Mijbil, the Otter
Textual Solutions for Class 10 English
Chapter 6 Mijbil, the Otter
"Mijbil the Otter" is a story about a little otter named Mijbil. A man named Maxwell brings Mijbil from Iraq to live with him in England. Mijbil loves playing in water and creates a lot of mess. He becomes a beloved pet to Maxwell and brings joy to their home. But Maxwell realizes that Mijbil needs to live in a place where he can be free and happy. So, he decides to take Mijbil to live in a sanctuary where other otters live. Maxwell is sad to say goodbye, but he knows it's the best thing for Mijbil. Mijbil happily swims away, enjoying his newfound freedom in the sanctuary.
1. What ‘experiment’ did Maxwell think Camusfearna would be suitable for?
Maxwell had travelled to Southern Iraq in 1956 and he liked the idea of keeping an otter as a pet instead of a dog. He thought Camusfearna was surrounded by water that was a stone’s throw from its door. So, it would be an eminently suitable spot for this ‘experiment’.
2. Why does he go to Basra? How long does he wait there, and why?
Maxwell went to Basra to the Consulate-General to collect and answer his mail from Europe. However, though his friend’s mail had arrived, his had not. So he cabled to England and three days later, he even made a phone call which had to be booked 24 hours in advance. 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. His friend had left, and the writer arranged to meet him in a week’s time. Finally, after five days, his mail arrived. Hence, Maxwell had to wait for five days for his mail.
3. How does he get the otter? Does he like it? Pick out the words that tell you this.
When the writer’s mail arrived, he took it to his bedroom to read. He saw two Arabs squatting on the floor with a sack that squirmed from time to time. They handed him a note. It was from his friend, which mentioned that he had sent him an otter.
Yes, Maxwell liked it. We know this from his words “An otter fixation” used to describe his feelings towards the otter. He felt the term was used to express his strong attachment towards otters like any other otter owner would feel.
4. Why was the otter named ‘Maxwell’s otter’?
An otter was typically called by zoologists as “Lutrogale Perspicillata Maxwelli”, so it was called Maxwell’s otter in short.
5. Tick the right answer. In the beginning, the otter was
aloof and indifferent ✔
friendly
hostile
6. What happened when Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom? What did it do two days after that?
When Maxwell first took Mijbil to the bathroom, the otter first went wild with joy in the water for the first half an hour. He plunged and rolled in it, shooting up and down the length of the bathtub and making enough slosh and splash for a hippo.
After two days, the otter suddenly disappeared from Maxwell’s bedroom and went to the bathroom to play in the water he was up on the end of the bathtub and fumbling at the chromium taps with his paws. The author watched in amazement how the little creature had turned the tap to produce a trickle of water slowly and, after a moment, achieved the full flow.
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 108-109)
1. How was Mij to be transported to England?
Maxwell booked a flight to Paris, and from there, to England. As British airlines do not allow pets on board, the airline authorities insisted that Mijbil should be packed into an eighteen-inch square box to be carried on the floor near Maxwell’s feet. Hence, he got a box made an hour before they started, and he put Mijbil in the box so that he would become accustomed to it. He then quickly rushed to get a meal.
2. What did Mij do to the box?
The box was lined with a metal sheet, but Mijbil didn’t feel comfortable in the box and tried to escape from it. In his attempt to escape, Mijbil tore into the metal lining of the box, hurt himself and started bleeding.
3. Why did Maxwell put the otter back in the box? How do you think he felt when he did this?
Maxwell knew that there was no other way he could carry Mij to London, so he put the otter back into the box. He was anxious and felt sorry by looking at the otter’s condition as he hurt himself while trying to escape from the box.
4. Why does Maxwell say the airhostess was “the very queen of her kind”?
The air hostess was very friendly and showed sympathy to Maxwell after listening to his story. She respected his concern about the incident with the box and gave him permission to take the otter out of the box and keep his pet on his knee. So, the author developed a profound admiration for the kind lady and referred to her as “the very queen of her kind”.
5. What happened when the box was opened?
As soon as the box was opened, Mij jumped out of it. He disappeared in no time and ran all over the place, scaring other passengers on the flight. The otter created a lot of chaos in the airplane and the co-passengers got scared looking at the little creature. Out of fear, a woman stood up on her seat as he went beneath the legs of a portly white-turbaned Indian. Maxwell tried to get hold of Mij, but failed. The air hostess assured Maxwell that she would find the otter for him. Soon enough, Mijbil returned to the author, clung to his knee, and began to nuzzle his face and neck.
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 110)
1. What game had Mij invented?
Mij invented a game of playing with the ping-pong ball. One of the author’s suitcases was damaged and had a slope on the lid. Mij would put the ball on the high end of the sloping lid and run to catch the ball as it slid down towards the lower end.
2. What are ‘compulsive habits’? What does Maxwell say are the compulsive habits of
(i) school children
(ii) Mij?
Compulsive habits refer to strange behaviour repeated by a person without a clear reason. For example, a kid may jump over a fence, instead of taking the normal passageway. Usually, children express compulsive behaviour as they are mischievous by nature.
(i) As per the story, Maxwell expresses compulsive habits such as the rituals of children who, on their way to and from school, must place their feet squarely on the centre of each paving block; must touch every seventh upright of the iron railings, or pass to the outside of every second lamp post.
(ii) Similarly, even Mijbil, while on his way home, would jump over the boundary wall railing and gallop the full length of its thirty yards, to the hopeless distraction both of pupils and staff within.
3. What group of animals do otters belong to?
Otters belong to a relatively small group of animals known as Mustellines. The other animals of this group are badger, mongoose, weasel, stoat, mink and others.
4. What guesses did the Londoners make about what Mij was?
According to Maxwell, Londoners could not recognize otters easily as they are not found in England. Hence, they made the wildest possible guesses about Mijbil. They mistook it for a baby seal, a squirrel, a walrus, a beaver, a bear cub, a leopard, a hippo and a brontosaurus.
Thinking about the Text (Page 110-111)
1. What things does Mij do which tell you that he is an intelligent, friendly and fun-loving animal who needs love?
Mij showed how smart he was by inventing a game of ping-pong using an old suitcase of Maxwell's. Another time, he turned on the tap in the bathroom and played with the water in the tub. At first, Mij didn't seem interested in Maxwell, but over time, he became friendlier. He even stuck close to Maxwell's feet during a flight. Mij and the author became close pals, and Mij showed his playful side by creating games and developing some habits during their walks around London.
2. What are some of the things we come to know about otters from this text?
Otters belong to a small group of animals called Mustellines, which includes badgers, mongooses, weasels, stoats, and minks. They are often found in wet areas like marshes and are sometimes kept as pets by people in Arab countries. Otters really enjoy playing in water and splashing around. Maxwell's otter was a special kind that scientists didn't know about before, and they named it Lutrogale Perspicillata Maxwelli, or Maxwell's otter for short. We learned that otters are clever and love to have fun. They make up their own games and are friendly to humans.
3. Why is Mij’s species now known to the world as Maxwell’s otter?
Maxwell’s otter was of an unknown race to science and was at length named by zoologists as Lutrogale Perspicillata Maxwelli, hence, it is also known as Maxwell’s otter in short.
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
5. Read the story and find the sentences where Maxwell describes his pet otter. Then choose and arrange your sentences to illustrate those statements below that you think are true.
Maxwell’s description
(i) makes Mij seem almost human, like a small boy.
(ii) shows that he is often irritated with what Mij does.
(iii) shows that he is often surprised by what Mij does.
(iv) of Mij’s antics is comical.
(v) shows that he observes the antics of Mij very carefully.
(vi) shows that he thinks Mij is a very ordinary otter.
(vii) shows that he thinks the otter is very unusual.
(i) True. The statement – “He spent most of his time in play.”
(ii) False
(iii) True. The statement – “I watched, amazed; in less than a minute he had turned the tap far enough to produce a trickle of water, and after a moment or two achieved the full flow.”
(iv) True. The statement – “Marbles were Mij’s favourite toys for this pastime: he would lie on his back rolling two or more of them up and down his wide, flat belly without ever dropping one to the floor.
(v) True. The statement – “A suitcase that I had taken to Iraq had become damaged on the journey home, so that the lid, when closed, remained at a slope from one end to the other. Mij discovered that if he placed the ball on the high end it would run down the length of the suitcase. He would dash around to the other end to ambush its arrival, hide from it, crouching, to spring up and take it by surprise, grab it and trot off with it to the high end once more.”
(vi)False
(vii) True. The statement – “It is not, I suppose, in any way strange that the average Londoner should not recognise an otter, but the variety of guesses as to what kind of animal this might be came as a surprise to me.”
Thinking about Language (Page 111-114)
Describing a Repeated Action in the Past
From the table below, make as many correct sentences as you can using would and/or used to, as appropriate. (Hint: First decide whether the words in italics show an action, or a state or situation, in the past.) Then add two or three sentences of your own to it.
- Emperor Akbar used to be fond of musical evenings.
- Every evening we would take long walks on the beach.
- Fifty years ago, very few people used to own cars.
- Till the 1980s, Shanghai used to have very dirty streets.
- My uncle used to spend his holidays by the sea.
- My uncle used to be fond of musical evenings.
- My uncle would take long walks on the beach.
II. Noun Modifiers
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
(ii) The iron railings - Noun
(iii) The Tigris marshes - Proper Noun
(iv) The London streets - Proper Noun
(v) soft velvet fur - Adjective and noun
(vi) A four-footed soccer player - Adjective and noun
2. Given below are some nouns, and a set of modifiers (in the box). Combine the nouns and modifiers to make as many appropriate phrases as you can. (Hint: The nouns and modifiers are all from the texts in this book.)
III. 1. Match the words on the left with a word on the right. Some words on the left can go with more than one word on the right.
2. 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 some advice. --- My teacher gave me a bit of advice.
(ii) Can you give me some clay, please. --- Can you give me a lump of clay please?
(iii) The information you gave was very useful. --- The piece of information you gave was very useful.
(iv) Because of these factories smoke hangs over the city. --- Because of these factories, a cloud of smoke hangs over the city.
(v) Two stones rubbed together can produce sparks of fire. --- Two pieces of stone rubbed together can produce sparks of fire.
(vi) He gave me some flowers on my birthday. --- He gave me a bunch of flowers on my birthday.
Speaking (Page 114)
1. You have seen how Maxwell describes Mij the otter’s feelings and thoughts by watching him. Play the game of dumb charades. Take turns to express a feeling or thought silently, through gestures. Let the class speak out their guesses about the feelings or thoughts you are trying to express
In the game of dumb charades, Maxwell and his classmates take turns expressing feelings or thoughts silently through gestures. Maxwell may act out happiness by smiling and jumping with joy, sadness by pretending to wipe away tears, or surprise by widening his eyes and holding his hands to his cheeks. His classmates try to guess the feelings or thoughts he's expressing. They might shout out "happy" or "sad" or "surprised" based on Maxwell's gestures. It's a fun way to understand emotions without using words, just like Maxwell understands Mij the otter's feelings by watching his behaviour.
Writing (Page 114)
1. Write a description of a person or an animal (such as a pet) that you know very well and love very much. Questions (4) and (5) in ‘Thinking about the Text’ will have given you some idea about how to do this. Mention some things the person or animal does, what you think the person or animal feels, etc.
I have a beloved pet dog named Bailey who holds a special place in my heart. Bailey is a golden retriever with a gentle and loving personality. Every morning, he greets me with wagging tail and wet kisses, showing his excitement for the day ahead. He loves going for long walks in the park, chasing after tennis balls, and splashing in puddles. When I'm feeling down, Bailey snuggles up beside me, offering comfort and companionship with his warm presence. I can tell he feels happy when we play together, and content when he curls up for a nap by my feet. Bailey's unwavering loyalty and affection bring so much joy into my life.
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