The Adventure of Toto Class 9 English, Moments – Summary, Explanation, Word Meanings

The narrator’s grandfather was very fond of animals. Once he bought a little red baby monkey from a tonga driver for Rupees 5. Grandfather named him Toto. He decided to add Toto in his private zoo. The unique feature of Toto was his tail which served as his third hand. Toto used his tail to hang from branches and to pick up any dish that he was unable to reach by his hands.

The narrator’s grandmother did not like animals. So, the narrator and his grandfather decided that the Toto’s presence should be kept as secret. They put Toto in a little closet opening in the narrator’s bedroom. When they returned, they saw that Toto had removed the decorative paper from the walls. He had also pulled out the peg attached to the wall through which he was tied. He had also torn the narrator’s school blazer into shreds (pieces). Toto’s mischief delighted the grandfather. He found Toto to be a clever monkey.

Toto was transferred into a big cage after this incident. ‘The cage was kept in the servant quarters where all other animals lived together. The animals included a tortoise, a pair of rabbits, a domesticated squirrel and a pet goat. Even here, Toto proved to be a naughty monkey. He would not let any other animal sleep at night. So, the grandfather, who had to go to Saharanpur to get his pension next morning decided to take Toto along with him.

A black canvas kit bag was arranged for Toto. He was put in this bag. As the bag was closed, Toto could neither escape nor cause any mischief. Toto was in the bag throughout his journey, but when grandfather was showing his ticket to the ticket collector, Toto bought his head out of the bag. This sudden appearance of an animal scared the ticket collector. He cleverly classified Toto to be a dog and charged 3 for carrying Toto with him.

Toto was accepted by the narrator’s grandmother and was transferred into the stable with Nana, the family’s female donkey. From his first night, Toto started teasing Nana. When grandfather came to see if Toto was comfortable, he found that Toto had bitten Nana’s long ears. As a result, Toto and Nana could never become friends. On winter evenings, grandmother gave Toto a large bowl of warm water for his bath. First, Toto would check the temperature of the water. Then he would enter the bath until the water reached his neck. After this, he would take the soap and rub it all over his body. When Toto would come out of his bath he would run to the Kitchen fire to dry himself.

One day Toto almost boiled himself alive while bathing. When he saw a large kitchen kettle with warm water, he got into the kettle. He started jumping up and down when the water came to boil. It was grandmother who found him and took him out of the kettle. Toto’s mischief still continued. He was always damaging things. One day, as the narrator’s family entered the dining room, they saw Toto eating the pulao made for lunch.

When his grandmother screamed at Toto, he threw a plate at her. Further, when one of the narrator’s aunts came forward, Toto threw water on her face. Later, when the narrator’s grandfather came, Toto took the dish, ran outside and sat on the branches of the jack fruit tree. He sat there for the whole day. As soon as the pulao was finished, Toto threw the dish down and broke it into pieces.

Toto’s mischief caused much loss to the family. The narrators family could not afford the loss of dishes, clothes, curtains and wallpapers. So, grandfather sold Toto to the same Tonga driver for Rupees 3.

(1) Describe what happened when Toto was taken to Saharanpur?

(2) Why did the author’s Grandfather buy Toto from the tonga-driver?

(3) What was the Grandfather’s reaction after Toto had torn the narrator’s blazer?

(4) What happened when Toto was sent to the servant’s quarters? Why ?

(5) How did Toto behave with Nana, the pet female donkey?

(6) If there is a part of the brain especially devoted to mischief, that part was largely developed in Toto? Explain the statement?

(7) The monkey and donkey never became friends? Who do you think was wrong? What was missing in their relationship?

(8) Did Toto stay with the narrator’s family forever? Why?

(9) Where was Toto kept immediately after the narrator’s grandfather bought him? Why was he kept as such?

(10) Why does grandfather take Toto to Saharanpur and how?

(11) What happened when Toto grinned at the ticket collector at Saharanpur railway station?

(12) Describe Toto’s stay with grandfather’s other pets?

(13) Describe how Toto Enjoyed his bath? What happened when he got into a big kettle of hot water?

(14) Describe how Toto nearly boiled himself alive once?

(15) Where was Toto’s kept immediately after grandfather got him? Why?

(16) What did Toto do in the narrator’s room?

(17) How many pets did the narrator’s grandfather have and where were they kept?

(18) Who was Nana? How did Toto tease Nana?

(19) Did Toto enjoy taking a bath? Justify your answer?

(20) What incident let to grandfather’s decision of not keeping Toto as a pet?

(21) Why was Toto sold back to the Tanga Driver?

(22) How was Toto a nuisance in the house?

(23) How did Toto behave when he was in the company of other pets?

(24) Toto was an active and sharp monkey? Discuss?

(25) Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep  for long. Explain  giving examples from text?

(26) Initially , Toto was hidden in a cupboard, away from everyone’s eyes? Why?

(27) How was author’s grandmother different from his grandfather?

(28) Why did the ticket collector not charge for the tortoise?

(29) Why was the decision to sell back Toto taken?

(30) How was Toto an expensive deal for the grandfather? Do you think it was a lesson for him?