The Adventures of Toto Summary
This story is about a baby monkey Toto. The writer's grandfather buys Toto from the Tonga-driver for five rupees to go to his private zoo. Toto has mischievous eyes and white teeth. His smile terrifies elderly Anglo-Indian women. His fingers are sharp and his tail acts like a third hand for him. He uses his tail to hang from branches, as well as to scoop dishes that are out of reach of his hands.
The writer's grandmother would get angry every time her grandfather brought a new pet into the house. Like, the writer and grandparent decide to tell Grandma about Toto when he is in a particularly good mood. They hide Toto in a small closet in the writer's bedroom wall, which is tied to a peg on the wall.
After a few hours, the writer and grandfather return to release Toto and find that the decorative wallpaper has been ripped off. The peg is removed from the wall and the writer's school blazer is tomed for Shred. While the author is concerned about Grandma's reaction, Grandpa is pleased with Toto's antics. He says that Toto is clever enough to rope the writer in pieces of tomatoes from the author's blazer.
Toto is then taken to a large cage in the servants' quarters. This cage already has a turtle, a pair of rabbits, a pet squirrel, and a pet goat, all of whom live together quite peacefully. But Toto does not let other animals sleep. As Grandpa has to go to Saharanpur the next day to get his pension, he decides to take Toto with him. Toto's new home is a black-colored canvas kit-bag too strong to cut through. He cannot get out of opening his hands after closing. The author does not accompany Grandpa, but is later told to everyone about the trip.
The author stated that Toto remained in the bag as far as Saharanpur; But when Grandpa was giving his ticket in a round of tickets, Toto took his head out of the bag and stared at the ticket collector. The ticket collector was a little scared, but told Grandpa as if he was carrying a dog; He will have to pay accordingly. Grandpa took Toto out of the bag to prove that he was a monkey and not a dog; But the ticket collector rejected him and in the end, Grandpa had to pay three rupees as Toto's fare. Grandpa then showed his turtle to the ticket collector and asked how much he should pay for it. The ticket collector examined the turtle and happily announced that since the turtle was not a dog, no fare would be charged from it.
When Grandma finally accepts Toto, she is given a comfortable home in the stable, which he shares with a family donkey named Nana. On the first night, Grandpa visits the stable and drags Nana to her halt and tries to get away from the haystack. Grandpa found Toto pounding his teeth on Nana's ear. Toto and Nana never became friends after that.
During the winter evenings, Grandpa gives Toto a large bowl of hot water to bathe, which Toto enjoys. Toto tests the water with his hands first, and then slowly steps into the water, one foot at a time - he is leaked to do so by looking at the author. Totto then applies soap on herself. When the water cools down, the Toto kitchen dries by itself. If anyone laughs during this, Totto feels hurt and refuses to carry out his ritual.
One day, water is being boiled for tea in a large kitchen kettle. Toto removes the lid of the kettle, and lowers himself into the kettle, finding the water warm enough for a bath. When the water starts to boil, the toto rises slightly, but it sits again when it cools down. He continues to do so until Grandma finds him and takes him out of the kettle. In this way Toto almost boiled himself down.
The author states that if there is a part of the brain that specializes in mischief, then that part is very powerful in Toto's brain. Toto loves rip-off stuff. Whenever the writer goes to a particular aunt of Toto, he tries to pierce her dress.
One day, Toto is eating Pulao from a large dish on the dining table. When Grandma screams, Totto throws a plate at her. Then aunty walks forward, throwing only a glass of water on her face. Seeing Grandpa's point of view, Toto runs through the window to a jackfruit tree, with a Pulao dish in his arms. They sit all afternoon, eat casserole slowly. Then, to punish Grandma for yelling at him, he throws the dish down and is delighted when it breaks.
Soon, everyone, including Grandpa, realized that they could not afford to keep Toto because they are not rich enough to bear the regular loss of clothes, dishes, curtains and wallpaper. Eventually, Grandpa sells Toto back to the Tonga-driver, for only three rupees.
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