SHORT STORY - 2 THE ADVENTURE OF TOTO

- Ruskin Bond -
Picture
About the Author
Ruskin Bond is an Indian author of British descent. He lives with his adopted family in Landour,
Mussoorie, India. The Indian Council for Child Education has recognised his role in the growth of
children's literature in India.
Born: 19 May 1934 (age 85 years), Kasauli
Education: Bishop Cotton School shimla (1950)
Awards: Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri
Movies and TV shows: 7 Khoon Maaf, The Blue Umbrella, The Black Cat, Junoon, Ek Tha Rusty II
Parents: Aubrey Bond, Edith Clarke
SUMMARY
This is a humorous and adventurous story of a naughty monkey named ‘Toto’. The writer’s
grandfather bought the monkey from a tonga driver. The pranks played by Toto have been
narrated in an interesting way and make the story a must read for us.
The writer’s grandfather liked to collect animals and had a zoo at home. Once he bought a
monkey named Toto from a tonga driver for a sum of five rupees.
Toto was kept secretly as the grandmother disliked animals. Toto was very mischievous. When
the writer and his grandfather hid Toto in a cupboard, and tied him to a hook, he broke the hook
and caused havoc in the room. The next day, when he was kept in the servants room along with
other animals, he did not let them sleep all night.
As grandfather had to go to Saharanpur for work, he decided to take the monkey along with him.
He carried Toto in a strong bag made of canvas and closed the zip nicely so that Toto could not
escape. Toto made unsuccessful attempts to get out of the bag, which made the back jump and
roll. This aroused the curiosity of fellow passengers at the railway station. At the Saharanpur
railway station, when grandfather was getting his ticket checked, Toto peeked out of the bag and
smiled at the ticket collector. As the ticket collector declared that it was a dog, grandfather had to
buy a ticket for 3 rupees, much to his annoyance.
When toto was accepted by grandmother, it was given a place in the stable along with the
donkey- Nana. Toto did not get along with nana as well.
Toto enjoyed taking bath in warm water during the winter season. One day, he almost boiled
himself when he jumped into a kettle of boiling water.
One afternoon, Toto ate the family meal of pulao. He threw the empty dish from the tree and it
broke it into several pieces.
Toto’s mischiefs grew by the day and grandfather realized that they could not keep him at home.
Finally, he found the same tonga driver and sold Toto back to him for a sum of three rupees.

Short Question and Answers

Question and Answers
1. How does Toto come to grandfather’s private zoo?
A. The writer’s grandfather liked to collect animals and had made a zoo at home. One day, he saw
a red - coloured monkey tied to a trough with a tonga driver. He liked the monkey and wanted to
add it to his collection. He bought Toto from the tonga driver for a sum of five rupees.

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

A. The writer says that Toto was pretty. He had bright, shining eyes which were full of mischief.
His teeth were like pearls. He had a long tail which was like a third hand for him. The writer’s
grandfather felt that a tail added to the beauty of an animal. So, Toto was thought to be a pretty
animal.

3. Why does grandfather take Toto to Saharanpur and how? Why does the ticket collector insist
on calling Toto a dog?
A. Grandfather took Toto along with himself to Saharanpur because as he was mischievous, it was
not safe to leave him alone at home. A bag made of strong canvas material was arranged. Some
straw was placed in it. Toto was placed inside the bag and the bag was sealed with the zipper.
The ticket collector did not accept grandfather’s claim that Toto was not a dog. He called it a dog
and charged a ticket fee for it because only dogs were allowed to travel on trains. If Toto had to
travel by train, then, he would have to be termed a dog.

4. How does Toto take a bath? Where has he learnt to do this? How does Toto almost boil himself
alive?
A. Toto would check the temperature of the water by inserting his hand in it. Then he would step
into the tub, one foot at a time. Finally, he would sit in it, with his face out. Then he would rub
soap on his body. When the water became cold, he would jump out and run to the stove in the
kitchen to dry himself.
He had learnt this way of bathing from the writer.
On day, Toto jumped into a kettle of water kept on the stove for boiling as he found it warm
enough for a bath. As the water grew hotter, he thought of ascending but the cold weather made
him go back into the kettle. Toto kept on doing this for a while till he was spotted by the
grandmother. She pulled him out of the kettle in time or else he would have boiled himself that
day.

5. Why does the author say, “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long”?
A. The author says that Toto was not the kind of pet that they could keep for long because he was
extremely mischievous. He destroyed many things - he tore the wallpapers, clothes and curtains.
He broke dishes too. The family could not afford all this and so, decided to get rid of Toto.
FOR READING AND UNDERSTANDING

Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

1. Where did Grandfather buy Toto from and why?
Answer: He bought Toto from a tonga-driver. The tonga-driver used to keep it tied to a feeding
trough where the monkey looked highly out of place, so he decided to buy him to add to his
private zoo.
2. Describe Toto the monkey that Grandfather bought from the tonga-driver.
Answer: Toto was a pretty monkey with bright eyes that sparkled with mischief under deep-set
eyebrows. He had pearly white teeth which he bared in a smile that frightened old Anglo-Indian
ladies. His skin was wrinkled, with his hands looking pickled in the sun. His finger was quick and
wicked and his tail acted as a third hand for him.
3. Why did the narrator and his Grandfather hide Toto?
Answer: The narrator’s Grandmother was always upset whenever his Grandfather brought an
animal home. So, they hid Toto in a closet till they could find Grandmother in a good mood before
introducing her to Toto.
4. Do you think Grandmother was a keen lover like his Grandfather? Give reasons for your
answer.
Answer: No, Grandmother was not so fond of animals as it is mentioned she used to fuss a lot
whenever Grandfather got a new animal home. Also the fact that Grandfather had to return the
monkey to the tonga-driver because of its mischief was because of his fear of Grandmother’s
reactions to them.
5. Why was Grandfather pleased even though Toto had escaped from the closet? What does
this tell us about his character?
Answer: He was pleased at Toto’s intelligence and how he had managed to get free from the peg
he had been tied to. This reveals the fact that he was a true animal lover and enjoyed the antics
of the monkey.
6. How did Toto manage to escape from the closet? What does this reveal about the monkey?
Answer: He pulled out the peg he had been tied to from the wall inside the closet and escaped
from it. This reveals how intelligent, resourceful and mischievous the monkey was.
7. Where did Grandfather hide Toto after his escape from the closet?
Answer: He hid him in the servant’s quarters and transferred him to a big cage where a number of
other pets had been housed.
8. Why did Grandfather decide to take Toto to Saharanpur?
Answer: Grandfather had to go to Saharanpur to get his pension and he felt that if he left Toto
behind he would not allow any of the animals in the servant’s quarters to sleep all night. So, he
decided to take him along.
9. How did Grandfather take Toto to Saharanpur?
Answer: He put the monkey in a big black canvas kit-bag with some straw at the bottom. When
the bag was closed there was no place for the monkey to escape from as he could not get his
hands out of the neck which was tied securely, and the canvas was too thick for him to bite his
way out.
 10.Why did Grandfather have to pay three rupees to the Ticket-Collector?
Answer: He had to pay the money as ticket money for the monkey. The Ticket-Collector insisted
on calling the monkey a dog and charged the fare
11.Why did the Ticket-Collector not charge any fare for the tortoise?
Answer: According to the Ticket-Collector one had to pay only if carrying a dog in the train and
since it was not a dog Grandfather did not have to pay for it.
12.Was Grandfather alone during his journey to Saharanpur? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
No, he was not alone, as he was accompanied by his monkey Toto and his tortoise.
13.What were the changes that took place in the life of Toto after he was accepted by
Grandmother?
Answer: There was no longer any need to hide Toto and he was now given a comfortable room in
the stable which he had to share with the family donkey, Nana.
14.Did Toto and Nana become friends? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer: No, they never became friends because Toto troubled Nana on the very first night he
was left to share the room with her. He bit the donkey, fastening on to her long ears with his
sharp little teeth.
15.What did Toto consider a treat on winter evenings? Why?
Answer: Toto loved sitting in warm water and when Grandfather would keep a large bowl of
warm water for his bath, Toto considered it a treat.
16.Cite an example from Toto’s behaviour during bath time that reveals his intelligence.
Answer: The fact that Toto would test the temperature of his bath water before stepping into it
shows that he was very intelligent.
17.How did Toto almost boil himself one day?
Answer: One day Toto found a large kitchen kettle left to boil on the fire. Finding the water just
warm enough for a bath, he got in with his head sticking out from the open kettle. This was fine
for a while until the water began to boil. Toto raised himself a little but finding it cold outside sat
down again. He continued hopping up and down for some time until Grandmother pulled him
out, half-boiled.
18.Cite one example to show that Toto was a mischievous monkey.
Answer: Toto loved tearing things to pieces and whenever anyone came near him, he would make
an effort to get hold of their dresses and tear a hole in it. He also threw down a large plate of
pulao to spite Grandmother.
19.What do the various antics of Toto, like almost boiling himself or tearing people’s dresses
and throwing a large dish of pulao down reveal about him?
Answer: These incidents show that Toto was extremely mischievous, had a sense of adventure
and he was fearless.
20.Why did Grandfather have to return Toto to the tonga-driver?
Answer: He had to do so because the monkey was causing a lot of disturbance and damage to the
property at home which the family could ill-afford. He broke dishes, tore down curtains, clothes
and wallpaper.
 21.How does Toto come to Grandfather’s private zoo?
Answer: He was bought by Grandfather from the tonga-driver who owned him and kept him tied
to the water trough. Grandfather took pity on him and decided to add him to his private zoo.
22.“Toto was a pretty monkey”. In what way?
Answer: Toto looked pretty due to his bright sparkling eyes under deep set eyebrows and pearly
white teeth which were often displayed in a smile. Though his hands looked dried up, his tail
added to his good looks.
23.Mention the animals that were kept in Grandfather’s private zoo?
Answer: They were Toto the monkey, Nana the donkey, a pair of rabbits, a tortoise, a tame
squirrel and a goat.
24.How do we know that Grandmother was not as fond of collecting animals as Grandfather?
Answer: The fact that Grandfather had to hide the monkey, Toto in the closet after buying him off
from the tonga-driver tells us that he was afraid Grandmother would create a fuss if she saw that
he had made yet another addition to his collection of animals. Thus we get to know that she was
not as ardent a lover of animals as Grandfather.

Long Answer Type

1. Why does Grandfather take Toto to Saharanpur and how? Why does the Ticket-Collector
insist on calling it a dog?
Answer: Grandfather was forced to take Toto to Saharanpur because he was so mischievous that
he troubled every soul in the house whether humans or animals and also caused damage to
property. No one could predict what he would be up to at the next moment. He took him tied in a
canvas cloth bag which he could not chew his way out of. The Ticket-Collector could not find the
fare to be charged for a monkey in his rule book, so he decided to categorise the monkey on the
basis of its size and charge the fare he would for a dog.

2. Describe how Toto would take a bath. Where had he learnt to do this? How did Toto almost
boil himself?
Answer: Toto had learnt how to bathe by watching the narrator take a bath. He would first test
the temperature of the bath water with his hand before stepping into it one foot at a time until
he was up to his neck in water. Once comfortable he would then take the soap in his hands or
feet and rub himself all over. Finally, when the water
got cold he would step out and run as quickly as he could to the kitchen to dry himself before the
fire burning there.
One day, he found a large kitchen kettle left to boil on the fire. Finding the water just warm
enough for a bath he got in with his head sticking out from the open kettle. This was fine for a
while until it began to boil. Then he raised himself a little but finding it cold outside sat down
again. He continued hopping up and down for some time until Grandmother pulled him out, half-
boiled.

3.Why does the author say that “Toto was not the sort of pet one could keep for long’?
Answer: He says this because though the monkey was very pretty he was extremely naughty and
caused a lot of damage and destruction to the property at home which the family could ill-afford.
He broke dishes, tore down curtains, clothes and wallpaper. He tore the dresses of the author’s
aunts, troubled the other animals in the house and one day he climbed a tree with a plateful of
pulao which was meant for the family lunch.
He had intended to eat it but when he was scolded by Grandmother he threw it down causing the
plate to fall and all the food to go to waste. Therefore, Grandfather realised the folly of trying to
keep the monkey at home and returned him to the tonga-driver from whom he had bought him
in the first place.

3. Discuss the incident that took place at the railway station?

Answer: Once Grandfather had to go to Saharanpur by train and he decided to take his monkey
Toto along with him in a canvas bag from which it could not escape. The monkey of course did
not sit still in the bag but kept rolling on the ground, much to the surprise of the fellow
passengers. The monkey remained in the bag till Saharanpur but while Grandfather was
producing his ticket at the railway turnstile, Toto suddenly poked his head out of the bag and
grinned widely at the Ticket Collector who then forced Grandfather to pay a fare for the monkey
much against the latter’s wishes.

4. Grandfather was a great animal lover. Discuss.

Answer: Yes, Grandfather was a great animal lover. This can be proved from the fact that he had a
private zoo which housed a tortoise, a donkey, a tame squirrel, a pair of rabbits and a monkey all
in a cage in the servants’ quarters. In fact he paid a sum of five rupees for the monkey who he felt
sorry for as he found him chained to the water trough by the tonga-driver. He also willingly
travelled with not only the monkey but also a tortoise on his trip to Saharanpur.
He also put up with the mischief and destruction caused by the monkey as far as he could till he
knew that the family would no longer support him in allowing the monkey to stay with them. He
finally sold him back to the tonga-driver for just three rupees.

5. Based on your reading of the lesson “Adventures of Toto”, do you think it is a great idea to
keep animals as pets?
Answer: The story discusses both the fascination of some people for animals and the problems
that can arise when one decides to keep an animal as a pet. This can be disadvantageous not only
to the family keeping an animal but also to the animal as we see in the case of Toto, who almost
boils himself before he is rescued by the family. In fact it also raises questions about the necessity
of taking animals away from their natural environment and domesticating them and exposing
them to the dangers that arise from human living.

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