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Mijbil the Otter Summary in English by Gavin Maxwell
Mijbil the Otter by Gavin Maxwell About the Author
| Author Name | Gavin Maxwell |
| Born | 15 July 1914, Elrig, United Kingdom |
| Died | 7 September 1969, Inverness, United Kingdom |
| Education | Stowe School, Hertford College |
| Movies | Ring of Bright Water |
Mijbil the Otter Summary in English
Gavin Maxwell depicts the humorous incidents of keeping an otter as his pet. In the beginning he delves deep into finding out an otter as a pet. His hard work paid at last when he was able to get an otter. A different and new phase started for the narrator with the entry of the otter. The way it came out of the sack and shook himself the floor of the room became dirty. He christened him Mijbil. The otter became quite friendly with the narrator, enjoying splashing and sloshing water in the bathtub. He amused himself with water by opening the tap and sometimes he lay on his back and juggled with small objects between his paws.
The narrator had to take Mij to England where he was to be packed in a very small box which was bitten to shreds by Mij. He took the air hostess into his confidence and shared the secret of the otter with her. She advised him to keep it on his knees from where the otter disappeared in the plane. It created a lot of chaos. Somehow the otter came under his control and the journey ended. In London the narrator had to face many problems as people were asking one or the other questions about this unusual pet.
Mijbil the Otter Summary Questions and Answers
Question 1.
When did Gavin Maxwell decide to have an otter as a pet?
Answer:
When Gavin Maxwell was in southern Iraq, he thought that he should keep an otter as a pet instead – of a dog. The place where he was living was suitable for that experiment.
Question 2.
What are the exclusive features/habits of an otter?
Answer:
An otter is a fun loving animal. They are found in abundance near the fresh water. They love the flowing water. An otter is an intelligent animal and capable of inventing new games.
Question 3.
Why did Gavin Maxwell stay in Basra for five days?
Answer:
Gavin Maxwell went to Basra to the Consulate General to collect and answer his mail from Europe. His mail did not arrive in time. He cabled to England, and when three days later, no response was received, he tried to telephone. But the exchange was closed for a religious holiday. His mail arrived five days later. So, he had to wait for a few days.
Question 4.
How did Maxwell get an otter?
Answer:
Maxwell expressed his desire to his friend to have an otter as a pet. His friend sent two Arabs with an otter at Basra. This is how he got an otter in Basra.
Question 5.
How did the otter look for the first time?
Answer:
The author got an otter through two Arabs who were sent by his friend. Initially, it looked very dirty due to mud. On the first day, the otter did not respond to any action of the narrator. It remained shy and indifferent. It remained aloof for twenty-four hours. It was only after twenty-four hours that the otter came closer to the author.
Question 6.
When did Maxwell realise that the otter loved water?
Answer:
One day Maxwell took the otter in the bathroom. The otter jumped with joy into the bathtub. It remained there for a long time. Seeing the otter’s movement, Maxwell realised that the otter loved water.
Question 7.
What did Mijbil, the otter, do in the bathroom after two days of his arrival?
Answer:
Mijbil, the otter, was a fun-loving intelligent animal. He loved water. On the first day, he went wild with joy in the water. Next day, Mijbil escaped from the bedroom and entered the bathroom. He struggled with the tap till it had a full flow of water.
Question 8.
What did Mijbil do to pass his time?
Answer:
Mijbil spent most of his time in playing with a rubber ball with its feet. He dribbled and threw it. He was a fun-loving animal. He played with a plastic ball too. He had invented his own game.
Question 9.
Why was Mijbil put in a box by Maxwell? Why was there silence in the box?
Answer:
The author had to come back to London. The British Airways did not allow the author to fly with an animal. So he had to go by another airline. This airline insisted that Mij should be packed in a box. When the author came, he found that there was complete silence in the box. He got scared. He saw blood coming out of the box. When he opened the box, he found Mij badly wounded. Mij had tried to come out of the box.
Question 10.
Why was the author not allowed to take a flight of the British airline?
Answer:
The British Airways had a rule that the passengers could not fly with their pets. Mijbil was an otter. The author could not be allowed to fly with Mijbil as the rules did not permit it.