My wild dog Booto
- -Mike Tomkies
Q1. Describe the relationship or the friendship between the
writer and his dog Booto.
Ans. About the
author
Mike Tomkies was a British author covering subjects
such as natural history, biography and fiction. He was a naturalist and
filmmaker who has inspired thousands with his brutally honest accounts of
almost 40 years experience living in the wildest and most remote parts of
Canada and Spain. He originally came to public attention as a Hollywood
journalist, reporting for the London Times. Mike developed his fascination with
nature and adventure in the English countryside that surrounded him. He was
assigned as a Hollywood columnist at the age of 38 but soon decided to get away
from it all and shifted to the Canadian wilds.
He spent most of his time living alone and surviving mainly
off the sea. This was where he begins his wildlife studies, which over three
years developed into the book “Alone in the wilderness”. Running short on funds, Tomkies returned to
writing in Hollywood, accompanied by Booto, a stray wild dog who had adopted
him in Canada. After another year in the wilds of Canada, Tomkies bid a very
sad farewell to old Booto and returned to Hollywood for more amazing
experiences with major film stars.
About the wild dog Booto
Booto is part Alsatian, part Labrador. He has thick jaws and
gentleness with humans. He is quarter wolf, as one could see from his long, curved
bushy tail. He had come from north with a couple who later left him. He was
very young, but he learned to take care of himself. In summer he lived on
snakes and other small animals which he hunted: in winter he begged from the
cabins of wood cutters and fisherman. He has very kind nature even if his past
is troubled. His intelligence can conquer even the worst of surroundings.
Relationship of Booto with the writer
This story is all about the relationship of Booto
with the author. They have very
strong relationship because both are emotionally connected with each other. The
author found Booto in British Columbia, on the pacific coast of Canada. He was
living at the coastal area to write a novel. For seven months he had lived all
alone in his wooden cabin. He first saw Booto when Booto was very thin. The
bones showed through his coat. He was very hungry. The author read the words
from the eyes of Booto that he is in search of food. Author gave him all the
meat and after that Booto thanks author in many different ways.
Booto thanks the writer by whining, burying his wet head in
the writer’s lap, pawing at the leg of writer, reacting to his every look or
movement.
So in this way both become friends and now the writer’s
loneliness broke. Booto is very smart dog. He already knew several tricks to
melt the stony heart of the people by sit up and beg for food, crossing his
white paws or rolling on the ground etc. The writer taught him the first trick
of how to bark softly. At first the writer shows him by imitating the bark of
the dog. Booto caught all the things and learned quickly. Then onwards he used
to bark as per the command of his owner. The neighbor Fred Jackson told him the
history of the dog Booto.
When the writer facing the scarcity of money then he has
decided to worked in Hollywood, where he used to work in his past life. He
bought cheapest second hand vehicle Milk truck to live in which later on become
his home on wheels. He is worrying about Booto that how could he live in city
because he has spent his life in forest area and he is free creature. He
decided that he should not take Booto along with him to the city, Los Angeles.
Therefore he has decided to leave him with Fred Jackson. When Booto was not
present then the writer finds easier to leave. When he is driving his Milk
truck then found Booto who is running along with the truck. The writer
increased his speed but stopped after Kilometers because he will not live
without his pet. Therefore they together set off for Hollywood. Soon Booto
adjusted himself to the city. The writer has find first rented room in which
the intelligence of Booto helped him because the landlord doesn’t want to rent
his house to the writer. Landlord is worried about the loud barking of dog
which used to awake him all the night. But the writer convinced him that Booto
is different than other dog and he only barked according to the command. He has
demonstrated the skill of Booto then the Landlord has given him rented house.
Booto used to wander outside when he get bored with the
sound of the typewriter. One day he went to restaurant and there one magician
take him and started playing magical tricks with him to entertain the audience.
The writer had a hard task getting Booto
back. Magician is impressed by the tricks played by Booto and he wants to buy
him but the writer doesn’t want to sell Booto at any cost. The writer was
jealous when Booto performed tricks for someone else.
Again the writer has decided to shift to the coastal area of
Canada and ask to government for some land. After getting the permission he
went to Canada again. Both lived there for two years. Then the writer has
decided to return to Britain where he was born. He wanted to write about the
wilds, for those people who had no idea of the happiness that could be found
there, this time he gave Booto to his neighbor and say last goodbye to him. Now
the writer is living in cottage near Scottish lake. He used to get all the news
about Booto from his neighbor through letter. In this way his friendship with
Booto is one that he can never forget.
