Class 9 English Chapter 1 Question Answers - Moments

Short Answer Type Questions

Ques 1: Why did the author’s grandfather decide to buy Toto? 
Ans: Grandfather was very fond of animals and when he saw little Toto tied to a feeding trough, he felt bad for him and wanted to take care of him. Toto looked out of place and grandfather decided to bring it to his own nearby zoo. He found Toto very amusing.

Ques 2: Why could not Toto and Nana become friends? 
Ans: Toto was very wicked and naughty and could not calm for even a moment. He always found something to destroy around him. Nana on the other hand was a well behaved and disciplined animal. When they were together Toto teased her by biting on the long ears of Nana and Nana got furious at him. Thus, Nana and Toto could never become friends.

Ques 3: How does Toto become a problem to grandfather while going to Saharanpur?
Ans: While going to Saharanpur, Toto behaved well. When grandfather was producing his ticket, Toto suddenly poked his head out of the bag. He gave the ticket collector a wide grin. The ticket collector insisted that grandfather must buy the ticket for the pet. And proved to be a big problem for grandfather.

Ques 4: Where was Toto kept immediately after grandfather got him? Why?
Ans: Toto was kept in a closet. He was tied securely to a peg because his presence was to be kept a secret from the writer’s grandmother as she abhorred animals.

Ques 5: Who was Nana? How did Toto tease Nana? 
Ans: Nana was the family donkey. Toto was kept in the stable with Nana, where they both used to fight, Toto used to tease Nana by biting onto her long ears with his sharp little teeth. Even Nana got fed up with Toto and could no longer put up with him.

Ques 6: In what sense was Toto “a pretty monkey”.
Ans: Toto was a pretty monkey. His bright eyes sparkled with mischief beneath the deep-set eyebrows, and his teeth, which were a pearly white, were very often displayed in a smile that frightened the life out of elderly Anglo-Indian ladies. But his hands looked driedup as though they had been pickled in the sun for many years. Yet his fingers were quick and wicked and his tail, while adding to his good looks served as a third hand. He could use it to hang from a branch and it was capable of scooping up any delicacy that might be out of reach of his hands.

Ques 7: How did Toto’slove for taking bathe almost led to his being half–boiled?
Ans: Toto used to love taking bathe in hot water. Once when a kettle was kept on fire with water to boil for tea, Toto sat in it. When the water began to boil, Toto tried getting up but found outside cold. So he again sat down. He kept on hopping outside and then again inside and after sometime, he started enjoying this game.

Ques 8: Why did the grandfather give away Toto, the monkey? 
Ans: Toto was very naughty and he troubled everyone. The other pets were not happy with him and he broke a lot of dishes, tore clothes, curtains and wallpapers. He had become very difficult to handle and so grandfather gave Toto away.

Ques 9: Why did the grandfather hide Toto for some time when he brought him home?
Ans: Grandfather was very fond of animals but it was not the case with the grandmother. She did not like animals as much as him and would get annoyed when he would bring an animal home. To avoid this situation, grandfather hid Toto for some time and decided to announce his arrival to her when she was in a pleasant mood.

Ques 10: Why did grandfather decide to take Toto along with him to Dehradun?
Ans: Grandfather decided to take Toto along with him to Dehradum as there were many other pets also / that lived there. But Toto would not allow any of his companions to sleep at night. So, he made this decision.

Ques 11: Give the names of Grandfather’s pets. Where did they live?
Ans: The names of the Grandfather’s pets were Nana the donkey and Toto the monkey a tortoise, a pair of rabbits, a tame squirrel and a goat. They lived in a big cage in the servant’s quarters.

Long Answer Type Questions

Ques 1: Write your views in the form of short paragraph on the topic “Should animals be kept as a pet”. 
OR
While keeping pets at home, what all things should be kept in mind? 
Ans: Before bringing a pet in the house, we should remember that these animals can neither speak nor express as humans. As a pet owner, we should know that there are a number of dangers that lurk in our households for these little creatures. We should always keep pesticides and medicines at a bay from the animals and children as they are a potential threat to them. The areas where pets might start fire inadvertently such as kitchen or fireplaces or plugs should be covered, we should never have pets unattended around the open flames. Small electrical cords are also harmful to them hence they would be wounded and kept at a distance. All the pots and oil bottles should be properly closed.

Ques 2: How can you say that Toto was a mischievous pet?
Ans: Toto was indeed a very mischievous pet. He tore the wallpapers of the rooms, and also tore the school blazer. He troubled other fellow animals. He even managed to get himself into trouble by nearly half boiling himself in a kettle. He made holes in dresses and curtains. Once he even scared the ticket checker. He even broke dishes in the houses. He proved to be a big troublemaker for everyone. Thus, we can say that Toto was a mischievous pet.

Ques 3: Describe the incident at Dehradun railway station after reading the story, The Adventures of Toto’.
Ans: Grandfather had to go to Saharanpur. So, he decided to put Toto in a big black canvas bag for the train journey. When they reached the station Toto started jumping on the platform and everyone was surprised to see a bag jumping and moving about. When the ticket collector came then Toto poked his head out of the bag. The ticket collector wanted grandfather to buy a ticket for him and grandfather did not want to. Finally, the ticket collector had his way.

Ques 4: “Toto was not good enough to be kept at home.” Do you agree to this state-ment? Why/why not.
Ans: Yes, Toto was not good enough to be kept at home. He was upto some kind of mischief all the time. He tore the wallpapers of the rooms, and also tore the school blazer. He troubled other fellow animals. He even managed to get himself into trouble by nearly boiling himself in a kettle. He made holes in dresses and curtains. Once he even scared the ticket checker also. He even broke dishes in the houses. Thus, it was not easy to keep him at home. ‘

Ques 5: “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long.” Explain giving examples from the text.
Ans: “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long.” because he was very mischievous. He scratched the plaster of the walls, tore the school blazer and qpnt’s dresses. He threw plates at grandmother and glasses of water at one of the aunt’s face. He used to break the dishes of pulav into pieces. And they could not afford the frequent loss of dishes, clothes, curtains, and wallpaper.

Ques 6: Grandfather was a great lover of animals. Describe.
Ans: Narrator’s grandfather had a great liking for the animal. He had a tortoise, a pair of rabbits, a tame squirrel, a goat but no monkey. With the coming of Toto, his mini ZQQ was transformed into a real zoo. He had a variety of pet animals in that zoo. He frequently bought any varieties of animals to keep them in his zoo. Due to this, he even faced tra anger of his wife at times and when he brought Toto he was very happy with his cleverness.

Ques 7: How does Toto take a bathe? Where has he learned to do this?
Ans: Toto takes bath in a tub of warm water. It puts its legs in the water one by one andapplies soap as well. As monkeys are good at aping others, so Toto has learnt proper steps of bathing while watching the narrator doing same. Toto is fond of bathing with warm water. So once having tested the warmth of water in the kettle Toto sits in the kettle. Probably he is not intelligent enough to understand the risk boiling water so he pops his head up and down in the kettle.