Class 10 English book: NCERT First flight Mijbil the Otter

  

Class 10 English book: NCERT First flight Mijbil the Otter Lesson 6

In early 1956, I travelled to southern Iraq. By then, I had started thinking that I would like to keep an otter instead of a dog and that Camusfearna, surrounded by water just a short distance from my home, would be a perfect place to try this idea.

When I mentioned this casually to a friend, he replied just as casually that I should get one from the marshes of the Tigris River. He said that otters were as common there as mosquitoes and that the Arabs often tamed them. We were heading to Basra to visit the Consulate-General to collect and respond to our mail from Europe. At the Consulate-General, we found that my friend’s mail had arrived, but mine hadn’t.

I sent a telegram to England, but after three days, nothing happened. I then tried to call. The call had to be booked 24 hours in advance. On the first day, the phone line wasn’t working; on the second, the exchange was closed for a religious holiday. On the third day, there was another problem with the line. My friend left, and we decided to meet a week later. Five days later, my mail finally arrived. I took it to my room to read, and there, sitting on the floor, were two Arabs. Beside them was a sack that wiggled now and then. They handed me a note from my friend: “Here is your otter...”

When that sack was opened, a new phase of my life began—one that hasn’t ended yet and, as far as I can tell, might stay with me forever. It became almost like a spell or obsession with otters, one that I later discovered is shared by most people who have ever had one as a pet. The creature that came out of the sack onto the wide, tiled floor of the Consulate bedroom looked a lot like a tiny, dragon from medieval times. From its head to the tip of its tail, it had a unique appearance that was both fascinating and unusual.

Mijbil the otter was covered in a thick layer of mud that made him look like he was wearing strong, pointy scales like armour. Between these muddy points, I could see his soft, velvet fur, as brown as chocolate. When he shook himself, I thought a cloud of dust might fly off! But it took me a whole month to clean off all the mud and finally see his true, beautiful fur. I named him Mijbil, and later, scientists discovered that he was a type of otter never seen before. They named his kind **Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli**, or simply **Maxwell's otter**.

At first, for about a day, Mijbil wasn’t friendly but wasn’t mean either. He seemed uninterested in me and slept far away on the floor. But on the second night, he came up on my bed and curled up near my knees, staying there until morning tea arrived. That day, Mijbil started getting really curious about everything around him. I made a small body belt for him so I could lead him, and I took him to the bathroom. The moment he saw water, he went wild with happiness! He splashed, rolled, dived, and shot up and down the bathtub, making so much noise and water everywhere that it seemed like a hippo was there instead of a small otter!

I soon learned that all otters love water—they can’t resist playing with it! If there’s a bowl of water, they’ll tip it over, or, if they can’t, they’ll sit in it and splash until it spills. For an otter, water must always be moving or making waves; if it’s still, it’s simply too boring for them!

The days in Basra were nice, but I was scared about taking Mij to England and Camusfearna. The British airline to London didn’t allow animals, so I booked a flight to Paris with another airline and then to London. They told me that Mij had to be in a box that was no bigger than eighteen inches square. I got a box made for him. An hour before we left, I put Mij in the box to help him get used to it and went for a quick meal.

 

When I came back, I saw a terrible thing. The box was quiet, but dried blood was around the air holes and lid. I quickly unlocked the box and opened it. Mij looked very tired and was covered in blood. He had torn the inside of the box. I removed the sharp pieces, but there were only ten minutes left until our flight and the airport was five miles away. I put poor Mij back in the box and held the lid down.

 

In the car, I sat with the box next to me while the driver drove very fast through the streets of Basra. The plane was waiting for us, and the officials hurried me to it. Luckily, my seat was at the front. I spread newspapers on the floor around my feet, called the air hostess, and gave her some fish for Mij to keep cool. I told her about what happened in the last half hour. I really liked that air hostess; she was very kind. She even said I could hold Mij on my lap, and I felt so thankful to her. But I didn’t know what would happen next with Mij!

Questions and Answer

Q.1 What "experiment" did Maxwell think Camusfearna would be suitable for?

Maxwell thought Camusfearna would be a perfect place for an "experiment" to see if he could keep an otter as a pet instead of a dog. He believed the place, surrounded by water, would be a good home for an otter to live and play in.

Q.2 Why does he go to Basra? How long did he wait there, and why?

Maxwell goes to Basra to visit the Consulate-General and collect his mail from Europe. He waited there for five days because his mail did not arrive on time. First, he tried to send a telegram and then tried calling, but there were problems with the phone lines. Finally, after five days, his mail arrived.

Q.3 How does he get the otter? Does he like it? Pick out the words that tell you this

Maxwell gets the otter when two Arabs bring it to him in a sack, with a note from his friend saying, "Here is your otter." At first, Maxwell is surprised, but he is happy when he sees the otter. He says, "A new phase of my life began" and describes the otter as fascinating and unusual. He also calls it "beautiful" after cleaning off the mud. These words show that Maxwell likes the otter.

Q.4 Why was the otter named 'Maxwell's otter'?

The otter was named "Maxwell's otter" because scientists later discovered it was a new type of otter. They gave it this name, Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli, after Maxwell, the person who kept it as a pet.

Q. 6 What happened when Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom? What did it do two days after that?

When Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom, the otter saw water and got very excited. It splashed, rolled, and dived into the bathtub, making a big mess. Two days later, Mijbil became very curious about everything around him.

                                          SectionII

Mij quickly jumped out of the box and ran fast through the aeroplane. People screamed, and a woman stood up shouting, "A rat! A rat!" Maxwell saw Mij’s tail disappearing under the legs of a fat man in a white turban. Maxwell tried to catch him, but instead, he got curry all over his face! The air hostess, smiling kindly, said, “It would be better if you sit down. I will find the animal and bring it to you.” Maxwell sat back in his seat. He tried to watch where Mij went, but suddenly he heard a little sound from his feet. It was Mij! The otter jumped onto his lap and started to nuzzle Maxwell’s face and neck, happy to be with him again.

Mij and I stayed in London for almost a month. He loved playing with his toys, like ping-pong balls, marbles, rubber fruit, and even a terrapin shell that I had brought from his home in the marshes. Mij made up his own game with the ping-pong ball. He would place it on a suitcase that was broken and slanted. The ball would roll down to the low end, and Mij would run to the other end to wait for it. He would hide and then jump out to grab the ball and carry it back to the high end again.

Outside, I would walk Mij on a leash, just like walking a dog. On these walks, Mij started to develop funny habits. For example, like some children do, he would always step in the middle of each paving block. He would touch every seventh pole of the iron fence or walk around every second lamp post.

Across from my flat was a small school with a low wall in front. Mij would always stop in front of this wall on his way home, but not when he was leaving. He would pull me to the wall, jump onto it, and run all the way across it. The children and teachers at the school would get very distracted watching Mij run on the wall!

It wasn't surprising that people in London didn't recognize an otter, but I was amazed at all the different guesses they made about what kind of animal Mij was. Otters belong to a group of animals called Mustellines, which also include badgers, weasels, minks, and others. But instead of guessing "otter," people came up with all kinds of funny ideas! Some thought Mij was a "baby seal" or "a squirrel." One person even asked, "Is that a walrus, mister?" That made me laugh! Outside a dog show, someone said, "A hippo!" Other guesses included a beaver, a bear cub, a leopard (one that had changed its spots!), and even a "brontosaur."

But the funniest question came from a worker who was digging a hole in the street. He saw Mij from far away and stopped working. As I got closer, I could see his surprised face, like he didn't like being tricked. When I reached him, he spat, stared at Mij, and growled, "Hey mister, what is that supposed to be?"

Questions Answer

Q7. How was Mij to be transported to England?

Mij was to be transported to England in a small box that was no bigger than eighteen inches square. Maxwell had it made for Mij to travel in, but when Mij got inside, he hurt himself trying to escape.

Q.8 What did Mij do to the box?

Mij scratched and tore the inside of the box while trying to escape. He became very tired and covered in blood. Maxwell had to remove the sharp pieces from the box before quickly rushing to the airport with Mij.

Q 9. Why did Maxwell put the otter back in the box? How do you think he felt when he did this?

Maxwell put the otter back in the box because there was only ten minutes left before their flight and they had to hurry. I think Maxwell felt worried and sad because he didn’t want to hurt Mij or make him uncomfortable.

Q.10 Why does Maxwell say the air hostess was “the very queen of her kind”?

Maxwell calls the air hostess "the very queen of her kind" because she was very kind and helpful. She allowed him to hold Mij on his lap during the flight and even gave him fish to keep Mij cool.

Q 11. What happened when the box was opened?

When the box was opened, Mij quickly jumped out and ran around the aeroplane. People screamed, thinking it was a rat. Maxwell tried to catch Mij, but he missed, and his face got covered in curry. The hunt began!

Q 12. What game had Mij invented?

Mij invented a game using a ping-pong ball and a suitcase. He would place the ball on the high end of the suitcase, let it roll down, then run to the other end to catch it and start again.

 Q13. What are ‘compulsive habits’? What does Maxwell say are the compulsive habits of

 (i) school children (ii) Mij?

‘Compulsive habits’ are things that someone does again and again, almost without thinking, like a routine.

Maxwell says the compulsive habits of:

(i) School children: They have to step on the middle of every paving block, touch every seventh fence post, or walk around every second lamp post.

(ii) Mij: Mij had a habit of running on a low wall near the school only on his way home, not when leaving.

Q14. What group of animals do otters belong to?

Otters belong to a group of animals called ‘Mustellines’. This group also includes animals like badgers, minks, weasels, and stoats. These animals are all similar in some ways.

Q15. What guesses did the Londoners make about what Mij was?

The Londoners made many guesses about what Mij was. Some thought he was a "baby seal," "squir" "walrus," "hippo," "beaver," "bear cub," or even a "brontosaur." One person even thought he was a "leopard" that had changed its spots!

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