Get here the summary, questions, answers, textbook solutions, extras, and pdf of The Adventures of Toto by Ruskin Bond of Assam Board (SEBA) and Tripura Board (TBSE) Class 9 English Supplementary Reader textbook (Moments). However, the given notes/solutions should only be used for references and should be modified/changed according to needs.
Summary: “The Adventures of Toto” is a lighthearted story about a monkey named Toto and his adventures. After being rescued from a tonga owner and brought home by the author’s Grandfather, Toto and his mischievous nature threw the entire family into a chaotic and comic whirl.
Toto, who possessed quick fingers and a tail that allowed him to swing and reach impossible heights, quickly became the centre of the chaos in the house. He demonstrated his abilities even on his first day by yanking the peg that held him to the wall and ripping a good blazer to shreds. It was not long before it became clear that Toto was synonymous with destruction. Toto was supposed to be kept a secret from Grandma, so grandfather took him to Saharanpur in a secure bag, inside which he jumped, making for an amusing sight. The ticket collector, too, took him for a dog and demanded the grandfather to pay his fare.
Toto was later given a place in the stable with Nana the donkey, but they never got along because of his mischievous nature. This mischievous monkey had another side, one that made him a favourite attraction for the entire family. Toto was a showman, especially when he bathed. He tried his hardest to imitate the author, who was a boy at the time. Toto would test the water before entering his bathtub, and he would even thoroughly soap himself. Toto loved taking baths so much that he nearly burned himself alive one time when he stepped into a kettle of boiling water that was on fire. However, as Toto’s misbehaviour worsened, the author’s family suffered more losses. Grandfather eventually resold him one fine day.
Textual questions and answers of The Adventures of Toto
1. How does Toto come to Grandfather’s private zoo?
Answer: Toto was once the property of a tonga driver. Toto was tied to a feeding trough when Grandfather first saw him, and he thought he looked out of place there, so he bought him from his owner. This is how Toto became a part of Grandfather’s private zoo.
2. “Toto was a pretty monkey.” In what sense is Toto pretty?
Answer: In the story The Adventures of Toto, Toto was a pretty monkey because of his bright eyes, which sparkled with mischief beneath his deep-set brows. His teeth were gleaming pearly white and were frequently displayed in a smile. Toto’s tail also added to his beauty.
3. Why does Grandfather take Toto to Saharanpur and how? Why does the ticket collector insist on calling Toto a dog?
Answer: Grandfather had kept Toto’s presence hidden from Grandmother because he was afraid she would make a fuss, as she often did when he brought home a new bird or animal. As a result, when he had to travel to Saharanpur, he decided it was better to take Toto along with him.
When the ticket collector saw Toto grinning at him from within Grandfather’s canvas bag, he was taken aback and surprised. Toto was mistaken for a dog by him. Despite Grandfather’s protests, he insisted on calling Toto a dog, and he punished grandfather by forcing him to pay the dog’s fare.
5. Why does the author say, “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long”?
Answer: Toto was a mischievous and destructive monkey. He tore clothes, ate family food, threw water at people, smashed crockery, and so on. Clearly, the author and his family were not wealthy and unable to bear the repeated losses. Hence the author writes, “Toto was not the kind of pet we could keep for long”.
Additional/extra questions and answers/solutions of The Adventures of Toto
1. When Toto saw the pullao dish on the dining table, what did he do?
Answer: Toto helped himself to the pullao dish on the dining table because there was no one else around. Toto was eating rice when the family members entered the room. In response to her scream, Toto threw a plate at the author’s grandmother. When the author’s aunt rushed forward, she was met with a glass of water on her face. When Grandfather entered the room, Toto dashed out the door with the entire plate of pullao. He then sat down under a jackfruit tree and continued to eat the rice until every grain was gone. Toto threw the plate down when he was done, smashing it to bits.
2. What functioned as Toto’s third hand? How?
Answer: Toto’s tail functioned as his third hand. He could use it to scoop up any delicacy that would otherwise be out of his reach. Furthermore, he could hang from branches with his tail.
19. Who was Nana? Toto bothered him in what way?
Answer: In the story The Adventures of Toto, the family donkey of the narrator was Nana. Nana was irritated by Toto’s sharp teeth clinging to the animal’s long ears. He did it the first night he and the donkey shared the stable.
20. Toto’s fondness for warm baths almost resulted in him being half-boiled.
Answer: Toto came across a large kitchen kettle that had been left to boil for tea one day. He removed the lid and discovered that the water was warm enough to have a bath in. He jumped right in and began bouncing up and down as soon as the water started to boil. Grandmother finally arrived and removed a half-boiled Toto from the kettle.
21. What event influenced Grandfather’s choice not to keep Toto as a pet?
Answer: During lunch, Toto was spotted stuffing ‘pullao.’ Toto tossed a plate and a glass of water at Grandmother and the narrator’s aunt after being yelled at. He then took the dish and fled through the window, hiding among the jackfruit tree’s limbs. After devouring the last grain of rice, he threw it down and smashed the plate. Grandfather decided that he could no longer keep him as a pet because of this.
22. Why did Grandfather give the monkey Toto away?
Answer: Because he was lively and mischievous, Toto could not be kept as a pet for long. He could not be tamed or trained. His activities resulted in repeated losses of dishes, clothes, curtains, wallpaper, and other items, which was too much to endure given the family’s financial situation. Grandfather eventually sold him for three rupees to the tonga driver.
23. How does Toto bathe? Where did he learn this? How does Toto come so close to boiling to death?
Answer: Toto deftly measured the temperature with his hand before stepping into the bath. He would step into the water up to his neck, one foot first, then the other. He would use the soap to scrub himself all over. The author had taught him everything.
Toto went inside a large cooking kettle that was on fire and started boiling one day. He liked the warm water but leapt up and down when it became too hot. Fortunately, grandmother came just in time, and he was rescued.
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