Question

Read the extract given below and answer the questions (a), (b) and (c) that follow: [20]
Toto was really a pretty little monkey. His bright eyes sparkled with mischief beneath deep-set
eyebrows, and his teeth, a pearly-white were on display in a smile. His hands were shriveled and
dried up as though they had been pickled in the sun for many years; but his fingers were quick
and restless , and his tail, while adding to his good looks often performed the service of 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.
When we discovered that Toto’s favourite pastime was catching mice, we were able to persuade
Grandmother to let us keep him. The unsuspecting mice would emerge from their holes at night to
pick up any corn left over by our pony, and to get at it they had to run the gauntlet of Toto’s
section of the stable. He knew this and would pretend to be asleep, keeping however, one eye
open. A mouse would make a rush- in vain; Toto as swift as a cat would have his paws upon him.
A great treat for him on cold winter evenings was the large bowl of warm water provided by
Grandmother for his bath. He would bathe himself, first of all gingerly testing the temperature of
the water with his fingers. Leisurely, he would step into the bath, first one foot, then the other, as
he had seen me doing, until he was completely sitting down in it. Once comfortable, he would
take the soap in his hands or feet and rub himself all over. When he found the water becoming
cold, he would get out and run as quickly as he could to the fire, where his coat soon dried. If
anyone laughed at him during this performance, he would look extremely hurt and refuse to go
with his ablutions.
One day Toto nearly succeeded in boiling himself to death. The large kettle had been left on the
fire to boil for tea; and Toto, finding himself for a few moments alone with it decided to take the
lid off. On discovering that the water inside was warm, he got into the kettle with the intention of
having a bath with his head protruding from the opening. This was very pleasant for some time,
until the water began to simmer. Toto raised himself a little, but finding it cold outside, sat down
again. He continued standing and sitting for some time, not having the courage to face the cold
air. Had it not been for the timely arrival of Grandmother, he would have been cooked alive.
If there is a part of the brain specially devoted to mischief that part must have been largely
developed in Toto. He was always tearing things to bits, and whenever one of my aunts came near
him, he made every effort to get hold of her dress and tear a hole in it. A variety of aunts
frequently came to stay with my grandparents, but during Toto’s stay they limited their visits to a
day or two, much to Grandfather’s relief and grandmother’s annoyance.
Toto, however, took a liking to grandmother, in spite of the beatings he often received from her.
Whenever she allowed him the liberty, he would lie quietly in her lap instead of scrambling all
over her as he did on most people.
Toto lived with us for over a year, but the following winter, after too much bathing he caught
pneumonia. Grandfather wrapped him in flannel, and Grandfather gave him a diet of chicken soup
and Irish stew; but Toto did not recover. He was buried in the garden under his favourite mango
tree.
(a) Give the meaning of each of the following as used in the passage. One word answers
or a short phrase will be accepted:[3]
(i) Emerge
(ii) Gingerly
(iii) Protruding
(b) Answer the following questions briefly and in your own words:
(i) What is being referred to as Toto’s ‘third hand’? Why? [2]
(ii) How was Toto allowed to stay in the house? [1]
(iii) What procedure would Toto follow for his bath? [2]
(iv) Why would the narrator’s aunts not stay for long? [1]
(v) How did Toto show his liking for Grandmother? [2]
(vi) What brought about Toto’s demise? [1]
(c) In not more than 50 words relate how he nearly boiled himself to death. [8]

Answer 1

Answer:

The poet asks all the people to stop and count till twelve. He wants everyone to use this time for self-introspection. During these moments everyone will stop to think about their actions. Further, the senseless mechanical advancement will be thought about. Everything will come to a halt and humanity would be doing it together. This moment of self-introspection will be an exotic moment according to the poet.