The Adventures of Toto (A Short Story)

Short Story

The Adventures of Toto

Once there was a boy who lived along with his grandfather, grandmother and aunts. One day grandfather bought a monkey for five rupees from a Tonga-driver and was named it ‘Toto’. Grandfather decided he would add the little fellow to his private zoo. Toto was a pretty monkey and mischievous. Grandmother didn’t liked pets, she screams if she saw one. So the boy and his grandfather decided that the presence of Toto must be kept a secret. Toto was tied with a peg fastened into the wall. In attempts to get free from the peg, it tore the wallpapers and curtains. 

The next day grandfather had to go to Saharanpur for collecting pension. He could not take the risk of leaving Toto with his grandson and so he took it along with him. Here, the boy was trying to convince his grandmother. Finally she was convinced to keep Toto as a pet. He was given his home, the stable with Nana - the donkey. Toto and Nana never became friends, as they fought again and again. 

One day when the lunch table was set, Toto came there and started enjoying the meal of rice-pullao and grandmother screamed seeing Toto spoiling food. Toto threw a plate on her as a reaction to her action. It made its escape from window and climbed up the jackfruit tree along with a dish of rice-pullao. After finishing the dish it threw down the plate and broke it into pieces. 

Finally, grandfather agreed that they could not afford the frequent loss of dishes, clothes, curtains and wallpapers and decided to sell Toto off. It was sold back to the Tonga-driver for the sum of three rupees.

(Original Author: Ruskin Bond)

Story Retold by:

Gautam Khatri, Class 9

Session 2014-15