English LiteratureICSE Class 9 · Chapter 3

Bonku Babu's Friend by Satyajit Ray: ICSE Class 9 Summary and Questions

Updated 15 October 2026 · Draft, not yet fact-checked

In Satyajit Ray's Bonku Babu's Friend, a meek village teacher is mocked by pupils and by the men at lawyer Sripati Babu's evening gatherings. One night he meets Ang, a friendly alien from the planet Craneus, who tells him he is a good man but far too meek. Bonku Babu then stands up to his tormentors.

What Bonku Babu's Friend – Satyajit Ray is about

Bonku Babu's Friend (also spelt 'Banku Babu') is a science-fiction short story by Satyajit Ray (1921-1992), the celebrated Bengali film-maker and writer. It first appeared in Bengali in the children's magazine *Sandesh* in 1962 and is read in English translation. It is one of the five Treasure Chest stories prescribed for ICSE Class IX in CISCE's 2028 syllabus.

The story uses a fantastic event, a visit from a creature from another planet, to tell a very human story about bullying, meekness and self-respect. Bonku Babu, mocked by everyone for years, learns from a stranger from space what his own people never taught him: that a good person must also speak up against injustice.

The story is in copyright, and the Treasure Chest text was not available to us. This page keeps to the outline and short lines corroborated by published study guides and a Class IX school question paper; read the full text in your Treasure Chest before relying on any detail.

Weightage: CISCE publishes no Class IX paper layout; the Class IX examination is set by schools on Acts I-II of Julius Caesar and five stories and five poems from Treasure Chest. In the board pattern, prose supplies one-mark MCQs and 16-mark extract questions.Source: CISCE ICSE 2028 English syllabus (Paper 2, Class IX portion); CISCE ICSE 2027 Specimen Question Paper, Literature in English

Bonku Babu's Friend – Satyajit Ray: summary

In our own words, in the order of the text. Read the NCERT text itself too: the board quotes from it.

Bonkubihari Dutta, known as Bonku Babu, teaches geography and Bengali at the primary school in the village of Kankurgachhi. He is gentle, mild-mannered and a good storyteller, but everyone makes fun of him. Even his pupils make fun of him. In the evenings he goes to the house of the local lawyer, Sripati Babu (Sripati Majumdar), where a group of regulars meet for an adda (an informal chat). There too he is the butt of jokes. The regulars, among them Nidhu Babu, tease him about his looks and opinions. Once, after he said he was not afraid of ghosts, someone disguised as a ghost jumped on him in the dark; he was hurt and his new kurta was ruined. Bonku Babu bears it all silently.

One evening the talk at the adda turns to space, satellites and the possibility of creatures from other planets, and once again Bonku Babu's remarks are laughed at. Walking home through a bamboo grove, he sees a strange pink light. A spaceship like a huge upturned glass bowl has landed by a pond. Out of it comes Ang, a small creature about four feet tall with thin limbs and a large head, from the planet Craneus. Ang can communicate in many languages and is friendly towards Bonku Babu.

Ang shows Bonku Babu astonishing views of distant parts of the earth, such as a vast expanse of snow and ice, places Bonku Babu has taught about in geography but never seen. Bonku Babu is thrilled. Before leaving, Ang tells him that he is a good man, but that he has one great fault: he is much too meek and mild. He should speak up against injustice and protest when people insult him without reason. Then Ang rises in his spaceship over the bamboo grove and disappears.

The next evening Bonku Babu goes to the adda a changed man. He answers back, confronts the regulars who have mocked him, beginning with Nidhu Babu, and tells Sripati Babu that he will no longer come to the gatherings. He walks out with his head held high, leaving the regulars stunned. Only he knows that his new courage comes from his friend from another planet.

Themes and message

Self-respect and standing up for oneself

The story's message, spoken by Ang, is that goodness is not enough: a person must also protest against injustice and insult. Bonku Babu's transformation from silent victim to confident man is the heart of the story.

From the text: Ang's advice that he is 'much too meek and mild'; Bonku Babu's walk-out from the adda.

Bullying and cruelty of the crowd

Pupils, colleagues and the adda regulars all treat Bonku Babu as a joke. Ray shows how a group can torment a gentle person for fun, and how silence can encourage bullies.

From the text: The jokes at the adda, the ghost prank, the mockery of his looks.

Wonder and imagination

The alien encounter opens Bonku Babu's eyes to the wonders of the world he teaches about. The science-fiction element adds excitement and suggests that true wisdom can come from unexpected places.

From the text: The pink light, the glass-bowl spaceship and the views of snow and ice.

Appearance and worth

Bonku Babu is mocked for his looks; Ang, too, is small and strange-looking, yet wise. The story warns against judging people by appearance.

From the text: The regulars' taunts; Bonku Babu's first surprise at Ang's size and 'weird face'.

Characters

Bonku Babu (Bonkubihari Dutta)

The village schoolteacher and protagonist.

Meek and mild: bears insults silently for years.
Good-natured and kind: holds no grudges.
Curious and knowledgeable: a geography teacher thrilled by Ang's world.
Transformed: finds the courage to protest and leave with dignity.

His treatment at school and the adda; the final scene.

Ang

The alien from the planet Craneus.

Small and odd-looking but wise and friendly.
Knowledgeable: speaks many languages, shows distant lands.
Perceptive: sees both Bonku Babu's goodness and his fault.

The encounter in the bamboo grove.

Sripati Babu and the regulars (such as Nidhu Babu)

The men at the evening adda.

Idle and mocking: enjoy teasing a gentle man.
Shocked into silence when he finally stands up to them.

The jokes at the adda; the ghost prank; the last scene.

How it is written

Device	Example	Effect
Science fiction	A spaceship and an alien from Craneus in a Bengal village.	Adds wonder and lets an outsider judge human behaviour.
Irony	A creature from another planet treats Bonku Babu with more respect than his own neighbours.	Exposes the villagers' cruelty.
Humour	The regulars' teasing, and the shock on their faces when the 'meek' teacher answers back.	Keeps the tone light while making a serious point.
Character transformation	From silent sufferer to man who speaks his mind.	Carries the story's message.

Key quotations

Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.

Before him stretched an endless expanse of snow, dotted with large hillocks, also covered with ice and snow.
Narrator: One of the views Ang shows Bonku Babu (as printed in a Class IX school paper).
The geography teacher sees with his own eyes what he has only taught about.
What! This creature, barely four feet tall, with such thin limbs and a weird face
Bonku Babu (thinking): His reaction during the encounter with Ang (as printed in a Class IX school paper).
Shows his surprise at Ang's appearance; links to the theme of judging by looks.
much too meek and mild
Ang: Ang's judgement of Bonku Babu (as quoted in study guides).
Names the fault that the story's ending corrects.

Bonku Babu's Friend – Satyajit Ray in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Standing up to bullying

Suppose a classmate is given a mocking nickname and laughs along every day, though it hurts.

What would Ang advise, and how can he respond?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Silence lets bullies continue.
A calm, firm reply or reporting it changes the pattern.

Answer: Ang's advice to Bonku Babu applies: being good does not mean accepting insults. A firm, non-violent response restores dignity.

Memory hook: Good, not a doormat.

Being an upstander

Imagine you see a group teasing a quiet student at lunch.

What can you do differently from the adda regulars?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Refuse to join the laughter.
Support the target; tell an adult if it continues.

Answer: Bullies depend on an audience; one person refusing to laugh can change the group. The story shows the harm of a whole circle mocking one man.

Memory hook: Don't be a regular at someone else's misery.

Judging by appearance

Suppose a new student looks unusual and others assume he is odd, but he turns out to be brilliant at science.

How does the story warn against such judgements?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Bonku Babu is mocked for his looks.
Ang, strange-looking, is wise.

Answer: Both characters show that appearance says nothing about worth.

Memory hook: Four feet tall, mile-high wisdom.

Topics in this chapter

Bonku Babu's Meekness, Ang and the Lesson of Self-Respect

How the school exam asks Bonku Babu's Friend – Satyajit Ray

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Question type	How it is asked	Method
MCQ (1 mark)	Meaning of a word in context ('regulars'), the topic of the adda, why Bonku Babu stops going, or the sequence of events (school papers have asked all of these).	Know the order: mockery, adda on space, bamboo grove, Ang, views, advice, departure, confrontation.
Extract question	An extract from the encounter or the adda, with parts on what happens next and on characters' reactions.	Context first; then reactions with names; then personal response.
Character and change	'How does Bonku Babu change?' / 'What role does Ang play?'	Before, turning point, after, with evidence.
Theme	'What message does the story give?'	Speak up against injustice; self-respect; do not judge by appearances.

Tricks to remember Bonku Babu's Friend – Satyajit Ray

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

M-A-G-A-W
Mocked, Adda on space, Grove and glow, Ang's advice, Walk-out.
Use it when: Plot sequence.
Meek to bold
Insulted for years, silent; one night with Ang; next evening he speaks up and walks out.
Use it when: The story's turning point and ending.
Craneus, not Kankurgachhi
Planet starts with C (Craneus); village starts with K (Kankurgachhi).
Use it when: MCQs on names.

Bonku Babu's Friend – Satyajit Ray: exam-level solved questions

Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Example 1: MCQ: why he stops going to the adda · 1 mark · MCQExam level

Why did Bonku Babu say he would not come to the adda any more?
(a) He had lost interest. (b) He had been transferred. (c) He was a changed man who would no longer accept insults. (d) He was ill.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

After Ang's advice he stands up for himself.

Answer: (c) He was a changed man who would no longer accept insults.

Example 2: MCQ: Ang's planet · 1 mark · MCQExam level

Ang comes from the planet:
(a) Mars (b) Craneus (c) Venus (d) Kankurgachhi

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Kankurgachhi is Bonku Babu's village.

Answer: (b) Craneus.

Example 3: How Bonku Babu is mocked · 3 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

Describe three ways in which Bonku Babu is mocked before he meets Ang.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

School pranks; nickname; ghost prank.

Answer: His pupils make fun of him; at the adda the regulars joke about his looks and opinions; and after he says he is not afraid of ghosts, someone disguised as a ghost jumps on him in the dark, hurting him and spoiling his new kurta.

Example 4: Ang's advice · 4 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

What does Ang tell Bonku Babu about himself, and why is it important?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Praise: a good man.
Fault: too meek and mild.
Advice: protest against injustice.
Importance: changes his life.

Answer: Ang says Bonku Babu is a good man but has one great fault: he is much too meek and mild, and he should speak up against injustice and protest when insulted without cause. It is important because nobody on earth had told him this; it gives him the courage to confront his tormentors and regain his self-respect.

Example 5: Reactions to his change · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

How do you think Sripati Babu and the others react when Bonku Babu stands up to them? Give two possible reactions.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

They are used to a silent victim.
Shock; perhaps shame or anger.

Answer: They are stunned and speechless, since they have never heard him answer back; Nidhu Babu may feel embarrassed at being confronted in front of everyone; Sripati Babu may realise the adda has lost its favourite target, and some may feel ashamed of their cruelty. (Any two reasoned reactions.)

Example 6: Why an alien? · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

Why do you think Ray uses an alien, rather than a human friend, to change Bonku Babu?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Outsider's view.
Contrast with the villagers.
Wonder suited to a children's magazine.

Answer: An outsider from another world can see Bonku Babu clearly, free of the village's habits of mockery; the contrast is ironic, since a stranger from space shows him more respect than his own neighbours. The wonder of a spaceship also suited Ray's young readers in Sandesh, making the lesson memorable. (Any reasoned view.)

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is marked: the value points the examiner looks for and the marks each earns.

4 marks: 'What does Ang tell Bonku Babu about himself, and why is it important?' Indicative split (Class IX papers are marked by schools). (4 marks)

Step	Marks
He is a good man	1
His fault: much too meek and mild	1
Advice: speak up against injustice	1
Importance: it transforms him at the adda	1

Where students lose marks in Bonku Babu's Friend – Satyajit Ray

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Mixing up names
Several regulars and unusual names.
Do this: Sripati Babu: host (lawyer). Nidhu Babu: one of the regulars. Ang: alien from Craneus.
Usually costs: Context marks.
Mistake: Treating it only as science fiction
Pupils retell the spaceship scene.
Do this: Explain the human theme: meekness, bullying and self-respect.
Usually costs: Theme marks.
Mistake: Inventing details
Pupils add events from films or other stories.
Do this: Stick to the text; check details in Treasure Chest.
Usually costs: Accuracy.
Mistake: Calling Bonku Babu revengeful
Pupils misread his last speech.
Do this: He protests and withdraws with dignity; he does not harm anyone.
Usually costs: Character marks.

Practice questions on Bonku Babu's Friend – Satyajit Ray

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQExam level
What subjects does Bonku Babu teach?
(a) Mathematics and Science (b) Geography and Bengali (c) History and English (d) Sanskrit and Art
Hint
Linked to the views Ang shows.
Answer
(b) Geography and Bengali.
Q2 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level
Who is Sripati Babu?
Hint
Profession.
Answer
The village lawyer at whose house the evening adda is held.
Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
Describe Ang's spaceship and appearance.
Hint
Glass bowl; four feet tall.
Answer
The spaceship looks like a huge upturned glass bowl giving out a pink light, near a pond by the bamboo grove. Ang is about four feet tall, with thin limbs and a large head and an odd face.
Q4 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
Why is the view of snow and ice especially meaningful to Bonku Babu?
Hint
His subject.
Answer
As a geography teacher he has taught about such places but never seen them; seeing them fills him with wonder and makes him feel valued.
Q5 · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Is Bonku Babu's final behaviour rude or justified? Give reasons.
Hint
Consider years of mockery.
Answer
Justified: after years of insults he answers firmly but without violence and simply leaves; he protects his self-respect, as Ang advised. One might argue a calmer reply would be better, but his response is proportionate.
Q6 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Give two examples from your own experience or reading where speaking up against unfair treatment made a difference.
Hint
Bullying, unfair rules.
Answer
Open answer: e.g. a student reporting bullying so that it stops; a group of residents complaining about a hazard and getting it fixed; the link to Ang's advice should be clear.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.Who wrote Bonku Babu's Friend?Show answer
Satyajit Ray.
2.In which village does Bonku Babu teach?Show answer
Kankurgachhi.
3.Where are the evening addas held?Show answer
At the lawyer Sripati Babu's house.
4.What is the lawyer's full name?Show answer
Sripati Majumdar.
5.Where does Ang's spaceship land?Show answer
Near a pond by a bamboo grove.
6.What is Ang's main advice?Show answer
Do not be so meek; speak up against injustice.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

Can you list three ways Bonku Babu is mocked?
Can you describe Ang and his spaceship?
Can you state Ang's judgement and advice?
Can you describe the final scene at the adda?
Can you explain the story's message?

Bonku Babu's Friend – Satyajit Ray: frequently asked questions

Is it 'Bonku Babu' or 'Banku Babu'?

Both spellings are used for the same Bengali name. CISCE's syllabus spells it 'Bonku Babu's Friend'.

Is the story connected with Ray's film ideas?

Ray wrote the story in 1962 for Sandesh; its idea of a friendly alien is often linked with his later unmade film project 'The Alien', but you do not need this for the examination.

Why does this page quote so little?

The story is in copyright and the Treasure Chest text was not available to us; we quote only short lines that appear in a school question paper and study guides.

Is this story in Class X?

No. It is one of the five Class IX stories in CISCE's 2028 syllabus.

Based on: CISCE ICSE 2028 English (01) syllabus (Classes IX and X); CISCE ICSE 2028 Appendix I: List of Prescribed Textbooks; CISCE Regulations for ICSE Examination Year 2028; CISCE ICSE 2028 Appendix I: List of Prescribed Textbooks; Bonku Babu's Friend: summary and notes (Englicist); Loyola School, Bhubaneswar: Class IX English Literature, First Class Evaluation, July 2025