The Adventure of Toto Notes Chapter 2 Class 9 English CBSE

Written by: Ruskin Bond
Theme: The story shows the naughty and funny behavior of a pet monkey named Toto.
It highlights the trouble caused by his mischiefs and how keeping him as a pet became difficult for the family.

Grandfather bought Toto, a small red monkey, from a tonga-driver for five rupees.
The monkey was tied to a feeding trough and looked unhappy, so Grandfather decided to add him to his private zoo.
Toto had bright eyes full of mischief, white teeth, and a long tail which he used like a third hand.

Grandmother did not like when Grandfather brought new animals home.
So, they hid Toto in a closet connected to the narrator’s bedroom.
When they came back, Toto had torn the wallpaper, broken the peg, and shredded the school blazer.
Grandfather was amused and said Toto was clever and could have tied the torn blazer into a rope to escape!

Toto was kept in a cage with other animals, but he did not let anyone sleep.
So Grandfather decided to take him to Saharanpur while going to collect his pension.
Toto was kept in a strong black canvas bag, which rolled and jumped as he tried to escape, attracting people’s attention.
At the railway station, Toto suddenly popped out of the bag and grinned at the ticket-collector.
The collector insisted that Toto was a dog and charged three rupees for his fare.
Grandfather, annoyed, showed his tortoise and asked for its fare, to which the collector replied, “No charge. It is not a dog.”

When Grandmother accepted Toto, he was kept in the stable with the donkey, Nana.
On the first night, Toto bit Nana’s ears.
Since then, Toto and Nana never became friends.

Toto loved taking warm baths during winter evenings.
He would test the temperature with his hand, step into the water slowly, and rub himself with soap just like humans.
When the water became cold, he ran to the kitchen fire to dry himself.
If anyone laughed at him, he would get offended and stop bathing.
One day, he jumped into a kettle of boiling water thinking it was warm. He hopped in and out until Grandmother rescued him, half-boiled!

Toto was full of mischief.
He tore clothes, destroyed wallpaper, and spoiled dishes and curtains.
Once, he sat at the dining table and started eating pullao (rice).
When Grandmother screamed, Toto threw a plate at her and a glass of water at an aunt.
He then ran out with the dish, climbed a tree, ate all the rice, and finally threw the dish down, breaking it into pieces.

Toto caused a lot of damage in the house.
The family was not rich and could not afford the loss.
Finally, Grandfather sold Toto back to the tonga-driver for three rupees.