📘 Class 10 English – Chapter 8: Mijbil the Otter
From the book: First Flight
Chapter Title: Mijbil the Otter
Author: Gavin Maxwell
📝 Textbook Questions and Answers
1. What ‘experiment’ did Maxwell think Camusfearna would be suitable for?
Maxwell thought Camusfearna would be a perfect place to keep an otter instead of a dog, as it was surrounded by water.
2. Why does he go to Basra? How long does he wait there, and why?
He went to Basra to collect and answer his mail. He had to wait five days due to a delay in receiving the mail and problems with telephone connectivity.
3. How does he get the otter? Does he like it? Pick out the words that tell you this.
He received the otter as a gift from a friend. Yes, he liked it very much. The phrase “otter fixation” shows his deep affection for it.
4. Why was the otter named ‘Maxwell’s otter’?
Because it belonged to a species unknown to science, later named Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli – Maxwell’s otter.
5. Tick the right answer. In the beginning, the otter was:
- ☑️ Aloof and indifferent
6. What happened when Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom? What did it do two days after that?
Mij went wild with joy in the bathtub, splashing water everywhere. Two days later, it turned on the tap itself and played in the water again.
7. How was Mij to be transported to England?
In a box no more than 18 inches square, placed near Maxwell’s feet on the flight to London via Paris.
8. What did Mij do to the box?
It tore the metal lining of the box trying to escape, which caused injury and bleeding.
9. Why did Maxwell put the otter back in the box? How do you think he felt when he did this?
He had no other choice. He likely felt worried and guilty seeing Mij injured.
10. Why does Maxwell say the airhostess was “the very queen of her kind”?
Because she was kind and understanding. She even allowed Maxwell to keep Mij on his lap during the flight.
11. What happened when the box was opened?
Mij escaped into the plane, causing chaos. Eventually, the airhostess found him and returned him to Maxwell.
12. What game had Mij invented?
Mij would place a ping-pong ball on a sloping surface and catch it as it rolled down.
13. What are ‘compulsive habits’? What are the compulsive habits of:
(i) School children: Placing their feet exactly in the center of paving blocks.
(ii) Mij: Running the full length of a wall in excitement.
14. What group of animals do otters belong to?
Otters belong to a group called Mustellines, which includes weasels, badgers, stoats, and mink.
15. What guesses did the Londoners make about what Mij was?
They mistook him for a baby seal, a walrus, a squirrel, a hippo, a beaver, a bear cub, and even a brontosaur!
16. What things does Mij do which tell you that he is an intelligent, friendly, and fun-loving animal who needs love?
Mij played with toys, responded to his name, turned on water taps, and loved to be near Maxwell. He also showed emotions like fear, excitement, and affection.
17. What are some of the things we come to know about otters from this text?
They belong to the Mustelline group, love water, are playful, intelligent, and can be tamed. Maxwell's otter belonged to a previously unknown species.
18. Why is Mij’s species now known to the world as Maxwell’s otter?
Because it was discovered and identified with Maxwell, and was named in his honor by scientists: Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli.
👉 Coming Up: Summary, Grammar Exercises, Extract-based Questions & Quiz
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