Summary

The Adventures of Toto by Ruskin Bond is a humorous and delightful tale about the antics of a mischievous monkey named Toto. The narrator’s grandfather, an animal enthusiast with a private zoo, purchased Toto from a tonga-driver for five rupees. The zoo already housed animals like a tortoise, squirrel, rabbits, and a goat, with Toto being the newest addition.

Toto was an adorable monkey with bright eyes, pearl-white teeth, and a long tail that acted as a third hand. However, his mischievous and destructive nature made him difficult to manage. To hide him from the narrator’s grandmother, who disliked animals, Grandfather tied Toto in a closet. From the very first day, Toto caused chaos, tearing clothes, damaging wallpaper, and breaking items, proving himself to be quite a troublemaker.

Eventually, Toto was moved to a cage with the other animals, but his troublemaking persisted. When Grandfather had to travel to Saharanpur to collect his pension, he decided to bring Toto along, hiding him in a canvas bag. Toto created a commotion at the railway station by jumping inside the bag, and when he peeked out at the ticket collector, Grandfather was charged three rupees for carrying a “dog.” Despite Grandfather’s argument that Toto was a monkey, he still had to pay the fare. Interestingly, his tortoise, also accompanying him, traveled for free.

Toto’s mischief didn’t end at home. Although Grandmother eventually accepted him, he continued causing trouble, teasing the family donkey, Nana, and putting himself in danger. Toto loved taking hot water baths in winter, but one day, he jumped into a kettle of boiling water and narrowly avoided getting burned. He frequently broke household items, tore clothes, and even stole food. On one occasion, he grabbed a plate of pulao, climbed a tree, and deliberately threw the plate down, breaking it into pieces.

As Toto’s antics became unbearable, the family grew frustrated. Managing him became increasingly difficult, so Grandfather reluctantly sold Toto back to the tonga-driver for three rupees.

Conclusion:
The Adventures of Toto teaches a valuable lesson about responsibility and the importance of behaving harmoniously without creating trouble for others.