A Dog Named Duke Summary
Charles Chuck Hooper was the Zonal Sales Manager for a chemical company. He was favoured young man with everything in his life. He once was a player of the university football team. He was ambitious and cheerful. He lived with his wife Marcy and his pet dog Duke.
Duke was a rough-playing Doberman Pinscher, four years old weighing about 23Kgs. Duke was bought from the kennel by chuck even after his wife Marcy preferred Pomeranian.
One day (in 1953) he was hit by a car. This accident completely paralyzed his left side due to HEAMORRHAGE in the motor section of his brain. Hooper was critical and remained in the hospital for a month. Some men from his company came to the hospital to inform him that he should take leave for a year and a desk job would be created for him at headquarters. He underwent physiotherapy for his paralysed arm and leg but it did not help much. Now he had to move on a wheel chair.
After being discharged from the hospital, he was very depressed. His wife went to work and he had to stay alone in the house as their pet Duke was send to the kennel after chuck's accident.
To give him company Duke was called back from the Kennel. When Duke saw his master after a long time, he was very happy. Duke could not control himself and jumped on Chuck to show his happiness. Chuck had to fight him to maintain his balance. But that was the first and the last time that Duke did so. He never repeated it again.
Chuck's health worried Marcy but she also was helpless. She could do nothing but cry. Even Duke could not take the boredom and he sometimes would "quiver with impatience" but was calmed by Chuck.
One day something unpredictable happened. Chuck simply hooked the leash on Duke's collar. Duke understood what he had to do. He forced his master stand with the help of Marcy, then chuck took some steps. This then became an everyday affair. Daily, Duke would help Chuck struggle out of his chair and walk a few steps. Gradually, they increased the steps. Then they began two trips a day lengthening the targets.
On January 4, Hooper went to his office without the support of Duke. Everyone was amazed. In office Hooper informed his manager that he would come down for an hour to the office, and he stuck to his words. After a few months Hooper had recovered back to normality and if the need ever arise, Duke was always there as a companion.
In March 1956 i.e. after 3 years they shifted to a new place after chuck was promoted as Regional Manager. Nobody knew the story of Chuck and duke there. The neighbours saw their new neighbour walking like a mechanical giant pulled by a dog that acted as if he owned the man.
On 12 October 1967, Duke was hit by a car, taken to hospital but he did not survive. Now chuck had to walk alone, he missed Duke but still had carried on. He was promoted as Assistant National Sales Manager of his company. Chuck gave the credit of his success to Duke who had shown him the way.
NCERT Solutions : NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Literature Reader Unit 2