Chapter Overview

Mijbil the Otter is an autobiographical story by Gavin Maxwell. The chapter describes how Maxwell got an otter from the Tigris marshes in Iraq, named it Mijbil, and developed a deep bond with it.

The story is full of warmth, humour and careful observation. Maxwell describes Mijbil’s appearance, habits, intelligence, love for water, playful nature, journey by air, and life in London. The chapter also shows the responsibility involved in keeping an unusual pet.

Summary in English

Gavin Maxwell lived in Camusfearna in the West Highlands of Scotland. After his dog Jonnie died, he felt too sad to keep another dog. However, life without a pet became lonely. Early in 1956, he travelled to Southern Iraq and thought that he would like to keep an otter instead of a dog because his home in Camusfearna, surrounded by water, would be suitable for an otter.

Maxwell mentioned this idea to a friend, who advised him to get an otter from the Tigris marshes because otters were common there and were often tamed by Arabs. They went to Basra to collect their mail from Europe. Maxwell’s friend received his mail, but Maxwell’s mail did not arrive. After several delays and failed attempts to telephone England, Maxwell’s friend left. Five days later, Maxwell’s mail arrived.

When Maxwell returned to his bedroom with his mail, he found two Arabs sitting on the floor. Beside them was a sack that moved from time to time. They handed him a note from his friend saying, “Here is your otter.” This was how Maxwell got Mijbil.

When the otter came out of the sack, it looked like a small dragon covered in mud. Its body was coated with pointed scales of mud, but underneath it had soft chocolate-brown fur. Maxwell named it Mijbil. Later, zoologists identified it as a species previously unknown to science and named it Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli, or Maxwell’s otter.

In the beginning, Mijbil was neither friendly nor hostile. He was aloof and indifferent. But by the second night, he came to Maxwell’s bed and slept near him. Soon he became interested in his surroundings. Maxwell took him to the bathroom, where Mijbil played joyfully in the water, diving, rolling, splashing and moving up and down the bathtub.

Mijbil soon showed his intelligence. Two days later, he escaped from Maxwell’s bedroom and went to the bathroom. There he climbed onto the bathtub and turned on the tap with his paws. He also learned to follow Maxwell without a lead and respond to his name.

Mijbil loved playing. He shuffled a rubber ball around the room like a four-footed football player and juggled marbles on his back. Maxwell observed that otters are very playful animals and love keeping water in motion.

Maxwell then had to transport Mijbil to England. The British airline would not carry animals, so he booked a flight to Paris and then London. The airline insisted that Mijbil must be packed in a small box. Maxwell put Mijbil in the box before leaving for a meal, but when he returned, he found a shocking scene. Mijbil had torn the lining of the box and injured himself.

Maxwell hurried to the airport with Mijbil in the box. On the aircraft, he explained the situation to the air hostess. She was kind and suggested that Maxwell could keep Mijbil on his knee. However, when the box was opened, Mijbil escaped and ran down the aircraft. Passengers screamed, and one woman thought he was a rat. Finally, Mijbil returned to Maxwell, climbed onto his knee and rubbed his face and neck affectionately.

In London, Mijbil stayed with Maxwell for nearly a month. He played with ping-pong balls, marbles, rubber fruit and a terrapin shell. He invented a game with a ping-pong ball using a sloping suitcase. On walks, he developed compulsive habits and especially loved running along a low school wall, distracting both students and teachers.

Londoners did not recognise Mijbil as an otter. They guessed he was a baby seal, squirrel, walrus, hippo, beaver, bear cub, leopard or even a brontosaur. The chapter ends humorously with a labourer asking Maxwell what the animal was supposed to be.

सारांश हिंदी में

Mijbil the Otter Gavin Maxwell की आत्मकथात्मक कहानी है। Maxwell स्कॉटलैंड के Camusfearna में रहते थे। उनके कुत्ते Jonnie की मृत्यु के बाद वे बहुत दुखी हो गए और दूसरा कुत्ता नहीं रखना चाहते थे। लेकिन पालतू जानवर के बिना जीवन अकेला लगने लगा।

1956 की शुरुआत में Maxwell दक्षिणी Iraq गए। वहां उनके मन में विचार आया कि वे कुत्ते की जगह एक ऊदबिलाव पाल सकते हैं क्योंकि उनका घर पानी से घिरा था और ऊदबिलाव के लिए उपयुक्त था। उनके मित्र ने उन्हें सलाह दी कि वे Tigris marshes से ऊदबिलाव लें क्योंकि वहां ऊदबिलाव आम मिलते थे और अरब लोग उन्हें पालते भी थे।

Basra में Maxwell अपने पत्रों का इंतजार कर रहे थे। उनके मित्र के पत्र आ गए, लेकिन Maxwell के पत्र देर से आए। मित्र के चले जाने के बाद एक दिन Maxwell अपने कमरे में पहुंचे तो उन्होंने दो अरबों को बैठा देखा। उनके पास एक बोरा था जो हिल रहा था। मित्र ने एक नोट भेजा था—“Here is your otter.”

बोरे से निकला हुआ ऊदबिलाव पहले कीचड़ में ढके छोटे अजगर जैसा दिख रहा था। Maxwell ने उसका नाम Mijbil रखा। बाद में वैज्ञानिकों ने पाया कि वह पहले से अज्ञात प्रजाति का ऊदबिलाव था और उसका वैज्ञानिक नाम Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli रखा गया।

शुरुआत में Mijbil न तो दोस्ताना था और न ही शत्रुतापूर्ण। वह अलग-थलग और उदासीन था। लेकिन दूसरी रात वह Maxwell के बिस्तर पर आ गया और उनके पास सो गया। धीरे-धीरे वह आसपास की चीजों में रुचि लेने लगा।

Maxwell उसे बाथरूम ले गए, जहां Mijbil पानी देखकर खुशी से पागल हो गया। वह पानी में गोते लगाने, लोटने, छप-छप करने और बाथटब में ऊपर-नीचे तैरने लगा। कुछ दिनों बाद उसने खुद अपने पंजों से नल खोलना भी सीख लिया।

Mijbil बहुत खेलप्रिय था। वह रबर की गेंद को चार पैरों से फुटबॉल खिलाड़ी की तरह घुमाता था और पीठ के बल लेटकर कंचों से खेलता था। इससे उसकी बुद्धिमत्ता और खेलप्रिय स्वभाव का पता चलता है।

Maxwell को Mijbil को England ले जाना था। British airline जानवरों को नहीं ले जाती थी, इसलिए उन्होंने Paris होते हुए London जाने की व्यवस्था की। Mijbil को एक छोटे डिब्बे में रखना था। लेकिन जब Maxwell भोजन करके लौटे, तो उन्होंने देखा कि Mijbil ने डिब्बे की परत फाड़ दी थी और खुद को घायल कर लिया था।

विमान में air hostess बहुत दयालु निकली। उसने Maxwell को Mijbil को अपनी गोद में रखने की अनुमति दी। लेकिन डिब्बा खुलते ही Mijbil भाग गया और विमान में अफरा-तफरी मच गई। एक महिला ने उसे चूहा समझ लिया। बाद में Mijbil वापस Maxwell के पास आया, उनकी गोद में चढ़ा और प्रेम से उनके चेहरे और गर्दन को रगड़ने लगा।

London में Mijbil ने गेंदों, कंचों और अन्य खिलौनों से खेलना जारी रखा। वह सैर के दौरान कुछ अजीब आदतें भी विकसित कर चुका था। London के लोग उसे पहचान नहीं पाते थे और उसे अलग-अलग जानवर समझते थे। कहानी का अंत हास्यपूर्ण ढंग से होता है।

Part-wise Summary

Character Sketch

Important Points to Form Answers

• Mijbil the Otter is written by Gavin Maxwell.
• Maxwell lived in Camusfearna in the West Highlands of Scotland.
• After the death of his dog Jonnie, Maxwell felt lonely.
• He thought of keeping an otter instead of a dog.
• His home was surrounded by water, so it was suitable for an otter.
• Maxwell’s friend advised him to get an otter from the Tigris marshes.
• Two Arabs brought the otter to Maxwell in a sack.
• Maxwell named the otter Mijbil.
• Mijbil belonged to a species previously unknown to science.
• The species was named Maxwell’s otter.
• At first, Mijbil was aloof and indifferent.
• Soon he became friendly and slept near Maxwell.
• Mijbil loved water and made a lot of slosh and splash in the bathtub.
• He learned to turn on the bathroom tap.
• He played with rubber balls and marbles.
• He had to be transported to England in a small box.
• He injured himself while trying to escape from the box.
• The air hostess helped Maxwell by allowing him to keep Mijbil on his knee.
• Mijbil escaped inside the aircraft and frightened passengers.
• In London, people failed to recognise him as an otter.
• The chapter is humorous, descriptive and full of affection for animals.

Difficult Words with Meanings and Synonyms

Literary Devices and Writing Techniques

Important Question and Answers

HOTS Questions and Answers

Extract-Based Questions

Quick Revision Box

Final Conclusion

Mijbil the Otter is a delightful chapter about affection, companionship and the charm of an unusual pet. Through Mijbil’s playful behaviour and Maxwell’s loving observation, the chapter shows that animals are intelligent, emotional and capable of forming deep bonds with human beings.