Summary of The Adventures of Toto
The Adventures of Toto by Ruskin Bond is an amusing story highlighting the antics of a mischievous monkey.
The narrator’s grandfather bought Toto, a little red monkey from a tonga driver to add to his collection of animals in his private zoo.
Toto was an attractive monkey with sparkling eyes. He would take special delight in scaring elderly Anglo-Indian ladies. Since grandmother was always averse to grandfather’s collection of animals, he decided to keep the news about Toto hidden from her until she was in better mood.
Toto was temporarily kept in a closet that opened into the narrator’s bedroom. After a few hours of keeping Toto in the closet, when the narrator and the grandfather came to see Toto, they were in for a shock. Toto had torn the wallpaper; the peg with which Toto had been bound, had been wrenched off the wall. The narrator’s school blazer had been torn into pieces.
The grandfather was quite happy at the monkey’s adventures. After this it was decided that Toto would be transferred to the cage where other animals such as a tortoise, a pair of rabbits, a tame squirrel and narrator’s pet goat lived amiably. But Toto would create trouble for all of them.
The grandfather had to go to Saharanpur to collect his pension. He decided to take Toto along in a big canvas bag. Since there was no opening in the bag to allow his hands or face to come out, he would often jump inside the bag, making the bag look like as if there was a spirit in it.
As soon as the train reached Saharanpur, Toto scared the ticket-collector by popping his head out of the bag and grinning at him. The ticket-collector was annoyed at the discovery and asserted that the grandfather would have to pay for Toto’s fare. The ticket-collector assumed Toto to be a dog and would not listen to the grandfather’s argument that it was not a dog.
Once the grandmother accepted Toto, he was shifted to stable where Nana, the family donkey lived. Toto could not get along with Nana as well.
Toto loved to take bath in hot water in winter in the same manner as the narrator would do. He would first check the hotness of water before jumping into the hot water bowl.
Think about it
(Page 11)
Question 1.
How does Toto come to grand-father’s private zoo?
Answer:
Grandfather loved animals. One day he saw this attractive monkey with a tonga- driver. The monkey was tied to a feeding- trough and seemed out of place there. Grandfather had great liking for animals. So he decided to buy Toto from the tonga- driver and bought it for five rupees.
Question 2.
“Toto was a pretty monkey.” In what sense is Toto pretty?
Answer:
Toto had bright eyes sparkling with mischief, pearly white teeth, quick and wicked fingers and a gracious tail which served as a third hand. The smile of Toto was cute and frightened elderly Anglo- Indian ladies. Altogether all these qualities made him pretty.
Question 3.
Why does grandfather take Toto to Saharanpur and how? Why does the ticket collector insist on calling Toto a dog?
Answer:
Toto was a mischievous monkey. He kept disturbing all other animals in grandfather’s private zoo. It seemed that only grandfather could manage him properly. So, he took Toto to Saharanpur in a bag. The ticket collector called Toto a dog as the monkey did not qualify the category of human beings.
Question 4.
How does Toto take a bath? Where has he learnt to do this? How does Toto almost boil himself alive?
Answer:
Toto cunningly tested the temperature with his hand then gradually stepped into the bath. He stepped first one foot, then the other, until he was into the water up to his neck. He rubbed himself all over with the soap. He learned it all from the author. Some day Toto got in a large kitchen kettle which was on fire to boil. He enjoyed the warm water but when the water turned out to be hot he jumped up and down. Suddenly the grandmother arrived at and pulled him out in half-boiled condition.
Question 5.
Why does the author say, “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long”?
Answer:
The author’s statement about Toto proves itself if we take Toto’s misdeeds into consideration. Nobody could afford the frequent losses. He disturbed all other animals too. Obviously Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long.
Talk about it
(Page 11)
Question 1.
Do you have a pet? Is your pet mis-chievous? Tell the class about it.
Answer:
Yes, I have a pet dog named Moti. My father had brought him from my maternal uncle’s house when he was very small. Moti is like a member of my family. I have special attachment for him. He is very active and vigilant. He is an epitome of loyalty. He keeps sitting beside the main gate at night. Whenever there is any unknown sound inside my house, he starts barking. All the members of my family love Moti very much. Moti proves to be really a gem many a time. He keeps us safe all the time. Our Moti is not mischievous. He is very sensible and sensitive as well. We feel secure in his presence. I pray to God to keep him healthy.
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