Back to: Jammu and Kashmir Board Class 9th English Guide and Notes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Toto, a naughty monkey was adopted by Grandfather. Can Toto live in a private zoo? Let’s find out.
A Memorable Deal
Grandpa bought Toto from a tonga-driver and decided to keep him in his private zoo. Toto had sparkly eyes, his teeth were white, and his tail acted as a third hand and helped him hang. Toto’s arrival was kept a secret from Grandma. She always argued with Grandpa over any pet’s arrival, so the narrator and his Grandfather securely hid Toto in a closet.
The Great Escape
A few hours later, Toto had escaped by wrenching out the peg from the wall. Toto was transferred to a cage where other species lived in harmony. Toto created a mess in the cage and would not allow any pet to sleep. So, Grandfather decided to take him along to Dehradun.
The narrator could not accompany his Grandfather, but he heard about the trip later from his Grandfather. Toto attracted many audiences at the Dehra Dun railway platform. While at the ticket collector’s desk, Toto poked his face out of the bag and the ticket collector charged a sum of three rupees (a fare for a dog).
Toto and Nana
Toto was given a home in the stable where he met Nana (a donkey). Both never became friends as Toto annoyed Nana very much. In winters, a bowl of warm water was a treat for Toto. He would touch and check the temperature and then step into the water for a bath. When the water became cold, Toto would run to the kitchen and sit near the fire.
The Pulao
Once Toto nearly boiled himself alive by sitting in the kettle, Grandmother saved him in time. Toto was very naughty and would do everything possible to annoy everyone. Once, Toto gate-crashed the dinner table and destroyed every dish there.
He made his exit through the window with a bowl of pulao and ate every grain of it. Then to annoy the grandmother, he threw the bowl from the tree and broke it into thousand pieces. Grandfather decided to sell Toto back to the tonga-driver for three rupees.
