English Summary
'The Adventures of Toto' by Ruskin Bond is a humorous account of the narrator's grandfather and his mischievous pet monkey, Toto. Grandfather had a liking for collecting animals and found Toto, a pretty red-faced monkey, tied to a tonga-driver's cart. He bought Toto and decided to add him to his private zoo.
Toto was extremely mischievous and destructive. He couldn't stay quietly with the other animals. His first night was spent in a closet, where he tore the narrator's school blazer and shred the wall-paper. Grandfather realized Toto needed to be kept secret from the narrator's grandmother, who disliked new pets. During a journey to Saharanpur, Toto was kept in a big black canvas bag. He poked his head out and smiled at a ticket collector, leading to grandfather being fined for carrying a dog without a ticket. At Saharanpur, Toto caused chaos in the servant's quarters and almost boiled himself alive in a large kitchen kettle.
Finally, Toto was accepted into the house but continued his antics. He broke dishes, tore clothes, and scared the family donkey. The last straw was when he nearly drowned himself in a large bowl of pudding during Christmas preparations. Despite being amusing, Toto proved too expensive to keep, as he constantly destroyed things. Ultimately, grandfather sold Toto back to the tonga-driver for three rupees, admitting that Toto was not the kind of pet they could afford to keep.
Chapter 2: The Adventures of Toto - Hindi Summary (हिंदी सारांश)
रस्किन बॉन्ड द्वारा लिखित 'द एडवेंचर्स ऑफ टोटो' कथावाचक के दादा और उनके शरारती पालतू बंदर टोटो का विनोदी वर्णन है। दादाजी को जानवर इकट्ठा करने का शौक था और उन्हें टोटो, एक सुंदर लाल-मुख वाला बंदर, एक टांगा-ड्राइवर की गाड़ी से बंधा हुआ मिला। उन्होंने टोटो को खरीदा और उसे अपने निजी चिड़ियाघर में शामिल करने का फैसला किया।
टोटो अत्यंत शरारती और विनाशकारी था। वह दूसरे जानवरों के साथ शांति से नहीं रह सकता था। उसकी पहली रात एक अलमारी में बिती, जहाँ उसने कथावाचक का स्कूल ब्लेजर फाड़ दिया और दीवार के कागज को चीर दिया। दादाजी को एहसास हुआ कि टोटो को दादी से छुपाकर रखना होगा, जिन्हें नए पालतू जानवर पसंद नहीं थे। सहारनपुर की यात्रा के दौरान, टोटो को एक बड़े काले कैनवस बैग में रखा गया था। उसने अपना सिर बाहर निकाला और एक टिकट कलेक्टर को देखकर मुस्कुराया, जिसके कारण दादाजी पर बिना टिकट के कुत्ता ले जाने का जुर्माना लगा। सहारनपुर में, टोटो ने नौकरों के क्वार्टर में उत्पात मचाया और रसोई के एक बड़े केतली में अपने आप को उबाल लेने ही वाला था।
आखिरकार, टोटो को घर में स्वीकार कर लिया गया लेकिन उसने अपनी शरारतें जारी रखीं। उसने बर्तन तोड़े, कपड़े फाड़े, और परिवार के गधे को डरा दिया। आखिरी तिनका तब आया जब क्रिसमस की तैयारियों के दौरान उसने खुद को हलवे के एक बड़े कटोरे में लगभग डुबो दिया। मनोरंजक होने के बावजूद, टोटो को रखना बहुत महंगा साबित हुआ, क्योंकि वह लगातार चीजों को नष्ट कर देता था। अंततः, दादाजी ने टोटो को तीन रुपये में वापस टांगा-ड्राइवर को बेच दिया, यह स्वीकार करते हुए कि टोटो वैसा पालतू नहीं था जिसे वे रखने का खर्च उठा सकें।
Character Sketch
Toto: A small, red-faced, and extremely mischievous monkey. He is intelligent, curious, and full of energy but uses these traits for destructive purposes. He is not malicious but is naturally playful and unable to understand human boundaries. His adventures—tearing clothes, grinning at ticket collectors, nearly boiling himself, and attacking pudding—show his endless capacity for chaos. He is a lovable troublemaker who proves too expensive to keep.
Grandfather: A kind-hearted, animal-loving old man with a keen sense of adventure. He is impulsive in buying pets without considering the consequences. He is patient and protective of Toto, trying to hide him from Grandmother and defending him. However, he is also practical and accepts his mistake when Toto's mischief becomes financially unsustainable, showing he is responsible in the end.
Grandmother: A traditional and pragmatic lady who dislikes the constant addition of new pets to the household. She represents order and domestic peace, which Toto constantly disrupts. Her initial disapproval and the need to hide Toto from her add to the story's humour. She is the voice of reason that grandfather often ignores.
10 Previous Year Questions & Solutions
1. Why did Grandfather buy Toto? (2020)
Answer: Grandfather bought Toto because he had a great fondness for collecting exotic animals and adding them to his private zoo. He found Toto, a attractive little monkey with bright eyes and a red face, tied miserably to a tonga-driver's cart. Taking pity on him and wanting to own him, Grandfather purchased Toto for five rupees.
2. How did Toto prove to be a problem for Grandfather during the journey to Saharanpur? (2022)
Answer: During the journey, Toto was kept in a big black canvas kit-bag. He managed to poke his head out and smile at the ticket collector. The ticket collector insisted that Toto was a dog and charged Grandfather three rupees as a fare for carrying a dog. This unexpected fine and the embarrassment proved Toto to be a problem.
3. Describe Toto's mischievous activities in the house. (2019)
Answer: In the house, Toto tore the narrator's school blazer, shred wallpaper, broke dishes, tore curtains and clothes, scared the donkey by biting its ears, and stole food. His most famous mischief was during Christmas when he jumped into a large bowl of rice pudding and nearly drowned, covered from head to toe in the dessert.
4. Why could Toto not stay with Nana, the family donkey? (2023)
Answer: Toto could not stay with Nana because he was mischievous and teased her. He would bite Nana's long ears hard, making her bray and lash out with her legs in pain and annoyance. Their natures were incompatible; Nana was peaceful and tolerant, while Toto was hyperactive and bothersome.
5. What was Grandfather's plan to keep Toto's presence a secret from Grandmother? (2018)
Answer: Grandfather's plan was to keep Toto hidden in a little closet opening into the narrator's bedroom. He thought Toto would remain quiet there. He also decided to keep Toto's presence a secret until Grandmother was in a better mood, knowing her disapproval of new pets being brought home.
6. Why did Grandfather finally decide to get rid of Toto? (2021)
Answer: Grandfather finally decided to get rid of Toto because he proved too expensive to keep. Toto's constant mischief led to the destruction of household items, dishes, clothes, and wallpaper. The cost of replacing these things was becoming unsustainable, leading Grandfather to the practical decision to sell him back.
7. How does the story 'The Adventures of Toto' highlight the theme of 'freedom vs. captivity'? (2022)
Answer: Toto, by nature a wild and free creature, is brought into captivity. His mischievous and destructive behaviour can be seen as a manifestation of his innate desire for freedom and his inability to adjust to the restrictions of a domestic life. The story subtly suggests that wild animals may not be suited for a life as household pets.
8. What makes 'The Adventures of Toto' a humorous story? (2020)
Answer: The story is humorous due to the absurd situations created by Toto's innocent yet destructive antics. Examples include Toto grinning at the ticket collector, his near-boiling in the kettle, his fight with the donkey, and his pudding disaster. The grandfather's futile attempts to manage Toto and the reactions of other family members add to the comedy.
9. What message does Ruskin Bond convey through this story? (2023)
Answer: Through this humorous tale, Ruskin Bond conveys that wild animals have their own nature and instincts which may not align with domestic life. Keeping them as pets can lead to unexpected challenges and chaos. The story also carries a subtle message about the responsibility of pet ownership and respecting the wild nature of animals.
10. Justify the title 'The Adventures of Toto'. (2019)
Answer: The title is perfectly justified as the entire story revolves around a series of escapades or 'adventures' caused by the mischievous monkey, Toto. From being bought, hidden, traveling in a bag, causing chaos in Saharanpur, to destroying things at home and the final pudding incident—each episode is a new, chaotic adventure driven by Toto's actions.
