Mijbil the Otter NCERT Solutions Class 10 PDF Download 2026

Ans: The author's previous pet dog, Jonnie, had recently died. The loss left him profoundly sad and lonely. He felt too grief-stricken to replace Jonnie with another dog. However, life without a pet was unbearable for him. Since he was moving to Camusfearna, a place surrounded by water (which is ideal for otters), he decided to keep an otter instead of a dog.

Ans: When the author brought the otter to London, zoologists discovered that it was a previously unknown sub-species of otter. To honor the author who introduced it to science, it was officially named Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli, which translates commonly to "Maxwell's otter."

Ans: As soon as the box was opened, Mijbil flashed out and disappeared down the aisle of the aircraft. Total chaos broke out. Passengers were terrified; a woman stood up on her seat screaming, "A rat! A rat!" Maxwell dived to catch him but ended up covered in curry. Eventually, the kind air hostess helped him, and Mijbil happily returned to Maxwell's knee.

Ans: Mijbil invented a clever game using a ping-pong ball and a damaged suitcase. The lid of the suitcase sloped down slightly. Mijbil would place the ping-pong ball on the high end of the lid, let it roll down, and then quickly dash around to the other end to catch the ball before it fell off, treating it like a hunting game.

Ans: Since otters are not native or common in London, the citizens made wild, hilarious guesses. They called him a baby seal, a squirrel, a walrus, a beaver, a bear cub, a leopard, and even a brontosaur. The most amusing reaction was from a laborer who simply asked, "Here, Mister—what is that supposed to be?"

Ans: When he was first taken out of the sack, Mijbil looked like a very small, medieval dragon. From head to tip of his tail, he was coated in symmetrical pointed scales of mud armor.

Ans: For the first 24 hours, Mijbil was neither hostile nor friendly; he was simply aloof and indifferent. He chose to sleep on the floor as far away from Maxwell's bed as possible.

Ans: On the second day, Mijbil went wild with joy in the water. For half an hour, he plunged and rolled in the bathtub, shooting up and down the length of the tub underwater, and making enough slosh and splash for a hippo.

Ans: Mijbil was highly intelligent. A couple of days after his first bath, he escaped to the bathroom on his own. He stood on the edge of the tub, fumbled with the chromium taps with his paws, and successfully turned it enough to produce a full flow of water.

Ans: British airlines did not allow animals, so Maxwell booked a flight to Paris and then to London. The airline strictly insisted that the pet must be packed in a box not more than eighteen inches square, to be carried on the floor.

Ans: Maxwell found an appalling spectacle. Mijbil had torn the inner zinc lining of the box to shreds. In his attempt to escape, he had injured himself, and blood had trickled and dried around the air holes. Mijbil was exhausted and blood-spattered.

Ans: The author is referring to the air hostess on his flight to Paris. She earns this high praise because of her extreme empathy, cooperation, and calm demeanor. When Maxwell boarded the plane covered in blood and told her the harrowing story of the damaged box, she didn't enforce the strict airline rules blindly. Instead, she understood his distress and suggested he keep the pet on his knee. Even when Mijbil escaped and caused panic, she handled the situation professionally, showing she was an exceptionally kind and capable human being.

Ans: The journey was a nightmare. After finding Mijbil injured and the box torn, Maxwell had only 10 minutes left until his flight took off. He quickly removed the sharp edges from the box, forced the bleeding and whimpering Mijbil back inside, and rushed down. He hired a car, and the driver drove frantically through the streets of Basra like a "ricocheting bullet." Maxwell sat in the back, holding the damaged box shut with his hands, terrified they would miss the flight.

Ans: In London, Mijbil's favorite pastime was juggling small objects while lying on his back. His favorite toys were marbles, which he would juggle perfectly between his paws without dropping them.
He also developed strange "compulsive habits" while walking on the streets, much like school children who must touch every lamppost. On his walks, Mijbil would forcefully tug Maxwell towards the low wall of a primary school. He would then jump onto it and gallop the entire length of the 30-yard wall, distracting the pupils and the staff inside.

Ans: Mijbil's intelligence is proven when he successfully learned to turn on the bathroom tap by himself to play with water. He also invented a complex game using a sloped suitcase lid and a ping-pong ball. His affectionate nature grew over time. Initially aloof, he soon started responding to his name. During the chaotic flight, when he was terrified, he eventually bounded back to Maxwell's knee, nuzzled his face, and rubbed his neck. This proves that beneath his wild instincts, he had formed a deep, trusting, and affectionate bond with the author.

Ans: Yes, absolutely. Maxwell's experience proves that taming a wild animal is not easy. He spent days cleaning the mud armor off Mijbil. He endured the horror of seeing his pet injured in the box. He risked missing his flight, dealt with a chaotic airplane cabin, and altered his entire lifestyle in London to accommodate Mijbil's compulsive habits and need for water play. His immense patience highlights that true animal love requires significant personal sacrifice.

Ans: This highlights the otter's high level of intelligence, observation skills, and problem-solving ability. Mijbil watched Maxwell operate the tap previously, memorized the action, and successfully replicated it to get what he wanted (water).

Ans: Two Arabs brought the otter to Maxwell's room in Basra. They were squatting on the floor beside a sack that squirmed from time to time. They handed him a note from his friend saying, "Here is your otter."

Ans: Maxwell traveled to Basra to the Consulate-General to collect and answer his mail from Europe. He had to wait there for five days because his mail was delayed.

Ans: An "otter fixation" is a term used by the author to describe the intense, almost magical bond that forms between an otter and its owner. He claims that anyone who has ever owned an otter will inevitably fall deeply in love with the species for life.