Adventures of Toto

-Ruskin Bond
About the Author: Ruskin Bond
• Birth- May 19, 1934
At Kasauli, Punjab States Agency, British India
Ruskin Bond is an Indian author of British descent.
He lives with his adopted family in Landour, Mussoorie, India.
The Indian Council for Child Education has recognised his role
in the growth of children's literature in India.
He was awarded the Sahitya Academy Award in 1992 for Our
Trees Still Grow in Dehra, his novel in English.
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma
Bhushan in 2014.
Notable works:
• Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra
• A Flight of Pigeons
• The Blue Umbrella
• The Room on the Roof
Central idea
• The central idea of the unit revolves around the experiences of people
who keep animals as pets and thus deals with the outcome of the
interaction between humans and animals. It shows that not all
animals can adapt themselves to the human way of life. It requires a
great deal of patience and skill to train animals to acquire non-
destructive behaviour.
• The unit depicts the experience of an animal lover who is in trouble
because of the troublesome monkey Toto that he had brought home.
Message
• The writer intends to convey the message that baby animals look cute
and we are tempted to keep them as pets. However, we should not
get carried away by their prettiness because each animal has its own
characteristics. Some animals, like monkeys, are very mischievous.
They can cause a lot of damage if one is not careful with them. So,
one should not keep animals as pets unless one has adequate
information and skill to train and handle them.
• This lesson also gives a message about animal rights and their welfare
that animals thrive better in their natural habitat.
Value points
• This story shows that the narrator’s grandfather was very fond of animals.
• Grandfather bought Toto that was a monkey from a tonga driver for five rupees.
• Toto’s arrival in the house was kept a secret from grandmother.
• Toto was a pretty monkey. He was very naughty and disturbing. Once he was to
accompany grandfather to Saharanpur in a canvas bag.
• He poked his head out from the bag and came in the notice of the ticket collector.
Grandfather had to pay three rupees as a fine.
• Toto was given a comfortable home in the stable.
• He always troubled Nana which was the family donkey in the stable.
• He always enjoyed a warm water bath in cold winter evening.
• The family members found it difficult to adjust with him because he created a lot of
mischiefs .
• Finally, grandfather decided to return Toto to the tonga driver for three rupees.
Content Analysis
• The narrator’s grandfather was an animal lover. He established his own private zoo. He bought a baby monkey
from a tonga driver and named it Toto. The narrator’s grandmother did not like his pets.
• Toto’s presence was kept in a little closet which opened into the narrator’s room. Toto tore off narrator’s school
blazer. He peeled off the plaster also.
• Toto was kept with other animals. There he did not allow them to live peacefully.
• The grandfather had to collect his pension from Saharanpur. He took Toto with him. He had to pay extra fare for
Toto. Toto was ultimately accepted by the family.
• He was put into a stable with Nana, the family donkey. Toto teased Nana. Toto and Nana never became friends.
Once Toto nearly boiled himself alive.
• He used to take bath in warm water. One day, a large kitchen kettle had been left on the fire to boil water for
tea. Toto raised himself. It was cold outside.
• He sat down again. He continued hopping up and down till the grandmother came to rescue him from inside
the pot. Toto did not give up his mischief.
• He tore things to pieces. He tore up the dresses of the aunt. He broke plates and utensils. One day he entered
the dining room and ran out with a plate of Pulao, he threw the plate at grandmother.
•  Toto caused much mess to the family. They could not tolerate him anymore. In frustration, the grandfather sold
Toto back to the tonga driver and heaved a sigh of relief.
Character analysis
• Grandfather:
Grandfather was a lover of animals.
He was very caring and affectionate animal lover, he had put up a zoo in his house where he had a number of
animals and reared them with care and affection.
He does not mind spending money in order to get animals and birds even though this practice involves the risk of
annoying his wife.
 He has an appreciative eye for animals, that is why he believes that a tail adds to anyone’s good looks. He finds a
valid reason to continue keeping pets even if that leads to material loss.
He brought home a monkey called Toto.
Grandfather was as simple as a child, this is depicted in many incidents, like he hides Toto in a bag on way to
Saharanpur and produces a tortoise from his pocket before the ticket-collector etc, confirms his childlike simplicity.
Grandfather was both witty and sarcastic because he asks the ticket-collector to charge him even for a tortoise that
he had carried in his pocket.
Grandfather may be a staunch animal-lover but he was also wise. He accepts that it is not possible to keep a
destructive animal like Toto as a pet for long, so he sells the monkey back to the tonga-driver even if that incurred
him a loss of two rupees.
But since the monkey was very mischievous he could not have a peaceful life so Toto had to be returned to its
previous owner.
Toto, the monkey:

• Toto was a beautiful, little monkey. He was with a tonga driver. Grandfather took
pity on him and brought him home.
• He was playful and restless, that’s why he could not be kept under hiding for long.
• Toto was keenly observant and swift in his actions. He noted closely the manner
in which the narrator took bath. He copied every action including testing the
temperature of the water with his hand.
• He was very mischievous and created a lot of mischiefs and brought so much
trouble in the house.
• He was curious by nature and landed in trouble because of this. The episode
when he almost boils himself alive is an example.
• He was destructive in nature, he tore clothes and disturbed other animals in
grandfather’s zoo. So grandfather had to give him back to the tonga-driver.
Grandmother
• Grandmother appeared to be a tough woman.
• She always fussed when Grandfather brought home some new bird or animal
but this fuss would disappear as soon as she would get into a good mood. That is
why she accepted Toto as the new pet after a few days.
• She always gave the impression of being a strict disciplinarian. When Toto tore
the narrator’s school-blazer to shreds, the narrator’s first worry was what
Grandmother would say.
• However, she was soft hearted and compassionate and cared for all animals.
• Even though Toto was mischievous and destructive since day one, Grandmother
would still overlook everything and give him a bowl of warm water to bathe.
• Again, it was the Grandmother who rescued Toto from getting boiled in the
kettle. Thus it can be clearly seen that Grandmother had a kind heart, although
she appeared to be tough outwardly.
Conclusion
• Grandfather was a kind-hearted person. He was an animal lover by
choice. He had his own private zoo in his house.
• He kept bringing home new animals that he liked. He was a fully
determined person. He had a lot of patience and took all things
positively.
• But he did not realise that some animals are destructive and
mischievous in nature like Toto, So, one should not keep animals as
pets unless one has adequate information and skills to train and
handle them. He must have known that they thrive better in their
natural habitat.
 Asset Questions:
1. Which word is not a synonym of triumphant:
a. victorious
b. Orthodox
c. jubilant
d. exultant
2. Which word is the antonym of docile?
e. wilful
f. Inborn
g. Secure
h. unaffected

3. The story falls into the genre of:

i. Fiction
j. Philosophy
k. Adventure
l. Biography
Answers

1. Which word is not a synonym of triumphant:

a. victorious
b. Orthodox
c. jubilant
d. exultant
2. Which word is the antonym of docile?
e. wilful
f. Inborn
g. Secure
h. unaffected

3. The story falls into the genre of:

i. Fiction
j. Philosophy
k. Adventure
l. Biography
Assignment
• Short answer questions (30-40 words)
Q1. Why was Toto’s presence kept a secret?
Q2.why did Grandfather sell back Toto to a tonga driver?

• Long answer question (100-120 words)

Q ‘If there is a part of the brain especially devoted to mischief, that part
was largely developed in Toto.’ Justify the statement . How did
Grandfather realize that Toto was not the sort of pet they could keep
for long.?