Moments - 2. The Adventures of TOTO - Ruskin Bond

 

S. No.	Words	Meaning
1.	Tonga	A two-wheeler carriage used in rural areas
2.	Trough	A long narrow open container used for holding animals food
3.	Wicked	Slightly cruel but intending to upset anyone
4.	Beneath	Under or below something
5.	Sparkle	To shine brightly
6.	Delicacy	Something pleasant to eat
7.	Scoop	To pick up
8.	Shred	Something that has been torn
9.	Blazer	A type of jacket
10.	Fastened	Attached, joined or fixed
11.	Messy	Refers to disorder or untidiness
12.	Ornamental	Decorative
13.	Wrench	To pull something suddenly and violently
14.	Sociably	Friendly or agreeable
15.	Pet	An animal or bird that you keep at home for pleasure
16.	Companion	A person or animal that spends time with you
17.	Mischievous	Behaving in a bad or annoying way though not intend to harm others
18.	Unfortunately	Unluckily
19.	Canvas	A piece of strong cloth
20.	Onlookers	Spectators
21.	Occasionally	Irregularly
22.	Abode	The place where you live
23.	Turnstile	A mechanical gate consisting of revolving horizontal arms fixed to a vertical post, allowing only one person at a time to pass through.
24.	Quadruped	An animal that has four feet
25.	Poke	To appear or stretch out through something
26.	Prod	To push or press something with your hand
27.	Triumphant	The feeling of being joyful having achieved a victory
28.	Stable	A building where horses or cattle are kept
29.	Apparent	Able to be seen or understood
30.	Halter	A piece of leather strap or rope that is tied around an animal's head
31.	Hay	Grass that is dried and used as an animal food
32.	Haunch	The back end of an animal
33.	Cunningly	In a cleverly planned way
34.	Gradually	Slowly
35.	Immerse	To plunge or dip into a liquid
36.	Fasten	To become firmly fix together
37.	Hop	To jump on one leg
38.	Lid	The top of a box or other container
39.	Haul	To pull something with lot of effort
40.	Kettle	A container for boiling water
41.	Explicitly	In a clear or detailed manner
42.	Exaggerate	To enlarge something beyond truths
43.	Spite	Deliberately hurt, irritate or offend someone
44.	Stuff	To fill with something
45.	Scream/Yell	To make a loud, high-pitched sound
46.	Hurl	To throw something with great force
47.	Determined	Having made a definite decision to do something
48.	Chatter	To make a series of quick high-pitched sound
49.	Realise	Become fully aware of something
50.	Well-to-do	Wealthy or prosperous
51.	Afford	Have enough money to pay for

Summary Points:

The story revolves around a mischievous monkey named Toto.

Toto lives with a family in a small Indian town.

The narrative is from the perspective of a young boy in the family.

Toto's playful and curious nature often gets him into trouble.

His adventures include stealing food, creating chaos, and causing problems in the neighborhood.

Toto bites the postman, Mr. Nath, which leads to a serious dilemma for the family.

The family decides to keep Toto tied up to prevent further trouble.

Despite his troublesome behavior, Toto is beloved by the family.

The story highlights the bond between the family and their unique pet.

It showcases the love and patience of the family as they learn to accept Toto for who he is.

This short story combines humor, warmth, and a heartwarming message about acceptance and love for a unique pet.

In the end, "The Adventures of Toto" is a heartwarming tale of a unique pet and the love and patience of a family who learns to accept Toto for who he is, mischief and all.

Exercise:

1. How does Toto come to grandfather’s private zoo? In "The Adventures of Toto" by Ruskin Bond, Ans. Toto comes to the grandfather's private zoo after being caught by a tonga driver. Toto had initially been a free and wild monkey, but the tonga driver captured him and sold him to the narrator's grandfather, who owned a private zoo. This event marks the beginning of Toto's life in captivity as part of the grandfather's collection of animals in his private zoo.

2. “Toto was a pretty monkey.” In what sense is Toto pretty? 

Ans. In the story "The Adventures of Toto" by Ruskin Bond, the statement "Toto was a pretty monkey" implies that Toto was physically attractive. While the story does not provide an elaborate description of Toto's appearance, the term "pretty" suggests that Toto had a pleasing and charming appearance for a monkey. This could include features such as bright eyes, a shiny coat of fur, or a generally endearing and appealing demeanor. The term "pretty" in this context emphasizes Toto's attractiveness, which might have contributed to the family's initial fondness for him despite his mischievous behavior.

3. Why does grandfather take Toto to Saharanpur and how? Why does the ticket collector insist on calling Toto a dog? 

Ans. In "The Adventures of Toto" by Ruskin Bond, the grandfather takes Toto to Saharanpur because he plans to exchange Toto for a stuffed black cobra. He believes that the cobra would be a more interesting addition to his private zoo. To transport Toto to Saharanpur, the grandfather decides to take him on a train journey. He puts Toto in a small cage-like box and takes him to the railway station. The ticket collector insists on calling Toto a dog because he is unable to comprehend that the creature in the box is a monkey. Toto's appearance, as well as the unusual circumstances of a monkey being transported in a box, confuses the ticket collector. This misunderstanding adds humor to the story, as the ticket collector's insistence on calling Toto a dog creates a comical situation during the train journey.

4. How does Toto take a bath? Where has he learnt to do this? How does Toto almost boil himself alive?

Ans. In "The Adventures of Toto" by Ruskin Bond, Toto takes a bath by imitating the human members of the family. He observes them bathing and learns by copying their actions. Toto is a clever and observant monkey, and he quickly picks up on the idea of bathing from watching the family members. Toto almost boils himself alive in a rather comical incident. One day, while the family is cooking dinner, Toto becomes curious about the pot of water on the stove. He decides to take a closer look and, in the process, accidentally falls into the pot of boiling water. The family members panic and rush to rescue him from the scalding water. This incident highlights Toto's mischievous and adventurous nature, as well as the family's constant need to keep an eye on him to prevent accidents. 

5. Why does the author say, “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long”? 

Ans. The author says, "Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long" because Toto, the monkey, had a highly mischievous and adventurous nature. His playful antics often caused trouble and chaos in the household. Despite the family's affection for him, they found it increasingly challenging to manage his behavior and prevent him from getting into various kinds of mischief. Toto's behavior, including stealing food, causing chaos, and even biting the postman, made it clear that he was not a typical or easily manageable pet. The family realized that keeping Toto in the long term would require constant supervision and restrictions on his freedom, as seen when they decided to keep him tied up. Therefore, the author suggests that Toto's nature and behavior could have been more conducive to being a pet that they could keep for an extended period without significant challenges and adjustments.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTION 

1. Who is the author of "The Adventures of Toto"? 

Ans. Ruskin Bond 

2. What kind of animal is Toto in the story? 

Ans. Toto is a monkey. 

3. Where does Toto live? 

Ans. Toto lives in a small town in India with a family. 

4. Who narrates the story? 

Ans. The story is narrated by a young boy in the family.

5. What does Toto often get into trouble for? 

Ans. Toto often gets into trouble for stealing food. 

6. What serious incident involving Toto leads to a dilemma for the family? 

Ans. Toto bites Mr. Nath, the postman, which leads to a dilemma for the family. 

7. How do the family members react to Toto's mischievous behavior? 

Ans. The family members laugh and enjoy Toto's antics. 

8. What decision does the family make regarding Toto's behavior after he bites Mr. Nath? 

Ans. The family decides to keep Toto tied up to prevent further trouble. 

9. What is the central theme of "The Adventures of Toto"? 

Ans. The central theme is the love and acceptance of a troublesome pet. 

10. What kind of pet is Toto considered by the family? 

Ans. Toto is considered a beloved member of the family. 

11. Where does Toto's mischief often lead to comical situations? 

Ans. Toto's mischief often leads to comical situations in the neighbor's garden.