What group of animals do otters belong to?
Otters generally belong to a comparatively small group of animals called Mustellines such as mongoose, stoat, mink and others.
What game had Mij invented?
What happened when Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom? What did it do two days after that?
What things does Mij do which tell you that he is an intelligent, friendly and fun-loving animal who needs love?
How was Mij to be transported to England?
How does he get the otter? Does he like it? Pick out the words that tell you this.
What guesses did the Londoners make about what Mij was?
Why was the otter named ‘Maxwell’s otter’?
What ‘experiment’ did Maxwell think Camusfearna would be suitable for?
Read the story and find the sentences where Maxwell describes his pet otter. Then choose and arrange your sentences to illustrate those statements below that you think are true.
Maxwell’s description
(i) makes Mij seem almost human, like a small boy.
(ii) shows that he is often irritated with what Mij does.
(iii) shows that he is often surprised by what Mij does.
(iv) of Mij’s antics is comical.
(v) shows that he observes the antics of Mij very carefully.
(vi) shows that he thinks Mij is a very ordinary otter.
(vii) shows that he thinks the otter is very unusual.
What are ‘compulsive habits’? What does Maxwell say are the compulsive habits of
(i) school children
(ii) Mij?
Where in the classroom does Wanda sit and why?
What was Valli’s favourite pastime?
What did Lencho hope for?
When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house. What does she ask for? Does she get it? Why not?
Where did the ceremonies take place ? Can you name any public buildings in India that are made of sandstones?
What does Chubukov at first suspect that Lomov has come for? Is he sincere when he later says “And I’ve always loved you, my angel, as if you were my own son”? Find reasons for your answer from the play.
Why was the young seagull afraid to fly? Do you think all young birds are afraid to make their first flight, or are some birds more timid than others? Do you think a human baby also finds it a challenge to take its first steps?
Do you keep a diary? Given below under ‘A’ are some terms we use to describe a written record of personal experience. Can you match them with their descriptions under ‘B’? (You may
look up the terms in a dictionary if you wish.)
A B
(i) Journal – A book with a separate space or page for each day, in which you write down your and feelings or what has happened on that day
(ii) Diary – A full record of a journey, a period of time, or an event, written every day
(iii) Log – A record of a person’s own life and experiences (usually, a famous person)
(iv) Memoir(s) – A written record of events with times and dates, usually official
Where does Wanda live? What kind of a place do you think it is?
What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?
What does Miss Mason think of Wanda’s drawings? What do the children think of them? How do you know?
Who won the drawing contest? What had the winner drawn?
What ideals does Nelson Mandela set for the future of South Africa?
What does Kisa Gotami understand the second time that she failed to understand the first time? Was this what the Buddha wanted her to understand?
This play has been translated into English from the Russian original. Are there any expressions or ways of speaking that strike you as more Russian than English? For example, would an adult man be addressed by an older man as my darling or my treasure in an English play?
Read through the play carefully, and find expressions that you think are not used in contemporary English, and contrast these with idiomatic modern English expressions that also occur in the play.
Why does the conductor refer to Valli as ‘madam’?
What did Lencho hope for?
Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?
Chubukov says of Natalya: “... as if she won’t consent! She’s in love; egad, she’s like a lovesick cat...” Would you agree? Find reasons for your answer.
What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find out these details?