Wild Animals I Have Known · Chapter
Bingo explained
This chapter follows the life and adventures of Bingo, a collie with a strong will and a deep bond with his owner.
What happens
This chapter follows the life and adventures of Bingo, a collie with a strong will and a deep bond with his owner. It describes his obsessive cow-herding, his shift in loyalty from the cow stable to the horse stable, his nocturnal wanderings and encounters with prairie wolves, and a mysterious omen where Bingo's howling foreshadows danger. The chapter also explores the complex relationships between humans and dogs, including a feud over a dog's death that is quietly dropped when the culprit is revealed to be Bingo.
Themes in this chapter
Loyalty and Fidelity
Explored through Bingo's unwavering bond with his owner, his loyalty to the horses, and the idea that the bond between man and dog lasts as long as life.
Kinship Between Humans and Animals
Highlighted by Bingo's deep connection with his owner, his strange gentleness toward a she-wolf, and the owner's protective instinct when Bingo is implicated in a dog's death.
Survival and Adaptation
Shown through Bingo's nocturnal wanderings, his ability to drive away prairie wolves from carcasses, and his adaptation to farm life despite his strong-willed nature.
Characters to notice
- Bingo
The central dog character, known for his obsessive cow-herding, loyalty to horses, and deep bond with his owner. He also shows a strange gentleness toward a she-wolf and is involved in a dog-killing incident.
- Gordon Wright
A neighbor and farmer; his son reveals that Bingo was the one who killed the old hound Tan.
- Fred
The narrator's brother who milks the cow and invents a brick-on-tail device to stop the cow's switching, leading to a chaotic incident.
- Oliver
A man who kills a she-wolf, earning Bingo's lasting enmity.
- Dunne
The old yellow cow that Bingo obsessively herds, often driving her to the stable at full gallop.
Key passages
“Bingo turned to me and I to him, and both seemed to feel that the bond between man and dog is one that lasts as long as life.”
In times of crisis, Bingo and I relied on each other, and we both sensed that the connection between a person and a dog endures for a lifetime.
Emphasizes the enduring loyalty and mutual trust between the narrator and Bingo.
“It is wonderful and beautiful how a man and his dog will stick to one another, through thick and thin.”
It's remarkable and heartwarming how a person and their dog remain devoted to each other in all circumstances.
Reflects on the deep, unbreakable bond between humans and their canine companions.
“I was not superstitious, and up to this time had had no faith in omens, but was now deeply impressed by a strange occurrence in which Bingo took a leading part.”
I had never believed in omens before, but Bingo's unusual behavior that day made me feel a deep sense of foreboding.
Describes the narrator's shift in belief after witnessing Bingo's ominous howling.