Mijbil, the Otter - Short Answers

 Short Answers

1. Why did the author travel to Southern Iraq in 1956?

  The author traveled to Southern Iraq in 1956 because he wanted to keep an otter instead of a dog and thought that Camusfearna, surrounded by water, would be a suitable place for this experiment.

2. How did the author come to know about the availability of otters in the Tigris marshes?

  The author learned about the availability of otters in the Tigris marshes from a friend who mentioned that otters were as common as mosquitoes there and often tamed by the Arabs.

3. What difficulties did the author face in receiving his mail in Basra?

  The author faced several difficulties in receiving his mail in Basra, including a three-day delay in arrival, issues with the telephone line, and the exchange being closed for a religious holiday.

4. What did the Arabs bring to the author, and what did the note from his friend say?

  The Arabs brought the author a squirming sack, and the note from his friend said, “Here is your otter.”

5. How did Mijbil, the otter, behave during the first twenty-four hours?

  During the first twenty-four hours, Mijbil was aloof and indifferent, choosing to sleep on the floor as far from the author's bed as possible.

6. Describe Mijbil's reaction when taken to the bathroom for the first time.

  Mijbil went wild with joy in the bathroom, plunging and rolling in the water, and making enough splash for a hippo, which is characteristic behavior for otters.

7. What incident occurred when Mijbil escaped from the author's bedroom?

  When Mijbil escaped from the author's bedroom, he ran to the bathroom, fumbled with the taps, and managed to turn on the water flow.

8. How did the airline insist Mijbil should be transported to England?

  The airline insisted that Mijbil be packed into a box not more than eighteen inches square, to be carried on the floor at the author’s feet.

9. What happened when Mijbil was placed in the box before the flight?

  Mijbil tore the lining of the box to shreds, resulting in blood trickling from the box, and he was found exhausted and blood-spattered when the author returned.

10. What reactions did people in London have to seeing Mijbil, and what were some of the guesses about his identity?

   People in London did not recognize Mijbil as an otter and made various guesses about his identity, including a baby seal, a squirrel, a walrus, a hippo, a beaver, a bear cub, a leopard, and a brontosaur.