Mijbil the Otter

Summary

Gavin Maxwell lives in a cottage in Camusfeama, in the West Highlands in Scotlands. He is fond of keeping pets. After the death of his pet dog, he was too sad to think of a dog again. The author is in Basra city of Iraq on a visit. There a friend of his presents him an otter. He takes this otter to England where he has a flat of his own. He has some interesting experiences during his air journey from Basra to Paris and London.

Comprehension Questions

 Answer the following questions in 30-40 words:

1. How did Maxwell learn of Mijbil’s love for water?
Mijbil loved to play in the water. Only once did the author lead him to the bathroom. Next time he went to the bathroom on his own. He went wild in water, plunged and rolled in e’, He shot up and down the bathtub and made enough slosh and splash in it.

2. Describe some of the games Mij liked to play.

Mijbil invented his own game with a ping-pong ball. He used to keep the basilica lid of the damaged suitcase which when closed, remained at a slope from one end. He to play in the water and also liked to jump and gallop the full length of the 30-yard school well.

3. How did Mijbil pass his time in London?

Mijbil on his way home every day used to tug Maxwell to the low wall of a primary school opposite to his flat. Mij would jump on to it, gallop the full length of its thirty yards and cause a hopeless distraction to both pupils and staff within the primary school.

4. Describe the otter.

The otter was a small creature and it resembled with a medically conceived dragon. It was coated with symmetrical seals at mud from head to the rip at the tail.

5. What are ‘compulsive habits’? What does Maxwell say are the compulsive habits of school children?

Things that one feels competed to do are ‘compulsive habits’. For example, school children try to place their feet on the center of each paving block on the way. They touch every seventh upright of the iron railings. Or, they pass to the outside of every second lamp post.

6. How was ‘Mijbil’ a source of amazement on London streets?

The otter was a constant source of amazement to the London as few had seen an animal as strange as an otter. They were filled with surprise on seeing such an animal. They guessed it with different names of animals.

Answer the following questions in 100-120 words:

1. What did Maxwell do to transport Mijbil to England?
After the British Airways refused to take a pet on its flight, the narrator booked a flight to Paris by another airline. This airline insisted that the pet should be packed into a box not more than eighteen inches square, to be carried on the floor near his feet. Maxwell had a box made, and an hour before they started, put Mij into the box so that he would become accustomed to it and then left for a hurried meal. But when he returned he was terrified. There was an appalling silence. Maxwell found blood had trickled and dried around the air holes of the box. He tore open the box to find Mij exhausted, and blood splattered, and whimpering and he caught hold of Maxwell’s leg. However, since he had very little time left to board the flight, Maxwell just put Mij back into the box, holding down the lid with his hand. On the flight, the airhostess, on hearing the author’s tale, permitted him to travel with Mij on his knee. After the initial chaos, Mijbil travelled to London on the author’s knee.

3. How did it come to the mind of the writer that an otter can be substituted for dogs or cats?
The author’s pet dog had died, he was too sad to think of keeping a dog again. Maxwell’s friend suggested him to get an otter from Tigris marshes for they were as common as mosquitoes over there. Moreover, they were often trained by the Arabs. He had to go to Basra to the Consulate-General to collect and answer his mail. His mail had not arrived yet so he had to wait. There he received an otter sent by his friend through two Arabs. The author felt a strong attachment and feelings for it. He liked it and kept it.

4. When did the author decide to have an otter as a pet? How did he get an otter?
The author had a pet dog called Jonnie. When Jonnie died, his life without a pet was lonely. In 1956, he went to Southern Iraq. He had decided by then that he would keep an otter as a pet instead of a dog. His home in Scotland had much water around it. So it would be suitable for an otter. The author shared this idea with a friend. He supported the idea and suggested that he should take an otter from the Tigris marshes. He said that otters were in plenty at that place. One day, the author found two Arabs in his room. They had brought a sack with them. In the sack, there was an otter. They said that it was for him.

5. Describe the author’s experience with the otter in the aircraft.
When the author reached the airport, the aircraft was wailing to take off. He rushed in. He covered the place with newspaper and gave the parcel of fish to the air hostess for the otter. She cooperated with the author and advised him to keep the pet on his knee. But soon Mij was out of the box. He disappeared very soon. Suddenly, there was chaos in the plane. There were squawks and shrieks all around. A woman cried, ‚A rat, a rat!‛ The author saw the otter beneath the legs of an Indian. When he tried to catch the otter, his face got covered in curry. The air hostess assured him that she would find the otter. The author returned to his seat. After some time, the otter came to him and sat on his lap.

6. What were strange and funny wild guesses that Londoners made about Mijbil? Who made the best remark about the otter?
It was rather difficult for an average Londoner to recognise such a strange animal as an otter. Most of them had never seen such a unique animal. The thing that surprised Maxwell that Londoners made such funny and wild guesses about Mijbil, the otter. He faced a continuous barrage of questions from the anxious but ignorant people. They made random guesses about the animal. Some of them guessed that he was ‘a baby seal’ or ‘a squirrel’ or ‘a walrus’. Others also made fantastic guesses. One called Mijbil ‘a beaver’. Another called it ‘a bear cub’. The third guessed that it was `a leopard’. Mij was anything but an otter. A labourer made the best remark about the otter saying ‚Here, Mister—what is that supposed to be?‛

7. Why does he go to Basra? How long does he wait there, and why? 

He went to Basra, to the Consultant-General, to collect and answer his mail from Europe. There, he found that his friend’s mail had arrived, but his had not. He sent a message to England. When nothing happened even after three days, he tried placing a call to England. On the first day, the line was out of order; on the second day, the exchange was closed for a religious holiday. On the third day, there was another breakdown. He arranged to meet his friend, who had left, in a week’s time. His mail finally arrived five days later.

8. What happened when Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom? What did it do two days after that? 

When Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom, it went wild with joy in the water for half an hour. It was plunging and rolling in it, shooting up and down the length of the bathtub underwater, and making enough slosh and splash for a hippo. Two days after that, it escaped from his bedroom to the bathroom. By the time he got there, Mijbil was up on the end of the bathtub and fumbling at the chromium taps with its paws. In less than a minute, it had turned the tap far enough to produce some water and after a moment, achieved the full flow.

Questions from the text book.

 Thinking about the Text

1. What things does Mijbil do which tell you that he is an intelligent, friendly and fun- loving animal who needs love?

Mijbil was an intelligent animal. It invented its own game out of the ping-pong balls. It screwed the tap till water began to flow and then it would play and splash in the water. Though it was aloof and indifferent in the beginning, it soon became very friendly. It formed a special attachment with Maxwell. It responded when Maxwell called out his name. It grew desperate when Maxwell left it in a box and it got hurt while trying to come out of it. After Maxwell took it out, it clung to his feet. This shows Mij was an intelligent, friendly and fun-loving animal who needs love.

2. What are some of the things we come to know about otters from this text?

Otters belong to a comparatively small group of animals called Mustellines, shared by the badger, mongoose, weasel, stoat, mink and others. Maxwell’s otter was of a race previously unknown to science and was at length named by zoologists Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli or Maxwell’s otter. They are found in large numbers in marshes. They are often tamed by the Arabs. It is characteristic of otters that every drop of water must be extended and spread about the place; a bowl must at once be overturned, or, if it would not be overturned, be sat in and splashed in until it overflowed. For them, water must be kept on the move. Otters love playing various games, especially with a ball.

3. Why is Mij’s species now known to the world as Maxwell’s otter?

Maxwell’s otter was of a race previously unknown to science and was at length named by zoologists Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli or Maxwell’s otter.

4. Maxwell in the story speaks for the otter, Mij. He tells us what the otter feels and thinks on different occasions. Given below are some things the otter does. Complete the column on the right to say what Maxwell says about what Mij feels and thinks.

What Mij does -- How Mij feels or thinks

• Plunges, rolls in the water and makes the water splosh and splash. -- He thinks it is a hippo and is very happy.
• Screws the tap in the wrong way. -- He chitters with irritation and disappointment.
• Nuzzles Maxwell’s face and neck in the aeroplane. -- He feels much comfort and content after its distressed chitter.

Thinking About Language

1. Look at these examples from the text, and say whether the modifiers (in italics) are nouns, proper nouns, or adjective plus noun.

(i)An otter fixation - noun 

(iv) The London streets - Proper noun 

(ii)The iron railings - noun 

(v) soft velvet fur - Adjective plus noun 

(iii)The Tigris marshes-Proper noun 

(vi) A four-footed soccer player- Adjective plus noun

2. Given below are some nouns, and a set of modifiers. Combine the nouns and modifiers to make as many appropriate phrases as you (Hint: The nouns and modifiers are all from the texts in this book.)

Temple − white temple, stone temple, first temple

Person − incorrigible person, ridiculous person

Gifts − hundred gifts, ordinary gifts, birthday gifts

Time − college time, rough time, first time

Crossing − railroad crossing, first crossing

Physique − plump physique, ordinary physique

Three girls − first three girls, incorrigible three girls

Thoughts − incorrigible thoughts, uncomfortable thoughts, ridiculous thoughts, heartbreaking thoughts, first thoughts, ordinary thoughts,

Scream − tremendous scream, loud scream

Subject − college subject, ordinary subject

Flight − rough flight, first flight

Coffee − invigorating coffee, ordinary coffee

Triangle − love triangle

Boys − college boys, incorrigible boys, rough boys, hundred boys

Farewell − college farewell, heartbreaking farewell

Landscape − bare landscape, rough landscape, white landscape

Chatterbox − incorrigible chatterbox

View − tremendous view, panoramic view, ordinary view

Dresses − hundred dresses, ordinary dresses, birthday dresses, marriage dresses

Roar - tremendous roar, a loud roar

Expression − bare expression, slang expression, slack expression

Handkerchief − white handkerchief, ordinary handkerchief

Profession − family profession, first profession, ordinary profession

Celebration − family celebration, birthday celebration

3. Use a bit of/a piece of/a bunch of/a cloud of/a lump of with the italicised nouns in the following sentences. The first has been done for you as an example.

(i) My teacher gave me a bit of advice.

(ii) Can you give me a lump of clay, please.

(iii) The piece of information you gave was very useful.

(iv) Because of these factories, a cloud of smoke hangs over the city.

(v) Two pieces of stones rubbed together can produce sparks of fire.

(vi) He gave me a bunch of flowers on my birthday.

Practice Question

Q1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

EARLY in the New Year of 1956 travelled to Southern Iraq. By then it had crossed my mind that I should like to keep an otter instead of a dog and that Camusfearna, ringed by water a stone’s throw from its door would be an eminently suitable spot for his experiment.

(a) What thought did the author have about keeping a pet?
i. He wanted to an otter as a pet instead of a dog.
ii. He did not believe in keeping pets.
iii. He wanted to keep a mongoose as pet instead of a dog.
iv. He believed keeping pets can help him earn money. 

(b) Why did the author consider Camusfearna suitable for the experiment?
i. Because Camusfearna was ringed by trees.
ii. Because Camusfearna was ringed by rocks.
iii. Because Camusfearna was ringed by water.
iv. Because Camusfearna was ringed by houses. 

(c) What did the author’s friend suggest where he could get his pet from?

i. Camusfearna
ii. New York
iii. London
iv. Tigris 

(d) Find a word from the extract which means the same as ‘wetlands.’
i. crossed
ii. marshes
iii. eminently
iv. experiment

The creature that emerged from this sack on to the spacious tiled floor of the Consulate bedroom resembled most of all a very small, medievally-conceived, dragon. From the head to the tip of the tail he was coated with symmetrical pointed scales of mud armour, between whose tips were visible a soft velvet fur like that of a chocolate-brown mole. 

(a) How did the otter look like?
i. mouse
ii. dragon
iii. dinosaur
iv. devil 

(b) How long did it take for the author to remove the mud from the otter’s body?
i. a month
ii. a day
iii. a year
iv. a week 

(c) How did the otter for the first twenty-four hours with the author?
i. neither hostile or friendly
ii. very friendly
iii. not hostile but friendly
iv. very hostile not friendly

(d) Find a word from the extract which means the same as ‘came out.’
i. emerged
ii. armour
iii. resembled
iv. symmetrica

Q2. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each. 

(a) Describe the havoc created by Mijbil on the aeroplane when it came out of the box. 

When Maxwell opened the box, Mijbil in out and disappeared at high speed Own the aircraft. He caused a great hue and cry in the aircraft. There were sounds of shrieks across the flight. 

(b) What were the guesses made by the Londoners about Mijbil? 

According to Maxwell, the average Londoner does not reclog another. Whosever saw Mijbil made different guesses about who he was. They go squirrel, a walrus, a hippo, a beaver, a bear cub, a leopard and a brontosaur. 

(c) What are ‘compulsive habits’? What does Maxwell say are the compulsive habits of school children? 

Things that one feels competed to do are ‘compulsive habits’. For example, school children try to place their feet on the center of each paving block on the way. They touch every seventh upright of the iron railings. Or, they pass to the outside of every second lamp post.

(d) ‘She was the very queen of her kind’. Explain the reason behind admiration for the air hostess. 

The air hostess whom the narrator called for assistance suggested to him that he could keep Mijbil on his knee during the flight, so as to comfort him.

Q3 Answer the following questions in in 100 -120 words. 

(a) Why did Maxwell want to have an otter for a pet? How did he get one?

Gavin Maxwell, the author, wanted to own a pet. His pet dog had died recently and he was feeling too sad to think of keeping a dog as a pet again. So when he travelled to Southern Iraq, he decided to keep an otter instead of a dog. His friend suggested to Maxwell that he could get an otter in the Tigris marshes for they were very common there, like mosquitoes. Moreover, the friend also informed, that otters were often trained by the Arabs. Then Maxwell and his friend went to Basra to the Consulate-General to collect their mail. Afew days later the author received his mail and took it to his bedroom. There, he found two Arabs squatting on the floor with the sack that contained the otter with a letter from his friend that said, ‚Here is your otter…‛

(b) Mijbil did things which demonstrated its personality. Which qualities of the narrator are shown in his care for Mijbil?
Mijbil was an intelligent, fun-loving and playful otter. When Maxwell took it to the bathroom, for half an hour, it went wild with joy in the water, plunging and rolling in it. Maxwell treated Mijbil like his own son. He took care of him very well. He gave him lots of toys including marbles, rubber balls, rubber fruits and a terrapin shell to play with. He also noticed Mijbil’s habits and traits. Maxwell encouraged Mijbil to do whatever he liked to do. He took him out for exercise every day. When Maxwell saw him in blood, he was horrified. He took him out of the box; he jumped all over and then sat on Maxwell’s lap quietly.