MIJBIL THE OTTER

Gavin Maxwell

Summary: The author of the story is Gavin Maxwell. In this story, the writer tells us how his life
altered after he decided to keep an otter. Here he is taking us through his journey and his
experiences with Mijbil (or Mij) the otter. The journey begins from Iraq to London and via a flight.
The Otter created havoc in flight and scared everyone. However, a generous air hostess helped the
author to travel with Mijbil. Later in London, people are clueless about the otter and keep guessing
the animals’ name.

Short Question/Answers:

Q1. How was Mij to be transported to England?

A: The British Airline to England would not fly animals. So, Maxwell booked a flight to Paris on
another airline and from there to London. The airline insisted that Mij should be packed into a box
not more than eighteen inches square. Thus, Mij was transported to England in that box, which was
kept on the floor at his feet.

Q2. What happened when the box was opened?

A: When the box was opened, Mij went out of the box. He disappeared at a high speed down
the aircraft. There were cries all around. A woman stood up on her seat crying, “A rat! A rat!”.

Q3. Why did Maxwell get his mail after five days and what did he do to get it?

Answer:

Maxwell got his mail after 5 days due to some delay. He cabled and tried to telephone in order to get
his mail.

Q4. What did the otter look like?

Answer:

The otter looked like a small dragon belonging to the ’ middle ages. It was covered with symmetrical
pointed scales of mud. One could see between the scales a soft velvet fur like that of a chocolate-
brown mole.

Q5. What, according to the writer, is the ‘ real play’ of the otter? [CBSE 2015]

Answer:
The real play of an otter is lying on his back and juggling with small objects between his paws. Mijbil
would roll two or more marbles up and down on his wide, fat belly. He never dropped one to the
floor.

Q6. Why was the narrator not able to communicate when there was a delay in the arrival of the
mail?

Answer:

The narrator was not able to contact because the telephone lines had to be booked twenty-four
hours in advance. On the first day, the line was out of order; on the second day, the exchange was
closed for a religious reason; and on the third day, there was a breakdown.

Q7. What was the first characteristic of the otter discovered by the narrator? [CBSE 2014]

Answer:

The first thing that the narrator observed about the otter was that he liked to play with water. When
he was taken to the bathroom, for half an hour he went wild in the water with joy. He was plunging,
jumping and rolling in the water.

Q8. While staying in London, what was the pastime of Mij?

Answer:

While staying in London, Mijbil would play for hours with his own selection of toys. His favburite toys
were ping-pong balls, marbles, rubber fruit and a terrapin shell that the narrator had bought from
his native marshes.

Q9. How did Mij behave outside the house in London?

Or, What were the ‘compulsive habits’ of Mijbil?

Answer:

Mij used to follow the narrator while walking on the streets. He developed certain habits during
those walks. He went with him like children playing, running and touching things in the street. He
would take the author near the wall of a primary school and then gallop on it.

Q10. In the name of rules and regulations, basic values are ignored but people like the airhostess in
‘Mijbil the Otter’ are a ray of hope. What virtues do we find in the airhostess?

Answer:

The airhostess was somewhat friendly, and she allowed the narrator to place the otter on his lap.
She could relate and empathise with the situation faced by the narrator. This shows that apart from
being professional, she was a caring lady. She not only wanted to do her job but was also responsible
as she helped the narrator in finding the otter back.

She did all that she could do for Maxwell and the otter. She was hard working and was ready to help
as she did not say ‘no’ to help the narrator.

Q11. The narrator called the airhostess the queen of her kind. This shows how caring and supportive
she was. Do you find such people these days? Are people having a change in their values?
Answer:In today’s world, it is getting difficult to find people who show their care and support. Rather
than helping others, they start giving excuses and quote rules and regulations. Earlier, people used
to think about the situation faced by others and helped them in all possible ways.

This is changing because of the change in the values of the people. People give first priority to their
own safety and security. They care for themselves first and then think about others.

Q11. What had crossed the author’s mind and why? Or why did Maxwell think of keeping an otter as
a pet?

Answer: Maxwell’s favourite dog Jonnie died. It left him alone without a pet. He travelled to
Southern Iraq in 1956. By then it has crossed his mind that he should like to keep an otter instead of
a dog. The place he lived in was ringed by water. It was quite a suitable place for his new
experiment.

Q12. Why has Mijbil christened Maxwell’s otter?

Answer: The narrator called his pet Mijbil. The otter, in fact, belonged to a race unknown to science so
far. It was christened at length by zoologists Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli or Maxwell’s otter. It was
christened after the name of his master.

Long Question/Answer:

Q1. What did Maxwell do to transport Mijbil to England?

Answer: After the British Airways refused to take a pet on its flight, the narrator booked a flight to
Paris by another airline. This airline insisted that the pet should be packed into a box not more than
eighteen inches square, to be carried on the floor near his feet. Maxwell had a box made, and an
hour before they started, put Mij into the box so that he would become accustomed to it and then
left for a hurried meal.

But when he returned he was terrified. There was an appalling silence. Maxwell found blood had
trickled and dried around the air holes of the box. He tore open the box to find Mij exhausted, and
blood splattered, and whimpering and he caught hold of Maxwell’s leg. However, since he had very
little time left to board the flight, Maxwell just put Mij back into the box, holding down the lid with
his hand. On the flight, the stewardess, on hearing the author’s tale, permitted him to travel with Mij
on his knee. After the initial chaos, Mijbil travelled to London on the author’s knee.

Q2. Describe the relationship between the otter and Maxwell in your own words.

Answer: Maxwell and the otter Mijbil shared a lovely relationship. Maxwell treated Mij like his own
son. He took very good care of him. He gave him many toys including marbles, rubber bands, rubber
fruits and a terrapin shell to play with. He took him to the bathtub to play in the water knowing the
fascination of otters with water. He noticed his habits and traits. Mijbil hesitated on the first day but
then became very friendly. Maxwell encouraged Mijbil to do whatever he liked to do. He took him
out for exercise every day. When Maxwell saw blood on the box in which Mij was packed, he was
horrified. When Mij came out of the box he jumped all over but then came and sat on Maxwell’s
knees quietly.
Q3. What is a characteristic of otters? How did Mijbil enjoy himself by playing different games?

Answer: Maxwell learnt that extending and spreading every drop of water about the place is the
main characteristic of otters. And Mijbil was no exception. He went wild with joy in the water. He
continued rolling and plunging in the bathtub. He made enough slosh and splash for a hippo. A bowl
must be overturned. Water must be kept on the move until it overflows. Mijbil enjoyed himself
doing funny things. He would stand up on the end of the bathtub and turn the tap to its full flow. He
spent hours shuffling a rubber ball around the room like a four-footed soccer player. He would lie on
his back juggling with small objects between his paws. He enjoyed playing with marbles which were
his favourite toys for this pastime.

Q4. What were strange and funny wild guesses that Londoners made about Mijbil? Who made the
best remark about the otter?

Answer: It was rather difficult for an average Londoner to recognise such a strange animal as an
otter. Most of them had never seen such a unique animal. The thing that surprised Maxwell that
Londoners made such funny and wild guesses about Mijbil, the otter. He faced a continuous barrage
of questions from the anxious but ignorant people. They made random guesses about the animal.
Some of them guessed that he was ‘a baby seal’ or ‘a squirrel’ or ‘a walrus’. Others also made
fantastic guesses. One called Mijbil ‘a beaver’. Another called it ‘a bear cub’. The third guessed that it
was `a leopard’. Mij was anything but an otter.

The question that was awarded the highest score came from a labourer. The surprised labourer spat,
glared and growled out, “Here, Mister—what is that supposed to be?”