Chapter 6: Mijbil the Otter

Important questions — the ones the board asked most (8)

1. Q1Short answer12 marksAsked: 2024

   Answer any four of the following five questions in 40 - 50 words each : 4x3=12 (i) Maxwell decides to keep an otter as a pet. Elucidate with reference to the fact that owning a pet is a life of commitment. (Mijbil the Otter) (ii) ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ is a humorous ballad. How does Ogden Nash create humour and entertainment in the poem ? (iii) Justify the title of the play ‘The Proposal’ with reference to the characters and plot. (iv) Why does the author say that the presence of the Baker’s furnace in the village is absolutely essential ? Justify with reference to “A Baker from Goa”. (v) The poem, “A Tiger in the Zoo” moves from the zoo to the jungle; and back again to the zoo. What effect does the poet want to bring out with this ? Elaborate.

   

   Medha Ma’am

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   Model answer

   1. 1.Keeping Mij was a life of commitment for Maxwell. He cared for the otter like a child and let him play in water. For the journey to London he had to change airlines and keep Mij in a box. When Mij hurt himself trying to escape, Maxwell comforted him, and when he escaped in the aircraft, Maxwell had to deal with the chaos. A pet is a lifelong responsibility.3 marks
   2. 2.Ogden Nash tells the story in simple rhyming couplets. He uses funny names like Ink, Blink, Mustard and Custard, coined words like 'realio, trulio', and exaggeration such as 'brave as a barrel full of bears'. The irony adds to the fun: Custard, called a coward, fights and gobbles up the pirate, while the 'brave' ones run away.3 marks
   3. 3.The title is apt because the whole plot revolves around Lomov's visit to propose to Natalya. The proposal is delayed again and again by their quarrels over the Oxen Meadows and the dogs Guess and Squeezer. Finally Chubukov brings them together. Through this, Chekhov satirises marriages arranged for property among rich landowners.3 marks
   4. 4.(iv) The author says the baker's furnace is essential because bread is needed on every occasion. Marriage gifts are meaningless without the sweet bread 'bol', a party or feast loses its charm without bread, sandwiches are needed for a daughter's engagement, and cakes and bolinhas are a must for Christmas and other festivals. OR (v) The poem first shows the tiger pacing in his cage, then imagines him free in the jungle, lurking in shadows and terrorising villages, and then returns to the cage. This contrast between captivity and freedom highlights the tiger's helplessness and suffering and makes us feel that wild animals belong in the wild.3 marks

   Marks split from a structure derived from past papers (checked twice); not CBSE’s official scheme

2. Q2Long answer6 marksAsked: 2025

   Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 100-120 words : I. The inherent instinct for freedom is a fundamental trait in all living creatures. Justify this statement with reference to ‘Mijbil the Otter’ and ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’. II. Both ‘Nelson Mandela : Long Walk to Freedom’ by Nelson Mandela and ‘The Trees’ by Adrienne Rich explore themes of transformation, Liberation and the power to change. Examine the commonality of themes in both the works.

   

   Medha Ma’am

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   Model answer · Instinct for freedom, animals

   1. 1.Every living creature longs to live freely in its natural home, and both Mijbil and the tiger show this. Mijbil, the otter Maxwell brought from the Tigris marshes, hated being shut in. On the aeroplane he tore at the box and broke out of it, then nuzzled Maxwell's face and neck. In Maxwell's home he tried to recreate his watery habitat. He plunged and rolled in the bath, making the water splosh and splash, and he even learned to screw the tap. He played for hours with marbles and ping-pong balls, and rolled them down the tilted lid of a suitcase. On the London streets he developed compulsive habits, like school children walking along the iron railings.3 marks
   2. 2.In 'A Tiger in the Zoo', the tiger also shows this urge. He keeps pacing the few steps of his cage with restless movements and a quiet rage, when he should be lurking in the shadows of the jungle or near a water hole. He ignores the visitors who come to look at him. At night he stares with his brilliant eyes at the brilliant stars, and the sky stands for the freedom he longs for.2 marks
   3. 3.So the clever, playful otter and the angry, caged tiger both show that no cage or comfort can take away the inborn wish to be free. Mijbil tries to bring his free life into his new home, while the tiger can only dream of the forest he has lost.1 mark

   • Give at least one point from each lesson, such as Mijbil breaking out of the box on the plane and the tiger's relentless pacing in the cage.
   • Write the tiger's "quiet rage" and his "brilliant eyes" staring at the stars as a sign of longing for freedom.
   • End by linking both animals back to the inborn wish to be free.

   Marks split as in the board’s published marking scheme

3. Q3Case-based5 marksAsked: 2024

   Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one of the given two, (a) or (b) : (a) For the first twenty-four hours, Mijbil was neither hostile nor friendly; he was simply aloof and indifferent, choosing to sleep on the floor as far from my bed as possible. The second night Mijbil came on to my bed in the small hours and remained asleep in the crook of my knees until the servant brought tea in the morning, and during the day he began to lose his apathy and take a keen, much too keen, interest in his surroundings. I made a body-belt for him and took him on a lead to the bathroom, where for half an hour he went wild with joy in the water. (Mijbil the Otter) (i) Which of the following is not a reason why Mijbil came on to Maxwell's bed in the small hours ? (ii) Maxwell says that Mijbil was neither hostile nor friendly, he was simply aloof and indifferent for the first twenty-four hours. Give reasons in not more than 40 words. (iii) Read the following descriptions (A) - (D) and identify which one correctly corresponds to the extract. (A) Owning a pet is tedious and needs commitment. (B) A pet needs his own space and time to get adjusted to his owner's environment. (C) Maxwell decided to bring Mijbil because he was very sad to lose his dog. (D) Maxwell and Mijbil loved travelling. (iv) Which characteristic trait of otters is revealed when Mijbil is taken to the bathroom ? OR (b) The arrival of a stranger at an inn in winter was in any case an unusual event. A stranger of such uncommon appearance set all tongues wagging. Mrs. Hall, the landlord's wife, made every effort to be friendly. But Griffin had no desire to talk, and told her, "My reason for coming to Iping is a desire for solitude. I do not wish to be disturbed in my work. Besides, an accident has affected my face." Satisfied that her guest was an eccentric scientist, and in view of the fact that he had paid her in advance, Mrs. Hall was prepared to excuse his strange habits and irritable temper. (Footprints Without Feet) (i) State any one inference about Griffin from the given context : "My reason for coming to Iping is a desire for solitude. I do not wish to be disturbed in my work. Besides, an accident has affected my face." (ii) State True or False : Even though Mrs. Hall was satisfied with Griffin, she was skeptical to excuse his strange habits and irritable temper. (iii) It was not difficult for Griffin to convince the landlord and his wife about his strange appearance and eccentric behaviour. Elaborate in about 40 words with reference to the context. (iv) Which phrase would correctly substitute 'set all tongues wagging' in the given sentence from the extract ? A stranger of such uncommon appearance _________ .

   

   Medha Ma’am

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   Hear it from Medha Ma’am · 245 s

   Model answer · Mijbil the Otter extract

   1. 1.(i) (C) He wanted to play with Maxwell on his bed. This is not the reason. Mijbil came on to the bed in the small hours and simply stayed asleep in the crook of Maxwell's knees until morning.1 mark
   2. 2.(ii) For the first twenty-four hours Mijbil was aloof and indifferent because he was in a new and unfamiliar environment, the Consulate bedroom, far away from his natural habitat of water and marshes. He did not know his new owner yet, so he needed time to adjust before he could be friendly.2 marks
   3. 3.(iii) (B) A pet needs its own space and time to get adjusted to its owner's environment. Mijbil first kept his distance, and only on the second night did he come close to Maxwell and start taking an interest in his surroundings.1 mark
   4. 4.(iv) The bathroom visit shows that otters love water and are very playful. Mijbil went wild with joy in the water for half an hour, plunging and rolling in it and making enough slosh and splash for a hippo.1 mark

   • In (ii), give two reasons: "new and unfamiliar environment" and "far away from his natural habitat", and add that he "needed time to adjust".
   • In (iv), write both traits: otters "love water and are very playful".

   Marks split as in the board’s published marking scheme

4. Q4Short answer3 marksAsked: 2026

   What happened when Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom ? (Mijbil the Otter)

   How the model answer begins

   1. When Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom on a lead, Mijbil showed great excitement and went wild with joy in the water. He was not frightened at all and began playing with the water for about half an hour.

   The full answer from Medha Ma’am →
5. Q5Short answer3 marksAsked: 2026

   In ‘Mijbil the Otter’, how does the narrator’s patience contrast with the reactions of fellow passengers and local people ? What does this reveal about human understanding of the unfamiliar ?

   How the model answer begins

   1. The narrator stays calm and patient with Mijbil, while the people around him react with fear, discomfort, panic or plain curiosity. He gently makes a body-belt for the otter, takes a month to remove the last of the mud,…

   The full answer from Medha Ma’am →
6. Q6Short answer3 marksAsked: 2025

   What efforts did the narrator make to get his mail from Europe ? (Mijbil the Otter)

   How the model answer begins

   1. To get his mail from Europe, the narrator first cabled to England. When nothing had happened three days later, he tried to telephone, but the call had to be booked twenty-four hours in advance. On the first day the line…

   The full answer from Medha Ma’am →
7. Q7Short answer3 marksAsked: 2025

   Mijbil spent most of his time in play. Elaborate. (Mijbil the Otter)

   How the model answer begins

   1. Mijbil spent most of his time in play. He spent hours shuffling a rubber ball round the room like a four-footed soccer player, using all four feet to dribble it. He could also throw it with a powerful flick of the neck…

   The full answer from Medha Ma’am →
8. Q8Short answer3 marksAsked: 2024

   Maxwell decides to keep an otter as a pet. Elucidate with reference to the fact that owning a pet is a life of commitment. (Mijbil the Otter)

   How the model answer begins

   1. Owning a pet is a serious responsibility, and when Maxwell brought the otter home, a new phase of his life began. First, he had to understand the ways of Mijbil's life. Mij was aloof and indifferent at first. Later…

   The full answer from Medha Ma’am →

Questions parents and students ask

How many marks does "Mijbil the Otter" carry in CBSE Class 10 English?

In the CBSE papers of 2023–2026, this chapter carried about 1 marks and about 0 questions a year; by marks it ranks 21 in English.

Which are the most important (VVI) questions of "Mijbil the Otter"?

The 8 questions above are from the board’s real papers, each with the years it was asked; the most-asked come first with their full model answers. All 8 written questions of this chapter, with answers, are in the AskMedha app.

Do the answers follow the board’s marking scheme?

Yes. CBSE publishes its marking schemes; every model answer here is written point by point to the marks the board’s own scheme gives, and checked by a second, independent model.