Mijbil the Otter Class 10: Summary, Themes and Characters
Updated 14 October 2026 · Fact-checked
Mijbil the Otter is a prose chapter in First Flight by Gavin Maxwell. In his own words, he describes getting a pet otter in Iraq and taking it to London. The board asks extract questions, 40-50 word short answers and 100-120 word long answers on Mij's habits, Maxwell's care, pet ownership and people's ignorance about animals.
What Mijbil the Otter is about
Mijbil the Otter is a prose chapter in First Flight, written by Gavin Maxwell. It is a true, first-person account. Maxwell gets an otter in Southern Iraq, names it Mijbil, carries it by air to London and grows deeply attached to it. In one line: it is a warm, funny story about an unusual pet and the bond between a man and an animal.
In the board paper, this chapter can come in Section C. You may get a prose extract (Q6) with MCQ, one-line and 2-mark answers of 30-40 words. It can appear as a 3-mark short answer of 40-50 words (Q8). It can also appear as a 6-mark long answer of about 100-120 words (Q10), which asks you to go beyond the text, for example on pet ownership or how people see animals.
In real board papers: asked in 2 of the 21 board papers we hold (2023 to 2026), on average 0.8 marks per paper. See the questions
Mijbil the Otter: summary
In our own words, in the order of the text. Read the NCERT text itself too: the board quotes from it.
Early in 1956, Gavin Maxwell travels to Southern Iraq. He has been thinking of keeping an otter instead of a dog. He feels his home, Camusfearna, which is surrounded by water, would suit this experiment. A friend tells him to get one in the Tigris marshes, where otters are as common as mosquitoes and the Arabs often tame them.
The two go to the Consulate-General in Basra to collect their mail. The friend's mail has come, but Maxwell's has not. He sends a cable and then tries to telephone, but the call must be booked a day ahead, and the line fails three days running. His friend leaves. Five days later Maxwell's mail arrives. In his bedroom he finds two Arabs with a squirming sack and a note from his friend: "Here is your otter..."
The otter looks like a tiny dragon, covered in scales of dried mud with soft brown fur beneath. It takes a month to clean all the mud off. Maxwell names him Mijbil. Mij turns out to be of a race unknown to science, so zoologists name it after Maxwell: Maxwell's otter. For the first day Mij is aloof. On the second night he sleeps in the crook of Maxwell's knees. Maxwell makes a body-belt and leads him to the bathroom, where Mij goes wild with joy in the water for half an hour. Otters, Maxwell learns, love to keep water moving. Two days later Mij runs to the bathroom and turns on the tap by himself, though sometimes he turns it the wrong way and chitters in irritation. Soon he follows Maxwell without a lead, dribbles a rubber ball like a soccer player and juggles marbles on his belly.
The journey to England worries Maxwell. The British airline will not fly animals, so he books a flight to Paris and then London. Mij must travel in a box at his feet. An hour before the flight Maxwell puts Mij in the box and goes for a meal. He returns to find blood around the airholes. Mij has torn the lining to shreds and hurt himself. Maxwell removes the lining and, with ten minutes left, rushes five miles to the airport, holding the lid down. On the plane, a kind air hostess suggests he keep Mij on his knee. When the box is opened, Mij escapes and runs down the aircraft. A woman screams that it is a rat, and Maxwell dives after Mij and lands his face in curry. The hostess calmly asks him to sit while she finds the otter. Soon Mij bounds back on to Maxwell's knee and nuzzles his face.
In London, they stay nearly a month. Mij plays with toys and invents a game of rolling a ping-pong ball down a sloping, damaged suitcase lid and ambushing it. On walks he develops habits, like running along a school wall on his way home, distracting pupils and staff. Londoners cannot recognise him and guess he is a seal, a walrus, a hippo, even a brontosaur. The best question comes from an annoyed labourer: what is that supposed to be?
Themes and message
The bond between humans and animals
The heart of the story is the growing trust between Maxwell and Mij. At first Mij keeps his distance, but within a day he sleeps close to Maxwell and soon comes when called. Maxwell, for his part, watches Mij closely, cares for him and calls his attachment a lifelong "fixation". The aeroplane scene shows the bond most clearly: after running wild among strangers, Mij comes back to the one person he knows. We can infer that love and patience turn a wild creature into a true companion.
From the text: Mij sleeps "in the crook of my knees" on the second night; on the plane he returns with "a distressed chitter of recognition and welcome" and nuzzles Maxwell's face and neck.
Owning a pet is a serious responsibility
The chapter opens with the SPCA box saying a pet is a lifetime of commitment. Maxwell's experience proves it. He has to arrange food, a body-belt, a lead, toys, daily walks and, hardest of all, a long journey. The box episode shows what happens when an animal's needs are not fully understood: Mij hurts himself in panic. Maxwell then faces angry officials, a chaotic flight and a curry-covered face, yet he never gives up on Mij. This suggests that a good owner accepts trouble as part of caring for a pet.
From the text: Maxwell "dreaded the prospect of transporting Mij"; he made a body-belt, carried a parcel of fish for Mij and covered the floor with newspapers on the flight.
The nature and intelligence of otters
Through Mij, the reader learns how otters behave. They love water and must keep it moving. They are curious, playful and clever: Mij learns to turn a tap, invents his own suitcase game and juggles marbles without dropping one. He also shows feelings, such as irritation when the tap will not cooperate and joy in the bath. Maxwell's careful observation makes the otter seem almost like a lively child, which helps readers respect animals as thinking, feeling beings.
From the text: Mij turned the tap to get "the full flow"; water "when static it is wasted and provoking"; he plays "like a four-footed soccer player".
Ignorance and perception of animals
In London nobody recognises Mij as an otter. People guess everything from a baby seal to a brontosaur. Maxwell finds this funny but also surprising. We can infer that city people living far from nature know little about wild animals, and that they judge an unfamiliar creature by guessing rather than by knowledge. The labourer's suspicious reaction shows how people can feel uneasy, even offended, by what they do not understand.
From the text: "Mij was anything but an otter." The labourer glares and asks, "Here, Mister — what is that supposed to be?"
Humour in everyday life
Maxwell tells even stressful events with gentle humour. The delayed mail, the race to the airport, the woman screaming "A rat!", his face landing in curry, and the funny guesses of Londoners are all written to make us smile. The humour shows Maxwell's patient, cheerful attitude. It also suggests that living with a pet brings both chaos and joy, and that a sense of humour helps an owner cope.
From the text: Diving for Mij, he "found my face covered in curry"; the question "Is that a walrus, mister?" reduced him to giggles.
Characters
Mijbil (Mij)
The otter, the central figure of the story; of a race new to science, named Maxwell's otter.
- Playful and fun-loving
- Intelligent and curious
- Affectionate and loyal once he trusts
- Loves water
- Restless when confined
Playful: he dribbles a rubber ball and juggles marbles on his belly. Intelligent: he turns the bathroom tap by himself and invents the suitcase game with a ping-pong ball. Affectionate: he sleeps in the crook of Maxwell's knees and nuzzles his face on the plane. Loves water: he goes "wild with joy" in the bathtub. Restless when confined: he tears the box lining to shreds and ends up "exhausted and blood-spattered".
Gavin Maxwell
The narrator and Mij's owner, who tells the story in his own words.
- Caring and responsible
- Patient
- Observant
- Good-humoured
- Grateful
Caring: he makes a body-belt, removes the box's cutting edges and carries fish for Mij. Patient: he takes a month to clean off the mud and copes calmly with the flight chaos. Observant: he notes every detail of Mij's play and habits. Good-humoured: he laughs at the walrus guess and his curry-covered face. Grateful: he says he could have kissed the air hostess's hand.
The air hostess
The flight attendant who helps Maxwell on the flight from Basra.
- Kind and understanding
- Calm under pressure
- Polite and charming
- Practical
She suggests Maxwell keep Mij on his knee. When chaos breaks out, she speaks "with the most charming smile" and offers to find the animal herself. Maxwell calls her "the very queen of her kind".
The Londoners and the labourer
Ordinary people of London who see Mij on walks.
- Curious
- Unaware of otters
- Suspicious (the labourer)
They guess Mij is a seal, squirrel, walrus, hippo, beaver, bear cub, leopard or brontosaur. The labourer stares with "surprise and affront", spits, glares and growls his question.
How it is written
| Device | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| First-person narration | The story is told by Maxwell himself, "in Maxwell's own words", using "I" throughout. | It makes the account personal and believable. We share Maxwell's worry, embarrassment and affection directly, which strengthens the human-animal bond at the centre of the story. |
| Simile and vivid comparison | Mij looks like a "medievally-conceived, dragon"; he plays "like a four-footed soccer player"; the car speeds "like a ricochetting bullet". | The comparisons create clear, often funny pictures. They help readers imagine an animal they may never have seen and add speed and drama to the rush to the airport. |
| Giving the animal human feelings | Mij is "chittering with irritation and disappointment at the tap’s failure to cooperate". | By describing Mij's moods, Maxwell makes him seem almost like a small child. This makes readers feel close to the otter and see animals as feeling creatures. |
| Humour | Maxwell dives for Mij and finds "my face covered in curry"; Londoners guess a hippo and a brontosaur. | Humour keeps the tone light even during stressful moments, shows the narrator's cheerful patience and makes the story entertaining. |
| Comparison with children's habits | Mij's walk habits are compared to children who must step on the centre of each paving block or touch every seventh railing. | Linking Mij's behaviour to familiar childhood rituals makes his compulsive habits easy to understand and adds warmth to the description. |
Key quotations
Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.
a thraldom to otters, an otter fixation
narrator: Maxwell describes the phase of life that began when he opened the sack containing Mij.
It shows how deep and lasting his attachment to otters became, setting up the theme of the human-animal bond.
he was simply aloof and indifferent
narrator: Mij's behaviour in his first twenty-four hours with Maxwell.
It marks the starting point of their relationship; the later closeness stands out against this early distance.
making enough slosh and splash for a hippo
narrator: Mij's first visit to the bathroom, when he plunges and rolls in the bathtub.
The funny exaggeration shows an otter's love of water and Mij's joy, one of the traits the board often links to otters' behaviour.
when static it is wasted and provoking
narrator: Maxwell explains that otters must keep water moving and spread about.
It sums up a key trait of otters, seen from the otter's point of view, with gentle humour.
she was the very queen of her kind
narrator: Maxwell's praise of the air hostess who suggests he keep Mij on his knee.
It shows his deep gratitude and her kindness, calm and understanding in a tense situation.
a distressed chitter of recognition and welcome
narrator: After escaping down the aircraft, Mij returns to Maxwell's feet.
It proves Mij now trusts and recognises Maxwell, showing how strong their bond has become.
Mij was anything but an otter.
narrator: Maxwell sums up the strange guesses Londoners make about Mij.
It highlights people's ignorance of animals in a city, with irony and humour.
Here, Mister — what is that supposed to be?
The labourer: A labourer digging in the street stares at Mij and growls this question.
Maxwell gives it the highest score; it shows suspicion and unease towards an unfamiliar animal.
Mijbil the Otter in real life
Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.
The bond between humans and animals
Suppose a stray puppy near your housing society hides whenever you come close. You leave water for it every day after school. After a week, it starts trotting beside you to the gate.
Compare the puppy's change with Mij's change in his first days with Maxwell. What does this teach you about building trust with an animal? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Mij was aloof and indifferent for the first twenty-four hours.
- By the second night he slept in the crook of Maxwell's knees.
- The puppy, like Mij, needed time.
- Patience and regular care build trust.
Answer: Like Mij, who was aloof and indifferent for a day before sleeping in the crook of Maxwell's knees, the puppy needed time to trust me. Patience, gentle care and regular company slowly turn a wary animal into a loving friend.
Memory hook: Shy puppy at the gate = aloof Mij on the first night: trust takes time.
Owning a pet is a serious responsibility
Imagine your younger brother sees rabbits at a Diwali fair and begs your parents to buy one at once. Your mother is unsure, and your father says the decision can wait till the weekend.
Using the SPCA advice in the chapter and Maxwell's experience, explain what your family should think about before deciding. Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- The SPCA box says the whole family must agree, or the pet may end up unwanted.
- Daily care: food, cleaning, exercise, affection.
- Cute looks can lead to buying without thought.
- Maxwell's flight shows even a devoted owner can be surprised by a pet's needs.
Answer: The whole family must agree, as the SPCA advice in the chapter says, or the rabbit may end up unwanted. We should ask who will feed, clean and play with it daily. Maxwell's flight shows that a pet's needs can surprise even a devoted owner.
Memory hook: A cute rabbit at a fair is a promise for years, not a toy for a day.
Ignorance and perception of animals
Suppose a neighbour in your colony walks an unusual pet tortoise on a harness every evening. Children run alongside shouting guesses: a rock with legs, a baby dinosaur, a walking helmet.
Compare the children's reaction with the Londoners' guesses about Mij. What does it show about how people see unfamiliar animals? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Londoners guessed a baby seal, a walrus, a hippo, even a brontosaur.
- Unfamiliar animals are judged by what people already know.
- The guesses are funny but reveal ignorance.
- Curiosity should lead to learning.
Answer: Like the Londoners who called Mij a seal, a walrus or even a brontosaur, the children guess wildly because the animal is unfamiliar. People judge the unknown by what they already know. Such guesses are funny, but they show how little we know about creatures outside daily life.
Memory hook: Walking helmet = walrus: we name the unknown after what we know.
Humour in everyday life
Suppose on a crowded bus to your cousin's wedding, your box of laddoos bursts open and they roll under every seat while passengers scramble. That evening you tell the whole family what happened.
How does Maxwell turn the chaos on the aircraft into comedy, and how could you narrate your bus mishap in the same spirit? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Maxwell laughs at himself: he dives for Mij and finds his face covered in curry.
- Vivid details: a woman screaming 'A rat!'.
- Self-mockery turns embarrassment into a good story.
- Apply the same method to the laddoo mishap.
Answer: Maxwell laughs at himself: diving for Mij, he finds his face covered in curry, while a woman screams 'A rat!'. I could likewise describe myself crawling after runaway laddoos with vivid details and self-mockery, turning embarrassment into a story everyone enjoys.
Memory hook: Curry on the face, laddoos on the floor: laugh at yourself and the story wins.
Topics in this chapter
- Mijbil the Otter Character Sketch of Mij
- Mijbil the Otter Character Sketch of MaxwellComing soon
- Mijbil the Otter Thinking About the Text AnswersComing soon
- Mijbil the Otter Oral Comprehension AnswersComing soon
- Mijbil the Otter Summary and MessageComing soon
How the board asks Mijbil the Otter
The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.
| Question type | How it is asked | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Extract-based questions (Q6) | A prose extract of about 100-150 words, such as Mij in the bathroom or the box episode, followed by an MCQ, a one-line answer, a statement that matches the extract, and one 2-mark inference question in 30-40 words. | Read the extract twice. For MCQs, check each option against the extract, not your memory. For the 2-mark part, give a reason plus a clue from the extract, and stay within 30-40 words. |
| Short answer on otters' traits or Mij's behaviour (Q8) | A 3-mark question in 40-50 words, for example asking you to support a statement about otters' behaviour with two traits from the chapter. | Name each trait clearly, back each with a specific event (tap, bathtub, marbles, suitcase game) and end with one line linking to the question. Two traits with evidence earn more than four listed without proof. |
| Short answer on theme or attitude (Q8) | Questions on what Londoners' guesses reveal about people's knowledge of animals, or how Maxwell shows that owning a pet is a commitment. | State the idea in your first sentence, give two pieces of evidence from the text, and add a brief inference. Keep it to 40-50 words and use your own words. |
| Character sketch | Describe Mij, Maxwell or the air hostess, or explain what an incident reveals about a character, as a 3-mark or 6-mark answer. | Pick three or four traits, support each with an incident from the text, and conclude with your view of the character. Avoid general praise without proof. |
| Long answer with extrapolation (Q10) | A 6-mark answer in about 100-120 words that asks you to evaluate, for example the responsibility of pet ownership, the ethics of keeping a wild animal, or Maxwell as a pet owner. | Open with your stand, develop two or three points each tied to an event in the chapter, add a thought beyond the text where asked, and close with a clear conclusion. Marks go to content, expression and accuracy, so write in neat, connected paragraphs. |
Tricks to remember Mijbil the Otter
Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.
Three stages of the story
Basra (water fun) → Sky (chaos) → London (games and guesses). Basra: mail delay, sack, mud armour, bathtub, tap, marbles. Sky: box, blood, speeding car, escape, 'A rat!', curry, nuzzle. London: suitcase game, lead walks, school wall, guesses, labourer.
Use it when: Use it to put events in the right order in a long answer or to place an extract quickly.
BRO, I Hope (themes)
B = Bond between humans and animals, R = Responsibility of owning a pet, O = Otters' nature and intelligence, I = Ignorance and perception of animals, H = Humour in everyday life.
Use it when: Before a 6-mark answer, run through BRO-I-H and pick the theme the question points to.
Mij's four A's
Aloof (first day) → Affectionate (crook of the knees) → Agitated (the box and the plane) → Attached (nuzzling Maxwell's face).
Use it when: Use it for a character sketch of Mij or a question on how his behaviour changes.
The people around Mij
Friend SENDS, Hostess HELPS, Londoners GUESS, Labourer GLARES.
Use it when: Use it to avoid mixing up who did what, especially on the aircraft and in London.
Number card
1956 (trip to Southern Iraq), 24 hours (phone booking; Mij's aloof period), 5 days (mail delay), 18 inches (box), 10 minutes and 5 miles (to the flight), nearly a month (London), 2 feet and 30 yards (school wall).
Use it when: Use it for MCQs and very short answers that test exact details.
Mijbil the Otter: extract-based questions
Read the extract, answer every part on paper, then open the answers.
Extract 1: The box before the flight (Part III)
There was complete silence from the box, but from its airholes and chinks around the lid, blood had trickled and dried. I whipped off the lock and tore open the lid, and Mij, exhausted and blood-spattered, whimpered and caught at my leg.
(1) · 1 mark · MCQ
Earlier, Maxwell had put Mij into this box an hour before the flight. Why?
(a) to punish him for escaping
(b) so that he would become accustomed to it
(c) because the airline officials asked him to
(d) so that he could sleep before the journey(2) · 1 mark · Very short answer
Which two words in the extract describe Mij's condition when the lid was opened?
(3) · 1 mark · MCQ
The words 'whimpered and caught at my leg' show that Mij
(a) wanted to attack Maxwell
(b) was hungry and wanted his fish
(c) turned to Maxwell for comfort in his distress
(d) was trying to escape from the room(4) · 2 marks · Short answer
'There was complete silence from the box.' What can you infer about Mij's state and about Maxwell's plan from this scene? Answer in 30-40 words.
Show the answersAnswers
- (b) so that he would become accustomed to it
- 'exhausted' and 'blood-spattered'
- (c) turned to Maxwell for comfort in his distress
- The silence and dried blood suggest Mij had fought the box until he was exhausted. Maxwell's plan to make him used to it failed, showing that a wild creature suffers badly when it is shut in.
Extract 2: The Londoners' guesses (Part IV)
‘Is that a walrus, mister?’ reduced me to giggles, and outside a dog show I heard ‘a hippo’. A beaver, a bear cub, a leopard — one, apparently, that had changed its spots — and a ‘brontosaur’; Mij was anything but an otter.
(1) · 1 mark · MCQ
Maxwell says he faced 'a continuous barrage of conjectural questions' about Mij. The word 'conjectural' means
(a) rude and insulting
(b) based on guesses
(c) scientific and exact
(d) asked very loudly(2) · 1 mark · Very short answer
Which question reduced the writer to giggles?
(3) · 1 mark · MCQ
The writer's tone in this extract is mainly
(a) angry
(b) amused
(c) sad
(d) fearful(4) · 2 marks · Short answer
Explain the humour in 'a leopard — one, apparently, that had changed its spots'. What does it suggest about the guesses? Answer in 30-40 words.
Show the answersAnswers
- (b) based on guesses
- 'Is that a walrus, mister?'
- (b) amused
- A leopard cannot change its spots, and Mij had none. Maxwell jokes that such a guess would need an impossible leopard. We can infer that the guesses were wild and showed how little people knew about otters.
Mijbil the Otter: board-level solved questions
Ordered from board level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.
Example 1: The long wait at Basra · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level
Why did Maxwell have to wait so long at Basra, and how did the otter finally reach him? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- His mail from Europe had not reached the Consulate-General at Basra.
- He cabled England; telephoning failed: line out of order, exchange closed for a religious holiday, another breakdown.
- The mail arrived five days after his friend left.
- Two Arabs in his bedroom had a squirming sack with a note: 'Here is your otter...'
Answer: Maxwell's mail had not reached the Basra Consulate-General. He cabled England, but telephoning failed: the line was down, the exchange shut for a holiday, then another breakdown. The mail came five days after his friend left. Two Arabs in his room had a squirming sack: his friend's otter.
Example 2: Mij and the bathroom tap · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
How does the tap episode reveal Mij's intelligence, and what does Maxwell's comment in brackets add? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Two days after his first bath, Mij escaped and ran to the bathroom.
- He fumbled at the taps; in less than a minute water trickled, then flowed fully.
- Inference: he had linked the tap with water, which shows quick learning.
- The bracket adds honesty and humour: he was lucky, and later sometimes screwed the tap tighter, chittering with irritation.
Answer: Two days after his first bath, Mij ran to the bathroom and fumbled at the taps until water trickled, then flowed fully. This suggests he quickly linked taps with water. The bracket adds honesty: Maxwell admits Mij was lucky, as later he sometimes screwed the tap tighter, chittering with irritation.
Example 3: The very queen of her kind · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Why does Maxwell call the air hostess 'the very queen of her kind'? What qualities does she show? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- She listened when Maxwell took her into his confidence about the box.
- She kept Mij's parcel of fish in a cool place.
- She suggested he keep his pet on his knee, which moved him deeply.
- When Mij ran loose, she stayed calm and charming and offered to find him.
- Qualities: kindness, patience, presence of mind.
Answer: Maxwell calls the air hostess 'the very queen of her kind' because she treated a stranger with rare kindness. She listened to his story, kept Mij's fish cool, suggested he hold his pet on his knee and, when Mij ran loose, calmly offered to find him with a charming smile.
Example 4: Character sketch of Mij · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Through Maxwell's eyes, Mij seems almost like a lively child. Write a character sketch of Mij in about 100-120 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Aloof and indifferent at first; by the second night asleep in the crook of Maxwell's knees.
- Affectionate: nuzzled Maxwell's face and neck on the plane.
- Water-lover: splashed in the bathtub 'for a hippo'.
- Intelligent: turned the tap on; invented the sloping-suitcase game.
- Playful: dribbled a ball, juggled marbles on his belly.
- Wild and restless: tore the box lining, dashed down the aircraft.
- Conclusion: an animal with feelings, intelligence and needs of its own.
Answer: Mijbil, the otter sent to Maxwell in Basra, is drawn almost like a lively small boy. At first he was aloof and indifferent, but by the second night he slept in the crook of Maxwell's knees, and later he nuzzled his face on the plane. He adored water, sploshing in the bathtub like a hippo. He was clever too: he turned on a tap within a minute and invented a game of rolling a ping-pong ball down a sloping suitcase. He played for hours, juggling marbles on his belly. Yet he remained wild at heart, tearing his box to shreds and dashing down the aircraft. Through him, Maxwell shows that an animal has feelings, intelligence and needs of its own.
Example 5: Thraldom: burden or joy? · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Maxwell calls his love for otters 'a thraldom'. Is his attachment a burden or a joy? Evaluate with evidence. Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- 'Thraldom' means being under control, which sounds like a burden.
- But he says the phase has not ended and may not end before he does, which suggests he welcomes it.
- The flight brought panic, chaos and curry on his face.
- Yet he describes every antic with delight and humour, so joy outweighs burden.
Answer: Maxwell's attachment seems mostly a joy. He calls it a 'thraldom to otters', yet he says it has not ended and may outlast him, which suggests he welcomes it. Though the journey brought panic, chaos and curry on his face, Maxwell describes every antic with delight and humour.
Example 6: Should wild animals be taken far from home? · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Mij's journey from Basra to London was full of trouble. Do you think it is right to take a wild animal far from its native home to keep as a pet? Answer in about 100-120 words, using evidence from the text and your own reasoning.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Clear stand in the opening line.
- Evidence: Mij's need for water; for otters still water is 'wasted and provoking'.
- Evidence: in the box he tore the lining and was left bleeding and exhausted.
- Evidence: panic on the plane; in London he walked on a lead among people who could not recognise an otter.
- Balance: Maxwell's love and Mij's growing affection show that care helps.
- Conclusion: unless an animal's real needs can be met, it belongs in its natural habitat.
Answer: Reading Maxwell's story, I feel a wild animal should not usually be taken far from its home. Mij needed plenty of water; to an otter, still water is 'wasted and provoking'. Shut in a small box for the flight, he tore the lining and was left bleeding and exhausted. On the plane he caused screams, and in London he had to walk on a lead like a dog, among people who could not recognise an otter. Maxwell did love him deeply, and Mij grew affectionate, so care can help. Still, few owners have a cottage ringed by water or such patience. Unless an animal's real needs can be met, it belongs in its natural habitat.
Where the marks are
How a typical answer is marked: the value points the examiner looks for and the marks each earns.
How did Mij behave on the aircraft, and what does this show about him? (40-50 words) (3 marks)
| Step | Marks |
|---|---|
| Content: Mij leapt out of the box in a flash and dashed down the aircraft, causing squawks, shrieks and a woman's cry of 'A rat!' | 1 |
| Content: he returned on his own with a distressed chitter, bounded on to Maxwell's knee and nuzzled him, showing a wild, nervous nature but deep attachment to Maxwell | 1 |
| Expression: clear, organised answer within 40-50 words (up to 1 mark may be deducted for spelling or grammar errors) | 1 |
Maxwell's story shows that loving a pet also means understanding its nature. Discuss in about 100-120 words. (6 marks)
| Step | Marks |
|---|---|
| Content point 1: Mij's need for water and play (bathtub, tap, marbles, suitcase game) and Maxwell's close observation of it | 1 |
| Content point 2: the box episode and the flight show Maxwell's love but also that he was 'quite unprepared' for an otter's ways | 1 |
| Content point 3: conclusion linking love with understanding and responsibility, with the student's own judgement | 1 |
| Expression: fluent, well-linked paragraph with a clear opening and ending | 2 |
| Accuracy: correct spelling, grammar and punctuation | 1 |
Where students lose marks in Mijbil the Otter
The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.
Mistake: Getting wrong how Maxwell got Mij
Students remember the friend's line about the Tigris marshes and assume Maxwell went and caught or bought an otter himself.
Wrong working
Maxwell went to the Tigris marshes and bought Mij from the Arabs.
Right working
Maxwell's friend sent Mij to him: two Arabs brought him in a sack, with a note, 'Here is your otter...'
Do this: Re-read the end of Part I: the otter arrives in the bedroom at the Consulate-General.
Usually costs: Up to 1 Content mark in a 3-mark answer.
Mistake: Calling Mij hostile at first
Students confuse 'hostile' with the actual words used.
Wrong working
At first Mij was hostile and kept away from Maxwell.
Right working
For the first twenty-four hours Mij was neither hostile nor friendly; he was aloof and indifferent.
Do this: Remember the first of Mij's four A's: Aloof, not Angry.
Usually costs: 1 mark in an MCQ or very short part; up to 1 Content mark in a short answer.
Mistake: Mixing up the airline details
Students assume a British traveller flew straight home on a British airline.
Wrong working
Mij was flown directly to London on the British airline.
Right working
The British airline would not fly animals, so Maxwell booked another airline to Paris and then on to London.
Do this: Link the box rule to the second airline: it insisted on a box not more than eighteen inches square.
Usually costs: Up to 1 Content mark.
Mistake: Giving the air hostess credit for catching Mij
Students remember that she offered to find him and assume she did.
Wrong working
The air hostess caught Mij and brought him back to Maxwell.
Right working
She offered to find Mij, but he found his own way back, bounded on to Maxwell's knee and nuzzled him.
Do this: Remember the 'chitter of recognition and welcome' from Maxwell's feet: Mij returned by himself.
Usually costs: Up to 1 Content mark.
Mistake: Retelling the story instead of answering
Students write everything they remember about the flight before reaching the point.
Wrong working
Maxwell put Mij in a box and went for a meal, and when he came back there was blood, and then the car went fast... (no reason given for 'queen of her kind')
Right working
He calls her 'the very queen of her kind' because she listened, kept Mij's fish cool and suggested he hold Mij on his knee.
Do this: Answer the question in your first sentence, then give two or three supporting details.
Usually costs: Up to 2 Content marks in a 3-mark answer if the point is never made.
Mistake: Going far over the word limit
Students try to show everything they know in a 3-mark answer.
Wrong working
A 90-word answer to a 40-50 word question, repeating the same idea twice.
Right working
A 45-word answer: one direct point, two pieces of evidence, one closing inference.
Do this: Plan three value points before writing and stop once each is covered.
Usually costs: Can cost the Expression mark.
Mijbil the Otter: previous year questions
- Asked in 2 of the 21 board papers we hold (2023 to 2026), on average 0.8 marks per paper; 2 questions in all, counting OR alternatives. In 2 of 4 sample papers.
Counted from the real papers on our previous year papers page, not estimated. Average marks are over every board paper we hold, with an OR pair counted once. Chapter tags are ours.
Solved board questions from Mijbil the Otter
Real questions from recent papers. Try each one first, then open our step-by-step solution with marks per step.
2024, set 2/4/1, Q6(a) · 5 marks · Reading comprehensionCompetency-based
Read the following extract and answer the questions.
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)1 mark
Which of the following is not a reason why Mijbil came on to Maxwell's bed in the small hours?
- (A)He had started taking interest in his surroundings.
- (B)He was becoming friendly with Maxwell.
- (C)He wanted to play with Maxwell on his bed.
- (D)He wanted to feel safe and not remain indifferent.
- (ii)2 marks
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)1 mark
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.- (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)1 mark
Which characteristic trait of otters is revealed when Mijbil is taken to the bathroom?
Try it first, then show our solutionSolution
- 1 mark
(i) The extract does not say that he came to play on the bed; it suggests friendliness, interest and a wish for security. Option (C).
- 2 marks
(ii) Mijbil was in a new, unfamiliar place far from his natural habitat. He needed time to adjust and settle, so he stayed aloof and indifferent.
- 1 mark
(iii) The extract shows that a pet needs its own space and time to adjust to the owner's surroundings. Option (B).
- 1 mark
(iv) Otters are playful and love water.
Answer: (i) C; (ii) new surroundings, away from habitat, needed time to adjust; (iii) B; (iv) playful and fond of water
Where the marks are
- (i) Option C (1 mark)
- (ii) Any two reasons (2 marks)
- (iii) Option B (1 mark)
- (iv) Playful/love water (1 mark)
2024, set 2/5/1, Q8 · 12 marks · Short answer
Answer any four of the following five questions in 40–50 words each: (4 x 3 = 12)
- (i)3 marks
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)3 marks
'The Tale of Custard the Dragon' is a humorous ballad. How does Ogden Nash create humour and entertainment in the poem?
- (iii)3 marks
Justify the title of the play 'The Proposal' with reference to the characters and plot.
- (iv)3 marks
The author says – 'During our childhood in Goa, the baker used to be our friend, companion and guide.' Elaborate. (Glimpses of India)
- (v)3 marks
Do you think you can love a person for his/her inner beauty alone and not care about the physical appearance? Justify with reference to the theme of the poem 'For Anne Gregory'.
Try it first, then show our solutionSolution
- 3 marks
(i) Keeping Mijbil began a new phase in Maxwell's life. He had to learn the otter's habits and needs. He rearranged his home and routine to suit Mijbil, and he put up with people's comments and the trouble of travelling with him. This shows that owning a pet is a real commitment.
- 3 marks
(ii) Ogden Nash creates humour through playful, non-standard language and rhyme. His vivid, funny images of the pirate and the animals add to it. The irony is that the 'brave' characters run away from danger while the 'cowardly' dragon Custard fights the pirate.
- 3 marks
(iii) The title fits because the whole play grows out of Lomov's proposal to Natalya. Instead of a romantic proposal, it becomes a bitter quarrel over the Oxen Meadows and the quality of their dogs, driven by pride and property. Only at the end is the proposal settled.
- 3 marks
(iv) The baker was part of the children's growing up. His jingling arrival each morning delighted them. No celebration, such as a wedding or Christmas, was complete without his bread, bangles and cakes. He was a friend, companion and guide.
- 3 marks
(v) Yes, one can love someone for inner beauty. Love for the soul is the truest love, and Anne's looks are temporary. In the poem, the speaker says that only God can love Anne for herself. Physical appearance should not matter.
Answer: Answers given for all five sub-parts (any four are required).
Where the marks are
- Each answer has two relevant content points (2 marks) and clear organisation (1 mark)
- (i) commitment: changes to home and routine, adjusting to Mijbil's ways, people's comments
- (ii) humour: non-standard language, funny imagery, irony of brave characters fleeing
- (iii) title: Lomov's proposal triggers the conflict over land and dogs
- (iv) baker as friend, companion and guide: his musical entry, goods at every celebration
- (v) a justified stand with two points
Every Mijbil the Otter question, by year
- For 2026
Sample paper 2025-26: Q8 (12 marks, solved)
- For 2025
Sample paper 2024-25: Q8 (12 marks, solved)
Practice questions on Mijbil the Otter
Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.
Q1 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level
Describe the game Mij invented with a ping-pong ball in London. Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Think about the damaged suitcase and why its lid mattered.
Answer
Value points:
- A suitcase damaged on the journey had a sloping lid.
- Mij placed the ball at the high end and let it roll down.
- He dashed round, hid crouching, ambushed it, then carried it back.
- It kept him engrossed for up to half an hour.
Model answer: A damaged suitcase had a lid that sloped. Mij placed a ping-pong ball on the high end and let it roll down. He dashed to the other end, hid crouching, sprang to ambush the ball, then trotted back to start again, absorbed for up to half an hour.
Q2 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Zoologists named Mij's race, previously unknown to science,
(a) Lutra lutra basrae
(b) Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli
(c) Mustella maxwelli
(d) Lutrogale camusfearnaHint
The name honours the man who owned him.
Answer
(b) Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli, also called Maxwell's otter, because Mij belonged to a race previously unknown to science.
Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
How did the labourer react to Mij, and why might Maxwell have given his question 'the highest score'? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Look at his body language before he spoke.
Answer
Value points:
- He laid down his tool, put his hands on his hips and stared.
- His face showed surprise and affront, as if someone was playing a joke on him.
- He spat, glared and growled his question.
- Inference: his suspicious bluntness was the funniest response of all.
Model answer: The labourer stopped digging, put his hands on his hips and stared with surprise and affront, as if Maxwell were playing a joke on him. He spat, glared and growled his question. Maxwell gave it the highest score, probably because its suspicious bluntness was funnier than any wrong guess.
Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Maxwell often 'speaks for' Mij. How does he show us what Mij feels? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Listen to the sounds Mij makes at the tap and on the plane.
Answer
Value points:
- He reads feelings from Mij's actions and sounds.
- At the tap: 'chittering with irritation and disappointment'.
- On the plane: 'a distressed chitter of recognition and welcome'.
- He even says still water provokes an otter.
Model answer: Maxwell reads Mij's feelings from his actions and sounds. When the tap would not turn, Mij was 'chittering with irritation and disappointment'. On the plane, a 'distressed chitter of recognition and welcome' showed relief at finding his master. Even still water, Maxwell says, provokes an otter.
Q5 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level
Assertion (A): In the bathroom at Basra, Mij made enough slosh and splash for a hippo.
Reason (R): According to Maxwell, otters must keep water on the move, because still water is wasted and provoking to them.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false but R is true.Hint
Does Maxwell present the splashing as a trait of all otters?
Answer
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. Maxwell says the splashing is a characteristic of otters: water must be kept moving.
Q6 · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Write a character sketch of Gavin Maxwell as he appears in the chapter. Answer in about 100-120 words.
Hint
Look at what he does for Mij before and during the flight, and at how he tells his own mishaps.
Answer
Value points:
- Lonely without a pet after his dog Jonnie died; chose an otter.
- Keen observer of Mij's antics; describes them with delight.
- Caring: got Mij used to the box, removed cutting edges, carried fish.
- Humorous: curry on his face, the walrus guess.
- Honest: admits he was unprepared.
Model answer: Gavin Maxwell emerges as a warm, patient and observant animal lover. Lonely after his dog Jonnie died, he chose to keep an otter and named it Mijbil. He watched Mij closely, noting how he juggled marbles, turned taps and invented games, and he describes these antics with obvious delight. He was caring: before the flight he tried to make Mij used to the box, removed every cutting edge from the torn lining, and carried fish for him. He kept his sense of humour even when his face was covered in curry or Londoners called Mij a walrus. His honesty is clear too, for he admits he was 'quite unprepared' for an otter's ways. Above all, he loved Mij.
Q7 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Suppose a friend wants to keep an otter in a small city flat in India. Using what the chapter shows about Mij's needs, advise him. Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
List Mij's needs first, then compare them with a small flat.
Answer
Value points:
- Clear advice in the first line.
- Mij needed plenty of water, hours of play and walks.
- He fought desperately when confined in a box.
- Maxwell's London stay was short; he had chosen Camusfearna, ringed by water.
Model answer: I would advise against it. Mij needed plenty of water, hours of play and daily walks, and he fought desperately when shut in a box. Maxwell's London stay lasted nearly a month, and he had chosen Camusfearna, ringed by water, as Mij's home.
Q8 · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Imagine you are Mij. Describe your journey from Basra to London and your feelings, in about 100-120 words.
Hint
Follow the order: box, car ride, escape on the plane, return to Maxwell. Give each stage a feeling.
Answer
Value points:
- First person, with feelings at each stage.
- The box: trapped, tearing the lining, bleeding, exhausted.
- Whimpering and clinging to Maxwell's leg.
- Escape down the aircraft; a woman screams 'A rat!'.
- Return to Maxwell's feet, leaping on his knee, nuzzling: feeling safe.
Model answer: I still shiver when I remember that day in Basra. My master put me into a tiny box and went away. I felt trapped, so I clawed at the lining until I bled and I was too tired to move. When he finally opened it, I whimpered and clung to his leg. Then came a wild car ride and a noisy aeroplane. The moment the lid lifted, I shot down the aisle, past screaming people; someone even shouted that I was a rat! Frightened and lost, I searched until I found my master's feet again. I leapt on to his knee and nuzzled his face. Wherever we were going, being with him made me feel safe.
Test your recall
Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.
1.Why did Maxwell think Camusfearna suited an otter?Show answer
It was ringed by water a stone's throw from its door.
2.What did Maxwell's friend say about otters in the Tigris marshes?Show answer
They were as common as mosquitoes there and were often tamed by the Arabs.
3.What did the otter look like when it came out of the sack?Show answer
Like a very small, medievally-conceived dragon, covered in scales of mud armour over soft chocolate-brown fur.
4.What is Mij's species called, and why?Show answer
Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli, or Maxwell's otter, because it was a race previously unknown to science.
5.What size of box did the airline insist on?Show answer
Not more than eighteen inches square, carried on the floor at Maxwell's feet.
6.Who shouted 'A rat! A rat!'?Show answer
A woman on the aircraft who stood up on her seat.
7.Where did Mij gallop on his way home in London?Show answer
Along the two-foot-high wall of the primary school opposite Maxwell's flat, for thirty yards, never on his way out.
8.To which group of animals do otters belong?Show answer
The Mustellines, shared by the badger, mongoose, weasel, stoat, mink and others.
Quick revision checklist
The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?
- Can you list, in order, the three things that went wrong with Maxwell's telephone call at Basra?
- Can you describe Mij's first bath and explain Maxwell's point that still water is 'wasted and provoking' to an otter?
- Can you explain how Mij turned on the tap, and what happened on later occasions?
- Can you narrate the box episode: why Mij was put in early, what Maxwell found, and how little time was left?
- Can you give three reasons why the air hostess was 'the very queen of her kind'?
- Can you name at least five wrong guesses the Londoners made about Mij, and the labourer's question?
- Can you compare Mij's compulsive habits on walks with the rituals of schoolchildren?
- Can you link each theme (BRO, I Hope) to one piece of evidence from the text?
Mijbil the Otter: frequently asked questions
What is the main message of Mijbil the Otter?
The story shows that a pet can become a loving companion when it is treated with patience and care. It also reminds us that owning a pet is a serious responsibility, and that many people know very little about animals.
Why is Mij's species called Maxwell's otter?
Mij was of a race previously unknown to science. Zoologists named it Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli, or Maxwell's otter, after Gavin Maxwell, the man who brought it to notice.
What happened when Mij was put in the box before the flight?
Maxwell put Mij in the box an hour early so he would get used to it. When he came back, blood had trickled from the airholes because Mij had torn the lining to shreds and hurt himself. Maxwell removed the lining and rushed to the airport.
Why does Maxwell call the air hostess the very queen of her kind?
She listened to his story kindly and suggested he keep Mij on his knee. When Mij escaped, she stayed calm and charming and offered to find the animal herself. Maxwell was deeply grateful for her help.
What were Mij's compulsive habits in London?
On walks, Mij developed habits like children's rituals on the way to school. On his way home, but never on his way out, he would pull Maxwell to a low school wall, jump on it and gallop its full thirty yards, distracting pupils and staff.
How should I write a character sketch of Mij for the board exam?
Choose three or four traits, such as playful, intelligent, affectionate and water-loving. Support each with an incident, like turning the tap or nuzzling Maxwell on the plane. Keep within the word limit and end with a one-line conclusion.
Based on: CBSE English Language and Literature syllabus 2026-27; NCERT First Flight (Reprint 2026-27), Mijbil the Otter