Textual Questions (Think about it)
1. How does Toto come to Grandfather’s private zoo?
Toto was in the custody of a tonga-driver. When Grandfather saw the monkey, he
was filled with sympathy for the monkey and thought that his private zoo would be
a better place for Toto. So, he purchased Toto from the tonga driver for the sum of
five rupees.
2. "Toto was a pretty monkey.” In what sense is Toto pretty?
The definition of beauty can vary according to the subject. For an animal, its shining
fur or long horns or mane can add to its appearance. In case of Toto, his bright
mischievous eyes along with his pearly white teeth and tail enhanced his
appearance. Generally, monkeys are naughty, so the naughty glint in Toto’s eyes
clearly told about his nature. Teeth are used by animals to show ferocity and Toto’s
teeth did frighten others.
3. Why does Grandfather take Toto to Saharanpur and how? Why does the ticket
collector insist on calling Toto a dog?
Toto was a real menace for every living soul in the household. Other animals in
Grandfather’s zoo were fed up of Toto’s mischief. So, Grandfather decided to
provide some relief to other animals in the zoo and thought of taking Toto to
Saharanpur. While Grandfather was producing his ticket, Toto suddenly poked his head out of the canvas bag. He gave the ticket collector a wide grin. The ticket
collector was following his rulebooks. As there seems to be no rule for fixing a
monkey’s fare, he equated Toto with a dog. The ticket collector’s ingenuity tried to
categorise all pets of a certain size as dogs.
4. How does Toto take a bath? Where has he learnt to do this? How does Toto almost
boil himself alive?
Toto took bath in a large bowl of warm water given by Grandmother. He used to
cunningly put his hand in the water to check the temperature and gradually step in
it, by putting first one foot then the other and once comfortable, he would apply
soap and rub himself all over. As monkeys are good at aping others, so Toto had
learnt proper steps of bathing while watching the narrator doing the same. Toto
was fond of bathing with warm water, so once having tested the warmth of water in
the kettle Toto sat in the kettle. He popped up and down in the kettle again and
again as he was feeling hot because the water had started boiling. When
Grandmother arrived, she hauled him half boiled out of the kettle.
5. Why does the author say, “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long”?
Although, Toto was pretty and clever, he was very mischievous. He damaged
everything on which he laid his hands. He scared the visitors by tearing holes in
their dresses. Moreover, he didn’t get along well with other animals in the house
too. One day, Toto crossed the limits by picking up a dish of pullao and running on
a branch to eat it. When scolded, he threw the plate and broke it. For a family of a
middle-class status buying dishes every day would be a costly affair or for that
matter it can be an unnecessary harassment for people from any economic
background. That’s when Grandfather decided to sell Toto back to the tonga-driver
as he couldn’t bear the losses that were incurred because of Toto’s mischief. Hence,
the author says that “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long.”
1. How does Toto come to Grandfather’s private zoo?
Toto was in the custody of a tonga-driver. When Grandfather saw the monkey, he
was filled with sympathy for the monkey and thought that his private zoo would be
a better place for Toto. So, he purchased Toto from the tonga driver for the sum of
five rupees.
2. "Toto was a pretty monkey.” In what sense is Toto pretty?
The definition of beauty can vary according to the subject. For an animal, its shining
fur or long horns or mane can add to its appearance. In case of Toto, his bright
mischievous eyes along with his pearly white teeth and tail enhanced his
appearance. Generally, monkeys are naughty, so the naughty glint in Toto’s eyes
clearly told about his nature. Teeth are used by animals to show ferocity and Toto’s
teeth did frighten others.
3. Why does Grandfather take Toto to Saharanpur and how? Why does the ticket
collector insist on calling Toto a dog?
Toto was a real menace for every living soul in the household. Other animals in
Grandfather’s zoo were fed up of Toto’s mischief. So, Grandfather decided to
provide some relief to other animals in the zoo and thought of taking Toto to
Saharanpur. While Grandfather was producing his ticket, Toto suddenly poked his head out of the canvas bag. He gave the ticket collector a wide grin. The ticket
collector was following his rulebooks. As there seems to be no rule for fixing a
monkey’s fare, he equated Toto with a dog. The ticket collector’s ingenuity tried to
categorise all pets of a certain size as dogs.
4. How does Toto take a bath? Where has he learnt to do this? How does Toto almost
boil himself alive?
Toto took bath in a large bowl of warm water given by Grandmother. He used to
cunningly put his hand in the water to check the temperature and gradually step in
it, by putting first one foot then the other and once comfortable, he would apply
soap and rub himself all over. As monkeys are good at aping others, so Toto had
learnt proper steps of bathing while watching the narrator doing the same. Toto
was fond of bathing with warm water, so once having tested the warmth of water in
the kettle Toto sat in the kettle. He popped up and down in the kettle again and
again as he was feeling hot because the water had started boiling. When
Grandmother arrived, she hauled him half boiled out of the kettle.
5. Why does the author say, “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long”?
Although, Toto was pretty and clever, he was very mischievous. He damaged
everything on which he laid his hands. He scared the visitors by tearing holes in
their dresses. Moreover, he didn’t get along well with other animals in the house
too. One day, Toto crossed the limits by picking up a dish of pullao and running on
a branch to eat it. When scolded, he threw the plate and broke it. For a family of a
middle-class status buying dishes every day would be a costly affair or for that
matter it can be an unnecessary harassment for people from any economic
background. That’s when Grandfather decided to sell Toto back to the tonga-driver
as he couldn’t bear the losses that were incurred because of Toto’s mischief. Hence,
the author says that “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long.”
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