NCERT Solutions For Class 9 English Moments Chapter 2 The Adventures of Toto

The Adventures of Toto Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Moments

The Adventures of Toto Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 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

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 14.
Did Toto and Nana become friends? Give reasons for your 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.

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 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.

The Adventures of Toto Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 4.
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.

Question 5.
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.

Question 6.
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.