruno entered
the library as he often did, and he ate some of
the poison. Paralysis set in to the extent that he
could not stand on his feet. But he dragged
himself on his stumps to my wife, who called
me. I guessed what had happened. Off I rushed
in the car to the vet‟s residence. A case of poisoning! Tame Bear—
barium carbonate—what to do?

Accidentally, Bruno drank the poison kept in the library to kill rats. He
was paralysed and could not stand on its feet. As it reached the
narrator’s wife, she called him and he realized what had happened. He
took Bruno to a veterinary doctor.

Out came his medical books, and a feverish reference to index began:
“What poison did you say, sir?” “Barium carbonate”. “Ah yes—B—Ba—
Barium Salts—Ah! Barium carbonate! Symptoms— paralysis—
treatment—injections of ... Just a minute, sir. I‟ll bring my syringe and the
medicine.”

A dash back to the car. Bruno still floundering about on his stumps, but
clearly weakening rapidly; some vomiting, heavy breathing, with heaving
flanks and gaping mouth.

Floundering: struggling to move
Heaving: taking deep breaths
Flanks: the side of the body between the ribs and hips
Gaping: wide open

The doctor took out his medical books and searched the index for
poisoning by Barium Carbonate. He took out a syringe and the medicine.
Bruno was struggling to move, vomiting, breathing heavily and his mouth
was open.

Hold him, everybody! In goes the hypodermic— Bruno squeals — 10
c.c. of the antidote enters his system without a drop being wasted. Ten
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 cannot 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.