The Adventures Of Toto

So students, good morning to each and every one of you! I am so happy to see you all today. Today, we are going to read and understand a very interesting chapter from your English textbook. This chapter is titled "The Adventures of Toto" and it is written by the famous Indian author Ruskin Bond. Now, students, Ruskin Bond is a beloved author who has written many wonderful stories about life in India, especially about animals and nature. You might have read his other stories like "The Blue Umbrella" or "A Flight of Pigeons". But today, we are going to dive into the story of Toto, a mischievous little monkey who becomes a part of grandfather's private zoo.

Now, before we begin reading the story, let me tell you a little bit about what to expect. This story is about a monkey named Toto who is bought by grandfather from a tonga driver. A tonga, students, is a kind of horse-drawn carriage that was commonly seen in India in olden times. So grandfather buys this little monkey for five rupees and brings him home. But keeping a monkey at home is not an easy task, as you will soon discover. The story is full of funny incidents and adventures that show just how mischievous Toto was. So let's begin, shall we?

The story starts by telling us that grandfather bought Toto from a tonga driver for five rupees. Now, students, five rupees might not seem like a lot of money today, but many years ago when this story was written, five rupees was a significant amount. The tonga driver used to keep the little red monkey tied to a feeding trough, which is basically a long container where animals are given food and water. Can you imagine a poor little monkey tied to a feeding trough? It must have looked very sad and out of place there. That is why grandfather decided to bring the little fellow home and add him to his private zoo. You see, students, grandfather was a great lover of animals and birds. He had a private zoo at home, which means he kept many pets and wild animals in his house. Grandmother, however, always fussed when grandfather brought home some new bird or animal. She would worry about how to feed them, where to keep them, and whether they would cause any trouble. So it was decided that Toto's presence should be kept a secret from grandmother until she was in a particularly good mood. This is a very common situation in many Indian families, isn't it? When someone brings home a new pet without telling the elders, there is always some tension!

Now, grandfather and the narrator, who is probably a young boy, put Toto away in a little closet that opened into the bedroom wall. They tied him securely to a peg fastened into the wall, thinking that he could not escape. But students, this was a terrible mistake! They severely underestimated Toto's cleverness and mischievousness. A few hours later, when they came back to release Toto, they found that the walls, which had been covered with some beautiful ornamental paper chosen by grandfather, now stood out as naked brick and plaster. Toto had completely torn off the wallpaper! The peg in the wall had been wrenched from its socket, which means it was pulled out forcefully. And my school blazer, which had been hanging there, was in shreds. It was completely torn into pieces! The narrator wondered what grandmother would say when she saw this mess. But grandfather didn't worry at all. In fact, he seemed pleased with Toto's performance. He said, "He's clever. Given time, I'm sure he could have tied the torn pieces of your blazer into a rope, and made his escape from the window!" This shows us that grandfather was not angry with Toto at all. Instead, he appreciated the monkey's intelligence and cleverness. This is typical of grandfather's attitude throughout the story. He finds Toto's mischief amusing rather than annoying.

Now let's talk about what Toto looked like. The story says, "Toto was a pretty monkey." But students, what does it mean when we say a monkey is pretty? Let me explain this to you. The story tells us that his bright eyes sparkled with mischief beneath deep-set eyebrows. His teeth were pearly white and were very often displayed in a smile that frightened the life out of elderly Anglo-Indian ladies. Now, Anglo-Indian, students, refers to people of mixed British and Indian ancestry. In olden times in India, there were many Anglo-Indian families. The story says that Toto's smile frightened these ladies because, you see, when a monkey shows its teeth, it can look quite threatening, even if it is smiling. The monkey's hands looked dried-up as though they had been pickled in the sun for many years. This is a very vivid description, isn't it? Pickled in the sun — that must have looked very wrinkled and leathery. Yet his fingers were quick and wicked, meaning they were very fast and capable of causing trouble. And his tail, while adding to his good looks — grandfather believed a tail would add to anyone's good looks, which is quite a funny thing to say — also served as a third hand. He could use it to hang from a branch, and it was capable of scooping up any delicacy that might be out of reach of his hands. So students, Toto was pretty in the sense that he had attractive features — bright eyes, white teeth, and a nice tail — but his looks were also deceptive because they hid his mischievous nature.

Now, because Toto's presence in the house was still a secret, he was transferred to a big cage in the servants' quarters. This is another part of grandfather's house where the servants lived. In this cage, a number of grandfather's pets lived very sociably together. There was a tortoise, a pair of rabbits, a tame squirrel, and for a while, the narrator's pet goat. They all lived together in harmony, or so it seemed. But the monkey wouldn't allow any of his companions to sleep at night. He must have been making noise and causing trouble, keeping everyone awake! So grandfather, who had to leave Dehra Dun next day to collect his pension in Saharanpur, decided to take him along. Dehra Dun and Saharanpur are cities in Uttarakhand, a state in northern India. Grandfather needed to go to Saharanpur to collect his pension, which is the money he received after retiring from his job. Since Toto was causing trouble at home, grandfather decided to take him on this trip.

Now, students, this is where the adventure really begins. Grandfather provided a big black canvas kit-bag for Toto. This was like a large bag made of strong cloth. With some straw at the bottom, it became his new abode, or his new home. When the bag was closed, there was no escape. Toto could not get his hands through the opening, and the canvas was too strong for him to bite his way through. His efforts to get out only had the effect of making the bag roll about on the floor or occasionally jump into the air. This was quite a funny sight, and it attracted a curious crowd of onlookers on the Dehra Dun railway platform. People must have been wondering what was inside the bag that was jumping around like that!

Toto remained in the bag as far as Saharanpur, which means he stayed inside until they reached Saharanpur. But while grandfather was producing his ticket at the railway turnstile, Toto suddenly poked his head out of the bag and gave the ticket collector a wide grin. A turnstile, students, is a mechanical gate consisting of revolving horizontal arms fixed to a vertical post, allowing only one person at a time to pass through. You might have seen such gates at railway stations or in offices. Now, the poor ticket collector was taken aback, which means he was very surprised and confused. But with great presence of mind and much to grandfather's annoyance, he said, "Sir, you have a dog with you. You'll have to pay for it accordingly." Students, this is really funny, isn't it? The ticket collector mistook Toto for a dog! In vain did grandfather take Toto out of the bag. In vain did he try to prove that a monkey did not qualify as a dog, or even as a quadruped. A quadruped is an animal that walks on four legs, like a dog or a cow. Monkeys technically walk on four legs too, but they are not classified as dogs. But the ticket collector would not listen. Toto was classified a dog by the ticket collector, and three rupees was the sum handed over as his fare. So grandfather had to pay three rupees for Toto to travel on the train, just as if he were a dog. This was very unfair, but there was nothing grandfather could do about it.

Now, students, let me explain why the ticket collector insisted on calling Toto a dog. It was probably because the ticket collector did not know what a monkey was, or he might have been trying to make some extra money. Or perhaps he thought that any animal in a bag must be a pet like a dog. Whatever the reason, it was very annoying for grandfather, who had to pay extra money for Toto.

But grandfather was not one to be defeated so easily. He decided to get his own back, which means he wanted to take revenge or get even with the ticket collector. So he took from his pocket their pet tortoise and said, "What must I pay for this, since you charge for all animals?" The ticket collector looked closely at the tortoise, prodded it with his forefinger, gave grandfather a pleased and triumphant look, and said, "No charge. It is not a dog." Students, this is absolutely hilarious! The ticket collector only charged for dogs, so he let the tortoise travel for free because it was not a dog. Grandfather got his own back by showing him the tortoise. This is a classic example of witty humor in the story.

Now, after this adventure, Toto was finally accepted by grandmother. He was given a comfortable home in the stable, where he had for a companion the family donkey, Nana. On Toto's first night in the stable, grandfather paid him a visit to see if he was comfortable. To his surprise, he found Nana, without any apparent cause, pulling at her halter and trying to keep her head as far as possible from a bundle of hay. A halter, students, is a rope or strap placed around the head of a horse or other animal, used for leading or tethering it. So Nana the donkey was trying to pull away from something, and she was very uncomfortable. Grandfather gave Nana a slap across her haunches, which means he hit her on her hindquarters to make her move forward. But when Nana jerked back, she dragged Toto with her. Students, what had happened? Toto had fastened on to her long ears with his sharp little teeth! He was biting Nana's ears! No wonder Nana was trying to get away from him. From that day on, Toto and Nana never became friends. They did not get along well at all. This is another example of Toto's mischievous behavior.

Now, let's talk about Toto's bathing habits, which are described in the next part of the story. A great treat for Toto during cold winter evenings was the large bowl of warm water given to him by grandmother for his bath. Students, can you imagine a monkey taking a bath just like a human? That is exactly what Toto did! He would cunningly test the temperature with his hand, then gradually step into the bath, first one foot, then the other, exactly as he had seen the narrator doing. So Toto had learned this from watching the narrator take his bath! This shows that monkeys are very observant and can learn by watching others. Toto would continue stepping into the water until he was into the water up to his neck. Once he was comfortable, he would take the soap in his hands or feet and rub himself all over. When the water became cold, he would get out and run as quickly as he could to the kitchen fire in order to dry himself. If anyone laughed at him during this performance, Toto's feelings would be hurt and he would refuse to go on with his bath. This shows that Toto was quite sensitive and had emotions, just like humans. He did not like being laughed at.

One day, Toto nearly succeeded in boiling himself alive. This is a very dangerous incident, and it shows just how curious and adventurous Toto was. A large kitchen kettle had been left on the fire to boil for tea. Toto, finding himself with nothing better to do, decided to remove the lid. Finding the water just warm enough for a bath, he got in, with his head sticking out from the open kettle. This was just fine for a while, until the water began to boil. Students, think about this. Toto was sitting inside a kettle of hot water! When the water began to boil, Toto raised himself a little, but finding it cold outside, he sat down again. He continued hopping up and down for some time, until grandmother arrived and hauled him, half-boiled, out of the kettle. This is both funny and scary at the same time. It is a wonder that Toto was not seriously injured. But this incident shows that Toto's curiosity sometimes got him into trouble.

Now, the story says, "If there is a part of the brain especially devoted to mischief, that part was largely developed in Toto." Students, this is a wonderful way of saying that Toto was extremely mischievous. His brain seemed to be specially designed for causing trouble! He was always tearing things to pieces. Whenever one of the narrator's aunts came near him, he made every effort to get hold of her dress and tear a hole in it. This must have been very frustrating for the aunts!

Now, let's look at one of the most famous incidents in the story — the pullao incident. One day, at lunch-time, a large dish of pullao stood in the centre of the dining table. Pullao, students, is a delicious Indian dish made of rice cooked with spices, meat, and sometimes vegetables. It is also spelled "pulao" in English. Now, when we entered the room, we found Toto stuffing himself with rice. He was eating the pullao! Grandmother screamed — and Toto threw a plate at her. One of the aunts rushed forward — and received a glass of water in the face. When grandfather arrived, Toto picked up the dish of pullao and made his exit through a window. He ran away with the entire dish! We found him in the branches of the jackfruit tree, the dish still in his arms. He remained there all afternoon, eating slowly through the rice, determined on finishing every grain. And then, in order to spite grandmother, who had screamed at him, he threw the dish down from the tree, and chattered with delight when it broke into a hundred pieces. Students, this incident shows just how mischievous and spiteful Toto could be. Not only did he steal the food, but he also deliberately broke the dish just to upset grandmother. This was too much for the family to handle.

Now, the story concludes by saying that obviously Toto was not the sort of pet they could keep for long. Even grandfather realised that. They were not well-to-do, which means they were not rich. They could not afford the frequent loss of dishes, clothes, curtains, and wallpaper. Every time Toto caused damage, they had to spend money to replace or repair things. So grandfather found the tonga driver and sold Toto back to him, but only for three rupees. Students, do you remember how much grandfather had paid for Toto? He had paid five rupees. But now he sold him for only three rupees. That means he lost two rupees on the deal! This is a funny way to end the story, showing that keeping Toto as a pet was not only troublesome but also expensive.

Now, students, we have read the entire story. Let me now answer all the questions from the "Think About It" section. I want you to pay close attention because these are important questions that will help you understand the story better.

The first question is: "How does Toto come to grandfather's private zoo?" The answer is that grandfather bought Toto from a tonga driver for five rupees. The tonga driver used to keep the little red monkey tied to a feeding trough, and the monkey looked so out of place there that grandfather decided to add the little fellow to his private zoo. So Toto came to grandfather's zoo because grandfather purchased him from the tonga driver.

The second question is: "'Toto was a pretty monkey.' In what sense is Toto pretty?" Students, we have already discussed this. Toto was pretty in the sense that he had attractive physical features. His bright eyes sparkled with mischief, his teeth were pearly white, and his tail added to his good looks. However, his hands looked dried-up and leathery. But his prettiness was also deceptive because it hid his mischievous nature. So in short, Toto was pretty in appearance, but his looks were misleading.

The third question is: "Why does grandfather take Toto to Saharanpur and how? Why does the ticket collector insist on calling Toto a dog?" Let me answer this in two parts. First, why does grandfather take Toto to Saharanpur? Grandfather takes Toto to Saharanpur because he has to leave Dehra Dun next day to collect his pension in Saharanpur. Also, Toto was causing trouble at home by not letting the other pets sleep at night. So grandfather decides to take him along on the trip. How does he take Toto? He puts Toto in a big black canvas kit-bag with some straw at the bottom. The bag is closed tightly so that Toto cannot escape. Second, why does the ticket collector insist on calling Toto a dog? The ticket collector mistakes Toto for a dog because when Toto poked his head out of the bag and grinned, the ticket collector probably thought it was a dog. He insists on calling Toto a dog so that he can charge a fare for him. Even though grandfather tries to prove that a monkey is not a dog, the ticket collector does not listen and charges three rupees for Toto's fare.

The fourth question is: "How does Toto take a bath? Where has he learnt to do this? How does Toto almost boil himself alive?" Let me answer this in parts. How does Toto take a bath? Toto takes a bath in a large bowl of warm water given by grandmother. He cunningly tests the temperature with his hand, then gradually steps into the bath, first one foot, then the other, until he is in the water up to his neck. Once comfortable, he takes the soap in his hands or feet and rubs himself all over. When the water becomes cold, he gets out and runs to the kitchen fire to dry himself. Where has he learnt to do this? He has learnt to do this by watching the narrator take his bath. He copies exactly what he sees the narrator doing. How does Toto almost boil himself alive? One day, a large kitchen kettle had been left on the fire to boil for tea. Toto removes the lid and finds the water just warm enough for a bath. He gets into the kettle with his head sticking out. When the water begins to boil, he raises himself a little, but finding it cold outside, he sits down again. He continues hopping up and down until grandmother arrives and pulls him out of the kettle. He is half-boiled by the time he is rescued.

The fifth question is: "Why does the author say, 'Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long'?" Students, the author says this because Toto was extremely mischievous and caused a lot of damage. He tore wallpaper, destroyed clothes, broke dishes, and caused many other problems. The family was not well-to-do, so they could not afford to keep replacing all the things that Toto destroyed. Even grandfather, who loved animals and found Toto's mischief amusing, realised that they could not keep Toto for long. So they sold Toto back to the tonga driver for three rupees.

Now, students, we have answered all the "Think About It" questions. Let me now move on to the "Talk About It" activity. This is a speaking activity where you need to talk about your own pets or any pet you have seen. The question is: "Do you have a pet? Is your pet mischievous? Tell the class about it." Now, since this is a writing exercise for me, I will give you some ideas on what to say. If you have a pet like a dog, cat, bird, or fish, you can describe what kind of pet it is, what its name is, and what it looks like. You can also talk about any mischievous things your pet has done. For example, if you have a dog, you can talk about how it sometimes steals food from the kitchen or tears up shoes. If you have a cat, you can talk about how it scratches furniture or jumps on tables. If you do not have a pet, you can talk about a pet you have seen at a friend's house or in a zoo. You can describe the animal and say whether it seemed mischievous or not. This activity is meant to help you practice speaking in English about familiar topics.

Now, students, I would like to talk about the glossary terms. We have two words in the glossary: turnstile and halter. I have already explained these words in the story. A turnstile is a mechanical gate consisting of revolving horizontal arms fixed to a vertical post, allowing only one person at a time to pass through. You can see turnstiles at railway stations, metro stations, and some offices. A halter is a rope or strap placed around the head of a horse or other animal, used for leading or tethering it. It is like a collar, but it goes around the nose and behind the ears.

Now, students, before I give you the summary, let me talk a little bit about the author, Ruskin Bond. Ruskin Bond is one of India's most beloved authors. He was born in 1934 in Kasauli, which was then part of British India. He has written many books for children, including "The Blue Umbrella", "A Flight of Pigeons", "The Room on the Roof", and many more. His stories are set in the hills of Uttarakhand, where he spent most of his life. He is known for his simple and engaging writing style, and his stories often feature nature, animals, and the simple joys of life. "The Adventures of Toto" is one of his most famous stories, and it has been included in the NCERT textbook for Class 9.

Now, students, let me give you a complete summary of everything we have learned in this lesson. This will help you revise the chapter and remember the important points.

In this chapter, we read the story of Toto, a mischievous little monkey bought by grandfather from a tonga driver for five rupees. Toto was added to grandfather's private zoo, which already had many pets including a tortoise, rabbits, a squirrel, and a goat. Toto was kept in a closet initially, but he tore the wallpaper and destroyed the narrator's blazer. He was then moved to a cage in the servants' quarters, but he kept the other pets awake at night. So grandfather took him to Saharanpur to collect his pension. Toto was put in a canvas kit-bag, and at the railway station, the ticket collector mistook him for a dog and charged three rupees for his fare. Grandfather got his own back by showing the ticket collector their pet tortoise, which was allowed to travel for free because it was not a dog.

At home, Toto was given a place in the stable with the donkey Nana, but he bit Nana's ears, and they never became friends. Toto learned to take a bath by watching the narrator, and he enjoyed warm water baths in winter. He once nearly boiled himself alive by getting into a kettle of hot water. Toto was always causing trouble — tearing clothes, breaking dishes, and making a mess. The final straw was when he stole a dish of pullao from the dining table and broke it deliberately to spite grandmother. Since the family could not afford the frequent losses, they sold Toto back to the tonga driver for only three rupees, losing two rupees on the deal.

We also learned that Toto was described as pretty because of his attractive features, but his looks were deceptive. He was clever and mischievous, and his tail served as a third hand. The story is full of humor and adventure, and it shows us that while animals can be wonderful pets, some animals are too mischievous to be kept at home.

Now, students, I hope you have enjoyed this lesson. Remember to read the story again and again to understand it better. Also, try to answer the questions on your own before looking at the answers. This will help you develop a better understanding of the chapter. Thank you for listening, and I will see you in the next lesson!