Think about it

Question 1. How does Toto come to grandfather’s private zoo?

Answer: Toto was owned by a tonga-driver who used to keep him tied to a feeding-trough. Grandfather felt that the monkey was out of place there. So, he decided to add the little monkey to his private zoo. He bought Toto from the tonga-driver for five rupees.

Question 2. “Toto was a pretty monkey.” In what sense is Toto pretty?

Answer: Toto had bright eyes with mischief beneath deep-set eyebrows. His pearly white teeth were very often displayed in a smile that frightened the life out of elderly Anglo-Indian ladies. His hands looked dried up. His fingers were quick and wicked. His tail added to his good looks and also served as a third hand. He could use his tail to hang from a branch and to scoop up any delicacy that might be out of reach of his hands.

Question 3. Why does grandfather take Toto to Saharanpur and how? Why does the ticket collector insist on calling Toto a dog?

Answer: Grandfather takes Toto to Saharanpur because he would not allow his companions to sleep at night. Grandfather had to leave Dehra Dun the next day to collect his pension in Saharanpur. So, he decided to take Toto along. He took him in a bag by train.

The ticket collector insisted on calling Toto a dog because he did not have any fixed fare for a monkey. The monkey could not be charged as a human being. So, he decided to categorize it as a dog and charge accordingly.

Question 4. How does Toto take a bath? Where has he learnt to do this? How does Toto almost boil himself alive?

Answer: Toto took a bath by first checking the temperature of the water with his hand. Then he would put one foot in the water, then the other until he was in the water up to his neck. He would take the soap in his hands or feet and rub himself all over.

One day when a large kitchen kettle had been left on the fire to boil for tea, Toto decided to remove the lid. He found that water was just warm enough for a bath, and he got in with his head sticking out from the open kettle. The water began to boil. He continued hopping up and down for some time until grandmother arrived and hauled him out of the kettle. That’s how he almost boiled himself alive.

Question 5. Why does the author say, “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long”?

Answer: Toto was a very mischievous monkey. He would tear things into pieces. When one of author’s aunts would come near him, he would try and tear a hole in her dress. One day, Toto was found stuffing himself with pullao. When the author’s grandmother screamed, Toto threw a plate at her. He then picked up the dish of pullao and made his exit through a window. In order to spite grandmother, who had screamed at him, he threw the dish down from the tree and chattered with delight when it broke into a hundred pieces.

The author’s family was not a well-to-do one. They could not afford the frequent loss of dishes, clothes, curtains and wallpaper. That is why the author says, “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long”.

Short Answer Type Questions

1: Why did the author’s grandfather decide to buy Toto? 

Answer: Grandfather was an animal lover and took pity on toto as it was kept tied to a feeding trough. toto looked out of place and grandfather decided to bring it to his private zoo. he was much impressed by toto.

2: Why could not Toto and Nana become friends? 

Answer: Toto was very naughty and wicked and could not stay still for a long time. Nana was a well behaved and docile animal. When they were together Toto bit on the long ears of Nana and Nana got annoyed with Toto. Thus, Nana and Toto could not become friends.

3: How does Toto become a problem to grandfather while going to Saharanpur?

Answer: While going to Saharanpur, Toto behaved well. When grandfather was producing his ticket, Toto suddenly poked his head out of the bag. He gave the ticket collector a wide grin. The ticket collector insisted that grandfather must buy the ticket for the pet. And proved to be a big problem for grandfather.

4: Where was Toto kept immediately after grandfather got him? Why?

Answer: Toto was kept in a closet. He was tied securely to a peg because his presence was to be kept a secret from the writer’s grandmother as she abhorred animals.

5: Who was Nana? How did Toto tease Nana? 

Answer: Nana was the family donkey. Toto was kept in the stable with Nana, where Toto used to tease Nana by fast biting on to her long ears with his sharp little teeth. Even Nana got fed up with Toto.

6: In what sense was Toto “a pretty monkey”.

Answer: Tito’s bright eyes sparkled with mischief beneath deep-set eyebrows. His pearly white teeth often displayed a smile that had the innocence of a child yet there was an underlined tinge of naughtiness and mischievousness.

7: How did Toto’slove for taking bathe almost led to his being half – boiled?

Answer: Toto used to love taking bathe in hot water. Once when a kettle was kept on fire with water to boil for tea, Toto sat in it. When the water began to boil, Toto tried getting up but found outside cold. So he again sat down. He kept on hopping outside and then again inside and after sometime, he started enjoying this game.

8: Why did the grandfather give away Toto, the monkey? 

Answer: Toto was very naughty and he troubled everyone. The other pets were not happy with him and he broke a lot of dishes, tore clothes, curtains and wallpapers. He had become very difficult to handle and so grandfather gave Toto away.

9: Why did the grandfather hide Toto for some time when he brought him home?

Answer: Grandmother was not very fond of animals. When he used to bring a new bird, she used to make a lot of fuss. To avoid this, grandfather hid Toto for some time and announced his arrival to her when she was in a good mood.

10: Why did grandfather decide to take Toto along with him to Dehra Dun?

Answer: Grandfather decided to take Toto along with him to Dehradun as there were many other pets also / that lived there. But Toto would not allow any of his companions to sleep at night. So, he made this decision.

11: Give the names of Grandfather’s pets. Where did they live?

Answer: The names of the Grandfather’s pets were Nana the donkey and Toto the monkey a tortoise, a pair of rabbits, a tame squirrel and a goat. They lived in a big cage in the servant’s quarters.

Long Answer Type Questions

1: Write your views in the form of short paragraph on the topic “Should animals be kept as a pet”. 
OR
While keeping pets at home, what all things should be kept in mind? 

Answer: Before bringing a pet in the house, we should remember that these animals can neither speak nor express as humans. As a pet owner, we should know that there are a number of dangers that lurk in our households for these little creatures. We should always keep pesticides and medicines at a bay from the animals and children as they are a potential threat to them. The areas where pets might start fire inadvertently such as kitchen or fireplaces or plugs should be covered, we should never have pets unattended around the open flames. Small electrical cords are also harmful to them hence they would be wounded and kept at a distance. All the pots and oil bottles should be properly closed.

2: How can you say that Toto was a mischievous pet?

Answer: Toto was indeed a very mischievous pet. He tore the wallpapers of the rooms, and also tore the school blazer. He troubled other fellow animals. He even managed to get himself into trouble by nearly half boiling himself in a kettle. He made holes in dresses and curtains. Once he even scared the ticket checker. He even broke dishes in the houses. He proved to be a big troublemaker for everyone. Thus, we can say that Toto was a mischievous pet.

3: Describe the incident at Dehradun railway station after reading the story, The Adventures of Toto’.

Answer: Grandfather had to go to Saharanpur. So, he decided to put Toto in a big black canvas bag for the train journey. When they reached the station Toto started jumping on the platform and everyone was surprised to see a bag jumping and moving about. When the ticket collector came then Toto poked his head out of the bag. The ticket collector wanted grandfather to buy a ticket for him and grandfather did not want to. Finally, the ticket collector had his way.

4: “Toto was not good enough to be kept at home.” Do you agree to this statement? Why/why not.

Answer: Yes, Toto was not good enough to be kept at home. He was upto some kind of mischief all the time. He tore the wallpapers of the rooms, and also tore the school blazer. He troubled other fellow animals. He even managed to get himself into trouble by nearly boiling himself in a kettle. He made holes in dresses and curtains. Once he even scared the ticket checker also. He even broke dishes in the houses. Thus, it was not easy to keep him at home. ‘

5: “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long.” Explain giving examples from the text.

Answer: “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long.” because he was very mischievous. He scratched the plaster of the walls, tore the school blazer. He threw plates at grandmother and glasses of water at one of the aunt’s face. He used to break the dishes of pulav into pieces. And they could not afford the frequent loss of dishes, clothes, curtains, and wallpaper.

6: Grandfather was a great lover of animals. Describe.

Answer: Narrator’s grandfather had a great liking for the animal. He had a tortoise, a pair of rabbits, a tame squirrel, a goat but no monkey. With the coming of Toto, his mini zoo was transformed into a real zoo. He had a variety of pet animals in that zoo. He frequently bought any varieties of animals to keep them in his zoo. Due to this, he even faced anger of his wife at times and when he brought Toto he was very happy with his cleverness.

7: How does Toto take a bathe? Where has he learned to do this?

Answer: Toto takes bathe in a tub’ of warm water. It puts its legs in the water one by one and applies soap as well. As monkeys are good at aping others, so Toto has learned proper steps of bathing while watching the narrator doing the same. He wanted to take a bath and in order to do it, he sat in the boiling water of kettle also.

8. Why does the author say, “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long”?

Answer: Toto was indeed a very mischievous pet. He tore the wallpapers of the rooms, and also tore the narrator’s school blazer. He troubled other fellow animals. He even managed to get himself into trouble by nearly half boiling water in a kettle. He made holes in dresses and curtains. Once, he even scared the ticket checker. He even broke dishes in the house. He proved to be a big troublemaker for everyone. Thus, we can say that Toto was a mischievous pet.