Key Points of the Story
- The writer's grandfather, an animal enthusiast, acquired a monkey named Toto from a Tonga driver for five rupees, keeping him hidden due to the grandmother's disapproval.
- Toto's mischievous nature caused chaos, breaking hooks and disturbing the household. During a trip to Saharanpur, Toto's antics in a canvas bag amused and frustrated fellow passengers, leading to a ticket purchase when mistaken for a dog.
- Despite attempts to integrate him into the household, Toto clashed with other animals and caused trouble, including nearly scalding himself in boiling water and feasting on family meals.
- Recognizing Toto's uncontrollable behaviour, the grandfather reluctantly sold him back to the Tonga driver for three rupees.
Detailed Summary
The narrator’s grandmother did not like animals. So, the narrator and his grandfather decided that the Toto’s presence should be kept as secret. They put Toto in a little closet opening in the narrator’s bedroom. When they returned, they saw that Toto had removed the decorative paper from the walls. He had also pulled out the peg attached to the wall through which he was tied. He had also torn the narrator’s school blazer into shreds (pieces). Toto’s mischief delighted the grandfather. He found Toto to be a clever monkey.
Toto was transferred into a big cage after this incident. ‘The cage was kept in the servant quarters where all other animals lived together. The animals included a tortoise, a pair of rabbits, a domesticated squirrel and a pet goat. Even here, Toto proved to be a naughty monkey. He would not let any other animal sleep at night. So, the grandfather, who had to go to Saharanpur to get his pension next morning decided to take Toto along with him.
A black canvas kit bag was arranged for Toto. He was put in this bag. As the bag was closed, Toto could neither escape nor cause any mischief. Toto was in the bag throughout his journey, but when grandfather was showing his ticket to the ticket collector, Toto bought his head out of the bag. This sudden appearance of an animal scared the ticket collector. He cleverly classified Toto to be a dog and charged 3 for carrying Toto with him.
Toto was accepted by the narrator’s grandmother and was transferred into the stable with Nana, the family’s female donkey. From his first night, Toto started teasing Nana. When grandfather came to see if Toto was comfortable, he found that Toto had bitten Nana’s long ears. As a result, Toto and Nana could never become friends. On winter evenings, grandmother gave Toto a large bowl of warm water for his bath. First, Toto would check the temperature of the water. Then he would enter the bath until the water reached his neck. After this, he would take the soap and rub it all over his body. When Toto would come out of his bath he would run to the Kitchen fire to dry himself.
One day Toto almost boiled himself alive while bathing. When he saw a large kitchen kettle with warm water, he got into the kettle. He started jumping up and down when the water came to boil. It was grandmother who found him and took him out of the kettle. Toto’s mischief still continued. He was always damaging things. One day, as the narrator’s family entered the dining room, they saw Toto eating the pulao made for lunch.
When his grandmother screamed at Toto, he threw a plate at her. Further, when one of the narrator’s aunts came forward, Toto threw water on her face. Later, when the narrator’s grandfather came, Toto took the dish, ran outside and sat on the branches of the jack fruit tree. He sat there for the whole day. As soon as the pulao was finished, Toto threw the dish down and broke it into pieces.
Toto’s mischief caused much loss to the family. The narrators family could not afford the loss of dishes, clothes, curtains and wallpapers. So, grandfather sold Toto to the same Tonga driver for Rupees 3.
Theme/Message
Theme
- The chapter emphasizes the importance of caring for pets, highlighting the effort required to accommodate them. Despite the narrator's grandfather's attempts to integrate Toto into their home, the mischievous monkey struggled to get along with other animals and even caused trouble during a trip.
- Toto's unruly behaviour led to damage to property and made discipline challenging for the family. The narrative also touches on the complexity of man-animal interaction, demonstrating that some wild animals cannot be easily tamed. Despite the grandfather's patience, Toto's destructive tendencies ultimately led to his return to the tonga driver, illustrating the importance of respecting nature and wildlife's natural behavior.
Message
- The story teaches us to love and respect animals. When the grandfather sees the monkey with a tonga driver, he wants to provide it a comfortable life in his zoo, so he buys it as a pet.
- However, as a wild animal, the monkey causes trouble, leading the grandfather to realize that it would be happier with the tonga driver. Despite the challenges, the grandfather treats Toto with care and affection, conveying a message about the importance of animal rights and welfare.
