The adventures of the toto

full lesson ppt

1. The Adventures of the TOTO By Ruskin Bond

2. Contents About the Author Introduction to the lesson Summary Paraphrasing Central Ideas Character Sketch Theme

3. About the Author Ruskin Bond is an award winning Indian author of British descent, much renowned for his role in promoting children’s literature in India. A prolific writer, he has written over 500 short stories, essays and novels. His popular novel ‘The Blue Umbrella’ was made into a Hindi film. The film was awarded the National Film Award for Best Children's Film, in 2007. He is also the author of more than 50 books for children and two volumes of autobiography. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 and Padma Bhushan in2014.

4. Introduction to the lesson This is a humorous and adventurous story of a naughty monkey named ‘Toto’. The writer’s grandfather bought the monkey from a tonga driver. The pranks played by Toto have been narrated in an interesting way and make the story a must read for us.

5. Summary He has described how his grandfather was fond of animals and one day he bought a monkey from a Tonga-driver for a sum of five rupees. The grandfather saw Toto tied up to a feeding-trough and he looked very ill and ugly. As the grandfather had his own private zoo he decided to keep the little monkey in it. Toto was kept in a little closet which opened into the narrator’s room. Toto’s presence was kept top secret as grandmother abhorred animals. Gradually grandmother accepted Toto in the house. Toto used his tail as a third hand. He used it to hang from a branch and for scooping up any delicacy that might be out of reach of his hands.

6. Once, when grandfather was going out of station, he decided to take Toto along with him. A big black canvas kit bag was used for Toto so that he could not escape from it but the ticket collector saw him and grandfather had to pay the fare for Toto too. When Toto was left in the stable to stay along with Nana, the family donkey, he fastened the donkey’s ear with his sharp little teeth. Once Toto nearly boiled himself alive by jumping into the large kitchen kettle that had been left on the fire to boil for tea. It was grandmother who came to his rescue and saved him. As days passed by, Toto’s pernicious activities did not lessen. He became more mischievous.

7. He damaged everything on which he laid his hands. He scared the visitors by tearing holes in their dresses. One day he crossed the limits by picking up a dish of pullao and running on a branch to eat it. When scolded he threw the plate and broke it. Soon grandfather realized that Toto was not the type of pet to be kept in the house. He found the Tonga-driver, and sold Toto back to him for rupees three only and heaved a sigh of relief.

8. Paraphrasing The Adventures of Toto by Ruskin Bond is an amusing story highlighting the antics of a mischievous monkey. The narrator’s grandfather bought Toto, a little red monkey from a Tonga driver to add to his collection of animals in his private zoo . Toto was an attractive monkey with sparkling eyes. He would take special delight in scaring elderly Anglo-Indian ladies . Since grandmother was always averse to grandfather’s collection of animals, he decided to keep the news about Toto hidden from her until she was in a better mood

9. Toto was temporarily kept in a closet that opened into the narrator’s bedroom. After a few hours of keeping Toto in the closet, when the narrator and the grandfather came to see Toto, they were in for a shock. Toto had torn the wallpaper; the peg with which Toto had been bound, had been wrenched off the wall. The narrator’s school blazer had been torn into pieces. The grandfather was quite happy at the monkey’s adventures. He felt that Toto was very clever. He said that if they would have given him more time, he would have tied the thin pieces of the writer’s torn blazer into a rope and would have escaped out of the window. After this it was decided that Toto would be transferred to the cage where other animals such as a tortoise, a pair of rabbits, a squirrel and, narrator’s pet goat lived amiably. Unfortunately, Toto would create trouble for all of them .

10. The grandfather had to go to Saharanpur to collect his pension. He decided to take Toto along in a big canvas bag. Since there was no opening in the bag to allow his hands or face to come out, he would often jump inside the bag, making the bag look like as if there was a spirit in it. As soon as the train reached Saharanpur, Toto scared the ticket-collector by popping his head out of the bag and grinning at him. The ticket-collector was annoyed at the discovery and asserted that the grandfather would have to pay for Toto’s fare. The ticket-collector classified Toto as a dog and would not listen to the grandfather’s argument that it was not a dog. Once the grandmother accepted Toto, he was shifted to the stable where, Nana, the family donkey lived. Toto could not get along with Nana as well.

11. donkey lived. Toto could not get along with Nana as well. One day, he almost boiled himself when he jumped into a kettle of boiling water. One afternoon, Toto ate the family meal and threw the empty dish from the tree and broke it into several pieces. Toto’s mischiefs grew day by day and Grandfather realized that they could not keep him at home. Finally , he sold Toto to the same tong a driver for a sum of three rupees .

12. Central Ideas The writer’s grandfather liked to collect animals and had a zoo at home. Once he bought a monkey named Toto from a tonga driver for a sum of five rupees. Toto was kept secretly as the grandmother disliked animals. Toto was very mischievous. When the writer and his grandfather hid Toto in a cupboard, and tied him to a hook, he broke the hook and caused havoc in the room. The next day, when he was kept in the servant’s room along with other animals, he did not let them sleep all night. As grandfather had to go to Saharanpur for work, he decided to take the monkey along with him.

13. He carried Toto in a strong bag made of canvas and closed the zip nicely so that Toto could not escape. Toto made unsuccessful attempts to get out of the bag, which made the back jump and roll. This aroused the curiosity of fellow passengers at the railway station. At the Saharanpur railway station, when grandfather was getting his ticket checked, Toto peeked out of the bag and smiled at the ticket collector. As the ticket collector declared that it was a dog, grandfather had to buy a ticket for 3 rupees, much to his annoyance.

14. Toto enjoyed taking bath in warm water during the winter season. One day, he almost boiled himself . Toto’s mischiefs grew day by day and grandfather realized that they could not keep him at home. Finally , he found the same tonga -driver and sold Toto back to him for a sum of three rupees.

15. Character Sketch Toto Toto was a baby monkey who was bought from a tonga -driver by the narrator’s Grand father. He was pretty to look at. He had bright eyes that sparkled with mischief beneath deep-set eye brows. His pearly white teeth frightened the Anglo-Indian ladies when he smiled. His hands looked dried-up as though they had been pickled in the sun for many years.He was quick with his fingers and lifted things in a wicked manner. His tail added to his beauty and acted as his third hand.

16. He was playful but restless -To keep Toto’s presence as a secret from Grand mother, he was put in a little closet and was tied securely. A few hours later when the narrator and grandfather returned, they found that the wall which had been covered with some ornamental paper was now uncovered . He was destructive too-The peg in the wall had been wrenched from its socket. He had torn the narrator’s school blazer . He was a total misfit with other animals .He was a keen observer. He imitated the narrator’s manner of taking bath. He was curious by nature and many times landed in trouble because of this . He caused a lot of damage by destroying things. Finally, he was sent away and sold back to the same tonga -driver

17. Grand Father Grandfather was an animal lover. He had his own private zoo. He did not mind spending money in order to get animals and birds . He was sensitive towards the feelings of his wife –Toto’s presence was kept as a secret, till she was in good mood . When Toto was finally accepted by Grandmother he was given a comfortable home in the stable, where he had Nana-the family donkey, as companion.

18. He did not mind Toto’s mischiefs. Instead, he found him to be quite clever . Grandfather was witty and sarcastic. His experience with the ticket collector and the arguments he gave to prove himself were quite amusing . He took a wise decision by selling back Toto as it had become impossible to keep such a mischievous pet.

19. Theme The story deals with the outcome of the interaction between humans and animals. It shows that not all animals can adapt themselves to the human lifestyle. It requires a great deal of patience to train animals to acquire non-destructive behavior.