The Adventures of Toto

Given: The story 'The Adventures of Toto' by Ruskin Bond.

Answer:
Grandfather bought Toto from a tonga-driver for the sum of five rupees. The tonga-driver used to keep the little monkey tied to a feeding-trough, and the monkey looked so out of place and sad there that grandfather, who had a great love for animals, felt sorry for him. Grandfather decided to add Toto to his private zoo, which already had a number of pets including a tortoise, a pair of rabbits, a tame squirrel, and a goat. That is how Toto came to be a part of grandfather's private zoo.

Given: The description of Toto's physical appearance in the story.

Answer:
Toto was 'pretty' in a mischievous, almost comical sense rather than in the conventional sense of beauty. His prettiness lay in the following features:

1. Eyes: He had bright, deep-set eyes full of mischief and intelligence.
2. Teeth: He had pearly white teeth that he often displayed in a wide grin — a grin that was frightening to strangers but which the author's family found amusing.
3. Fingers: His fingers were quick and wiry, like a musician's.
4. Tail: His tail served as a third hand and added to his personality.
5. Ears: His ears were very expressive — they could indicate his feelings, turning a delicate pink when he was pleased or angry.

So, Toto was 'pretty' in the sense that he had a lively, expressive, and charming appearance, even though it could also be frightening at times.

Given: The episode of Toto's journey to Saharanpur in the story.

Answer:
Why grandfather takes Toto to Saharanpur:
Grandmother did not approve of Toto being kept in the house. To avoid any trouble at home, grandfather decided to take Toto along with him when he went to Saharanpur to collect his pension, rather than leaving the monkey behind to create mischief.

How grandfather took Toto:
Grandfather carried Toto in a big black canvas kit-bag. He tied the bag in such a way that Toto could not get out. During the journey, Toto remained inside the bag, occasionally creating a commotion by scratching and looking out, but grandfather managed to keep him hidden.

Why the ticket collector called Toto a dog:
At the Dehra Dun railway station, the ticket collector noticed the bag moving and heard sounds from it. When grandfather opened the bag to show Toto, the ticket collector was puzzled — Toto was clearly not a cat or a common pet. Since the railway's list of animals for which tickets were charged included dogs but not monkeys, the ticket collector had no category for Toto. He insisted on calling Toto a dog because that was the closest category available to him under railway rules, and he charged grandfather three rupees for Toto's ticket accordingly.

Given: The bathing habits of Toto as described in the story.

Answer:
How Toto takes a bath:
During cold winter evenings, a large bowl of warm water was placed in the veranda for Toto's bath. Toto would test the temperature of the water with his hand, just as a seasoned bather would. Satisfied with the warmth, he would step into the tub, sit in it, and then rub himself all over with a piece of soap. After the bath, he would run to the kitchen fire to dry himself.

Where he learnt this:
Toto had learnt this by watching the author (the narrator) and other members of the family take their baths. He was a keen observer and imitated human behaviour.

How Toto almost boiled himself alive:
One day, a large kitchen kettle had been left on the fire to boil for tea. Toto, attracted by the warm water, decided to take a bath in it. He got into the kettle and sat in it as the water began to heat up. Whenever he felt too hot, he would raise himself up; when the cold air made him shiver, he would sit back down in the hot water. He kept doing this — up and down — unable to make up his mind whether to get in or get out. He was almost boiled alive before the author's grandmother rescued him from the kettle.

Given: The concluding remarks about Toto in the story.

Answer:
The author says this because Toto was extremely mischievous and destructive, and the family could not afford the damage he caused. Some specific reasons are:

1. Destruction of property: Toto tore up the author's school blazer and reduced it to shreds. He also tore the wallpaper off the walls of the room where he was kept.
2. Breaking crockery: He broke a family dinner set by flinging dishes and plates around.
3. Eating food meant for others: He would help himself to food, such as pulling a dish of pullao towards himself at the dining table.
4. Financial burden: Grandfather was a pensioner with a limited income. The constant damage caused by Toto was too expensive for the family to bear.

For all these reasons — his destructive nature, his uncontrollable mischief, and the financial strain he caused — the author concludes that Toto was not the kind of pet they could afford to keep for long. Eventually, grandfather had to sell Toto back to the tonga-driver for the same price of five rupees.