CBSE Class 10 English Mijbil the Otter Important Questions Set 05

Answer: (a) Mijbil was the otter that the narrator, Gavin Maxwell, received as a gift.
(b) He was neither hostile nor friendly but aloof, and slept as far from the narrator as possible.
(c) ‘Indifferent’.
(d) It belonged to a race previously unknown to science and zoologists named it after Maxwell.

Teacher's Note:
1. The extract shows that Mij needed time to trust his new owner.
2. Zoologists honoured Maxwell by naming the race after him.

Answer: (a) She thought Mij was a rat running loose in the aircraft.
(b) He leapt out and ran at high speed down the aircraft.
(c) ‘Squawks’ (or ‘shrieks’).
(d) The passengers panicked and he was responsible for the chaos caused by his pet.

Teacher's Note:
1. The comedy of the scene comes from the passengers’ fear of a harmless animal.
2. Mention the panic, and not only the rat, in your answer.

Answer: After his dog Jonnie died, Maxwell felt lonely. His home at Camusfearna in Scotland is ringed by water, so an otter seemed suitable. A friend told him that otters were as common as mosquitoes in the Tigris marshes and that the Arabs often tamed them. At Basra two Arabs brought him an otter in a sack, with a note from his friend: ‘Here is your otter.’

Teacher's Note:
1. Give the reason and the way he got it.
2. Mention the sack and the note.

Answer: The creature was unusual. Its body was covered with pointed scales, between which soft velvet fur could be seen. Maxwell thought it looked like a small imaginary dragon of the Middle Ages, or a chocolate-brown mole.

Teacher's Note:
1. Use the comparisons from the text.
2. The dragon image makes a good answer.

Answer: Mij loved water. In the bathtub he went wild with joy, rolling, plunging and shooting up and down underwater, making enough splash for a hippo. Two days later he was found opening the tap by himself, and he wanted every drop squashed and splashed until the bowl was empty.

Teacher's Note:
1. Otters are fond of water, so give the examples of the bath and the tap.
2. Mention the splash.

Answer: The airline did not allow animals to travel with passengers. Maxwell therefore booked a flight on another airline that would carry Mij if he was kept in a box. He put Mij in the box an hour before the flight so that he could get used to it.

Teacher's Note:
1. State the rule and the solution.
2. The box and the hour’s practice are the key points.

Answer: When he returned from a quick meal he found the box still and Mij had torn the inner lining to shreds, and blood was dripping through the holes. Maxwell took out all the shredded lining so that Mij would not be hurt, put him back and rushed in a cab to reach the airport in time.

Teacher's Note:
1. Show his worry and his quick action.
2. Mention the cab and the lack of time.

Answer: The air hostess listened to his story kindly and, instead of scolding, advised him to keep the box on his lap. When Mij escaped, she helped to catch him and return him to Maxwell. Her understanding and help made him admire her greatly.

Teacher's Note:
1. Her kindness and practical help are the reasons.
2. Quote the phrase in your answer.

Answer: Mij loved rubber balls and marbles and could play with them for hours. He invented a game with Maxwell’s damaged suitcase: he placed the ball on the high end so that it rolled down the slope, ran around to the other end, hid, and then bent down to catch the ball by surprise.

Teacher's Note:
1. Give details of the suitcase game.
2. It shows Mij’s intelligence.

Answer: They had never seen an otter and made wild guesses. Some thought Mij was a baby seal, a squirrel or even a hippo. A labourer digging a hole asked Maxwell what it was supposed to be.

Teacher's Note:
1. Mention at least two guesses.
2. The labourer’s question adds humour.

Answer: Mij learned to open the bathroom tap by himself, and he invented the suitcase game with a ball. He also became friendly with Maxwell once he understood he was safe.

Teacher's Note:
1. Any one clear example is enough.
2. Support it with a detail from the text.

Answer: Maxwell treated Mij like a child. After the first day of aloofness, Mij became friendly and soon followed his master everywhere. Maxwell gave him toys such as marbles, rubber balls and a terrapin shell, took him to the bath because otters love water, and took him out for exercise. He was horrified when he found blood on the box, and when Mij leapt out on the plane, the otter finally came and sat quietly on his knees. Their bond grew from care and trust.

Teacher's Note:
1. Show how the relationship grew with examples.
2. End with the idea of trust.

Answer: Maxwell kept Mij in a box for the flight, but the otter tore the lining and made a mess. After cleaning it he rushed to the airport and reached just in time. A kind air hostess advised him to keep the box on his lap. When he opened it, Mij leapt out and ran through the aircraft. A woman climbed on her seat screaming ‘A rat!’, and Maxwell spilt curry on himself while chasing Mij. The air hostess helped to catch the otter, and they reached London safely.

Teacher's Note:
1. Put the events in order.
2. Mention the curry and the air hostess.

Answer: Maxwell was affectionate, patient and responsible. He did not scold Mij for his strange behaviour and gave him time to settle down. He studied Mij’s habits and provided what he liked, such as water and toys. He worried about Mij’s safety when he saw the damaged box and took out the shredded lining. He was resourceful too, as he found another airline, cleaned up and reached the airport on time. His love for animals is clear throughout.

Teacher's Note:
1. Name each quality and support it with an incident.
2. Do not repeat the story at length.

Answer: The death of his dog Jonnie left Maxwell lonely, and his house at Camusfearna, surrounded by water, seemed ideal for an otter. Mij came in a sack and looked like a small dragon covered in mud. For the first twenty-four hours he was aloof and slept far from Maxwell’s bed. Slowly he accepted his new home and was cleaned and washed for nearly a month before his true colour showed. Soon he enjoyed the bath, learned to open the tap and became a loving companion.

Teacher's Note:
1. Connect the reason with Mij’s settling in.
2. Use the first-day behaviour.

Answer: Mij brought joy to Maxwell’s life after the loss of his dog. He was playful and intelligent, inventing games with a ball and a suitcase, and he showed trust by sitting quietly on Maxwell’s knees after the trouble on the plane. In return Maxwell gave him care, patience and freedom. Their bond shows that animals respond to love and that a pet can fill a lonely life, as long as the owner understands the animal’s nature.

Teacher's Note:
1. Support the idea with two events.
2. A final line on the owner’s responsibility is a good addition.