Toto the Monkey

Study Notes

Toto is a little red monkey acquired by Grandfather for five rupees from a tonga-driver.
He was kept tied to a feeding-trough, which made him seem out of place and prompted Grandfather to buy him for his private zoo.

Toto has bright, mischievous eyes beneath deep-set eyebrows and pearly white teeth that can appear frightening.
His hands are dried-up, resembling pickled skin, but his fingers remain quick and mischievous.
Toto's tail acts as a third hand, aiding him in hanging from branches and retrieving food out of reach.

Grandmother is known to fuss over new additions to the zoo, leading to a secret plan to keep Toto hidden until she is in a good mood.
Grandfather and the narrator decided to hide Toto in a closet connected to the bedroom wall, believing he was securely tied.

After a few hours, upon returning to release Toto, Grandfather and the narrator discover significant chaos.
The closet walls, originally decorated with ornamental paper, are now uncovered brick and plaster, indicating Toto's destructive antics.
The peg used to tie Toto has been ripped from the wall, and the narrator's school blazer hangs in tatters, suggesting Toto's cleverness and mischief.

The situation raises curiosity about Grandmother’s potential reaction to finding Toto and the destruction he caused.

Grandfather displays trust in Toto's intelligence, believing he could escape confinement by tying his blazer pieces into a rope.
Toto is moved to a big cage in the servants’ quarters, sharing space with other pets, including a tortoise, rabbits, a tame squirrel, and a goat.
Toto disrupts the sleep of his companions, prompting Grandfather to take him along during his trip to collect his pension in Saharanpur.
A black canvas kit-bag, lined with straw, is used to transport Toto, securing him and preventing escapes.
At the railway station, the bag creates a spectacle as it rolls or jumps, attracting a crowd due to Toto's antics inside.
Toto surprises the ticket-collector by poking his head out of the bag, eliciting a grin and leading to confusion about his classification as a pet.
The ticket-collector insists on charging for Toto as a dog, resulting in a fare of three rupees, despite Grandfather's efforts to contest this classification.
In a humorous turn, Grandfather takes out a tortoise and challenges the ticket-collector for its fare, leading to a playful exchange ending with no charge for the tortoise.