NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8 – Mijbil the Otter

Mijbil the Otter Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English First Flight

Extract Based Questions [3 Marks each]

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow

Question 1.
When I casually mentioned this to a friend, he as casually replied that I had better get one in the Tigris marshes, for there they were as common as mosquitoes, and were often tamed by the Arabs. We were going to Basra to the Consulate-General to collect and answer our mail from Europe. At the Consulate-General we found that my friend’s mail had arrived but that mine had not.
(a) What was ‘they’?
(b) Where were they going to get the otter?
(c) Find the exact word from the extract which means ‘domesticated’.
(d) What did the author find at the Consulate-General?
Answer:
(a) ‘They’ refers to the otter.
(b) They were going to get the otter from Tigris marshes.
(c) ‘Tamed’ from the extract means ‘domesticated’.
(d) At the Consulate-General, the author found that his mail had not arrived while his friend’s mail had arrived.

Question 2.
Mijbil, as I called the otter, was, in fact, of a race previously unknown to science, and was at length christened by zoologists Lutrogale Perspicillata Maxwelli, or Maxwell’s otter. For the first twenty- four hours Mijbil was neither hostile nor friendly; he was simply aloof and indifferent, choosing to sleep on the floor as far from my bed as possible.     [CBSE 2014]
(a) Who was Mijbil?
(b) How did the otter behave for the first twenty-four hours?
(c) Find the exact word from the extract’ which means ‘having no particular interest’.
(d) Why is the otter called ‘Maxwell’s otter’?
Answer:
(a) Mijbil was the name of the otter brought by the | narrator.
(b) The otter was indifferent and stayed as fat as possible from the narrator for the first 24 hours.
(c) ‘indifferent’ from the extract means ‘having no particular interest’.
(d) The otter was christened by zoologist Maxwell. So, in his honour, it was called Maxwell’s otter.

Question 3.
I made a body-belt for him and took him on a lead to the bathroom, where for half an hour he went wild with joy in the water, plunging and rolling in it, shooting up and down the length of the bathtub underwater, and making enough slosh and splash for a hippo. This, I was to learn, is a characteristic of otters.
(a) What is a particular characteristic of otter?
(b) What did the otter do inside the bathroom?
(c) Find the exact word from the extract which means ‘moving irregularly with splash sound’.
(d) Why did the author make a body-belt for the himself?
Answer:
(a) Playing with water is a particular characteristic of otters.
(b) The otter played with water inside the bathroom.
(c) ‘Slashed’ from the extract means ‘moving irregularly with splash sound’.
(d) The author made a body-belt for himself to take otter on a lead to the bathroom.

Question 4.
Very soon Mij would follow me without a lead and come to me when I called his name. He spent most of his time in play. He spent hours shuffling a rubber ball round the room like a four-footed soccer player using all four feet to dribble the ball, and he could also throw it, with a powerful flick of the neck, to a surprising height and distance.
(a) What was the favourite timepass of Mijbil?
(b) What did the otter do when the narrator called his name?
(c) Find the exact word from the extract which means ‘strike’.
(d) What has been referred as a four-footed soccer player?
Answer:
(a) The favourite timepass of Mijbil was to shuffle the rubber ball using all his four legs.
(b) The otter used to follow the narrator when he called his name.
(c) ‘dribble’ from the extract means ‘strike’.
(d) The otter has been referred as a four-footed player of soccer.

Question 5.
The British airline to London would not fly animals, so I booked a flight to Paris on another airline, and from there to London. The airline insisted that Mij should be packed into a box not more than eighteen inches square, to be carried on the floor at my feet.
(a) Where was Mij being taken?
(b) How was Mij being taken?
(c) Which word in the extract means the same as ‘to demand something forcefully’?
(d) What did the airline insist upon?
Answer:
(a) Mij was being taken to London.
(b) Mij was being taken by packing him in a box.
(c) The word ‘insisted’ from the extract means ‘to demand something forcefully’.
(d) The airline insisted upon the fact that Mij should be packed in a box so that it can be carried.

Question 6.
When I returned, there was an appalling spectacle. There was complete silence from the box, but from its airholes and chinks around the lid, blood had trickled and dried. I whipped off the lock and tore open the lid, and Mij, exhausted and blood spattered, whimpered and caught at my leg.
(a) What was inside the box?
(b) What was the condition of the box when the narrator returned?
(c) Find the exact word from the extract which means ‘quickly took off’.
(d) Why did the author open the box?
Answer:
(a) Mij was lying exhausted and blood spattered inside the box.
(b) When the narrator returned, there was complete silence inside the box. Blood was coming out from the airholes and around the lid.
(c) ‘Whipped off” from the extract means ‘quickly took off’.
(d) The author opened the box because Mij was caged inside it.

Question 7.
It was just ten minutes until the time of the flight, and the airport was five miles distant.
I put the miserable Mij back into the box, holding down the lid with my hand.
(a) How far was the airport?
(b) How was Mij carried to the airport?
(c) Find the exact word from the extract which  means ‘at a distance’.
(d) Why did the author could not help Mij despite its weary condition?
Answer:
(a) The airport was at a distance of 5 miles.
(b) The narrator put Mij in the box again and held down the lid of the box with his hand.
(c) ‘distant’ from the extract means ‘at a distance’.
(d) The author couldn’t help Mij despite its weary condition because he had to leave for the airport soon.

Question 8.
I was rushed through to it by infuriated officials. Luckily, the seat booked for me was at the extreme front. I covered the floor around my feet with newspapers, rang for the air hostess, and gave her a parcel of fish (for Mij) to keep in a cool place. I took her into my confidence about the events of the last half hour.
(a) Why were the airport officials infuriated?
(b) How did the narrator take the airhostess in his confidence?
(c) Find the exact word from the extract which means ‘extremely angry and impatient’.
(d) Why did the author give fish to the air – hostess?
Answer:
(a) The airport officials were infuriated as the narrator arrived late at the airport.
(b) The narrator told the airhostess about the events that had happened in the last half an hour in his confidence.
(c) ‘infuriated’ from the extract means ‘extremely angry and impatient’.
(d) The author gave fish to the air hostess to be kept as food for Mij.

Question 9.
Mij was out of the box in a flash. He disappeared at high speed down the aircraft. There were squawks and shrieks, and a woman stood up on her seat screaming out, ‘A rat! A rat!”
(a) Why did the woman scream?
(b) What did Mij do?
(c) Find the exact word from the extract which means ‘make a loud noise’.
(d) What had Mij been compared with in the extract?
Answer:
(a) The woman screamed as she thought that there was a rat inside the plane.
(b) Mij came out of the box and disappeared.
(c) ‘Squawk’ from the extract means ‘make a loud noise’.
(d) In the extract, Mij had been compared with a rat.

Question 10.
Mij and I remained in London for nearly a month. He would play for hours with a selection of toys, ping-pong balls, marbles, rubber fruit, and a terrapin shell that I had brought back from his native marshes. With the ping-pong ball he invented a game of his own which cokid keep him engrossed for up to half an hour at a time. A suitcase that I had taken to Iraq had become damaged on the journey home, so that the lid, when closed, remained at a slope from one end to the other. CBSE2012
(a) How did Mij spend his time in London?
(b) What game was invented by Mij?
(c) Find the exact word from the extract which means ‘absorb all the attention’.
(d) What sort of a creature was Mij?
Answer:
(a) Mij spent his time by playing with his own selection of toys— ping-pong balls, marbles, rubber fruit and a terrapin shell.
(b) Mij put the ball on one end of the suitcase and ran to catch it when it slid to the other end. This game was invented by him.
(c) ‘engrossed’ from the extract means ‘absorb all the attention’.
(d) Mij was a playful sort of creature who loved sport.

Short Answer Type Questions [2 Marks each]

Question 1.
How was Mij to be transported to England?
Answer:
The British Airline to England would not fly animals. So, Maxwell booked a flight to Paris on another airline and from there to London. The airline insisted that Mij should be packed into a box not more than eighteen inches square. Thus, Mij was transported to England in that box, which was kept on the floor at his feet.

Question 2.
What happened when the box was opened?
Answer:
When the box was opened, Mij went out of the box. He disappeared at a high speed down the aircraft. There were cries all around. A woman stood up on her seat crying, “A rat! A rat!”.

Question 3.
Why did Maxwell get his mail after five days and what did he do to get it?    [CBSE 2011]
Answer:
Maxwell got his mail after 5 days due to some delay. He cabled and tried to telephone in order to get his mail.

Question 4.
What did the otter look like?
Answer:
The otter looked like a small dragon belonging to the ’ middle ages. It was covered with symmetrical pointed scales of mud. One could see between the scales a soft velvet fur like that of a chocolate-brown mole.

Question 5.
What did Mijbil do during the second night?
Answer:
Mijbil came on to Maxwell’s bed soon after midnight. It remained asleep in the crook of his knees until the morning.

Question 6.
What, according to the writer, is the ‘ real play’ of the otter?    [CBSE 2015]
Answer:
The real play of an otter is lying on his back and juggling with small objects between his paws. Mijbil would roll two or more marbles up and down on his wide, fat belly. He never dropped one to the floor.

Question 7.
Why was the narrator not able to communicate when there was a delay in the arrival of the mail?
Answer:
The narrator was not able to contact because the telephone lines had to be booked twenty-four hours in advance. On the first day, the line was out of order; on the second day, the exchange was closed for a religious reason; and on the third day, there was a breakdown.

Question 8.
What was the first characteristic of the otter discovered by the narrator?    [CBSE 2014]
Answer:
The first thing that the narrator observed about the otter was that he liked to play with water. When he was taken to the bathroom, for half an hour he went wild in the water with joy. He was plunging, jumping and rolling in the water.

Question 9.
How did Mij spend his time?
Answer:
Mij spent most of his time in play. He spent hours shuffling the rubber ball round the room like a four-footed soccer player. His real play was when he used to juggle small objects between his paws. Marbles were his favourite toy for his pastime.

Question 10.
Why was Mij packed inside the box?
Answer:
Mij was to be transported to England and the airlines insisted the narrator to pack him in a box.

Question 11.
How did the narrator reach the airport? Did he reach there on time?
Answer:
The narrator reached the airport in a car. No, he reached the airport late.

Question 12.
While staying in London, what was the pastime of Mij?
Answer:
While staying in London, Mijbil would play for hours with his own selection of toys. His favburite toys were ping-pong balls, marbles, rubber fruit and a terrapin shell that the narrator had bought from his native marshes.

Question 13.
How did Mij behave outside the house in London?
Answer:
Mij used to follow the narrator while walking on the streets. He developed certain habits during those walks. He went with him like children playing, running and touching things in the street. He would take the author near the wall of a primary school and then gallop on it.

Long Answer (Value Based) Type Questions [8 Marks each]

Question 1.
In the name of rules and regulations, basic values are ignored but people like the airhostess in ‘Mijbil the Otter’ are a ray of hope. What virtues do we find in the airhostess?
Answer:
The airhostess was somewhat friendly, and she allowed the narrator to place the otter on his lap. She could relate and empathise with the situation faced by the narrator. This shows that apart from being professional, she was a caring lady. She not only wanted to do her job but was also responsible as she helped the narrator in finding the otter back.
She did all that she could do for Maxwell and the otter. She was hard working and was ready to help as she did not say ‘no’ to help the narrator.

Question 2.
The narrator called the airhostess the queen of her kind. This shows how caring and supportive she was. Do you find such people these days? Are people having a change in their values?
Answer:
In today’s world, it is getting difficult to find people who show their care and support. Rather than helping others, they start giving excuses and quote rules and regulations. Earlier, people used to think about the situation faced by others and helped them in all possible ways.
This is changing because of the change in the values of the people. People give first priority to their own safety and security. They care for themselves first and then think about others.

Question 3.
Why do you think the otter was not friendly at first with the narrator? Can you relate this to the human nature as well?    [CBSE 2016]
Answer:
At first, the otter was not very friendly with the narrator as he had seen him for the first time. He was brought to a new place and new surroundings. He neither knew the narrator nor the place which made him stay away from the narrator. But, as soon as he started becoming comfortable with the surroundings, he became friendly and came close to the narrator.
This is very similar to the human nature. Even, the human beings first take time to understand others and then only become friendly with them. Unless they are comfortable in being with somebody, they try to stay away from that person.