Animals often become our most loyal and entertaining companions. NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 6, Mijbil the Otter, is a charming story by Gavin Maxwell about his pet otter named Mijbil. After losing his dog, Maxwell brings an otter from Iraq to England and discovers the joys and challenges of keeping such an unusual pet. The chapter humorously describes Mijbil's playful nature, his fascination with water, and the amusing difficulties of traveling with him. Through this narrative, students learn about the special bond between humans and animals and the responsibilities that come with pet ownership.This chapter is part of the comprehensive NCERT Solutions Class 10 English First Flight series, which covers all chapters in detail.
The NCERT Solutions for Mijbil the Otter provided here offer clear, step-by-step answers to all textbook questions, helping students understand the story's events, appreciate Maxwell's descriptive writing style, learn new vocabulary, resolve doubts easily, and prepare effectively for school exams and board examinations.
Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 6 Question Answer
Q.
Imagine someone has gifted you a pet. With your partner’s help, make a list of the things you need to know about the pet in order to take good care of it. One has been done for you.
(i) The food it eats._____________________________
(ii) _____________________________________
(iii) _____________________________________
(iv) ________________________________________
(v) ________________________________________
Q.
Otters are found in large numbers in the marshes (i.e. wet areas near lakes, rivers or seas) near Basra, a town in Iraq.
Imagine you wanted to bring an otter from Iraq to London, as a pet. What special arrangements would you need to make for your pet otter? You would need to find a place with lots of water, for example. What other points should you think about? The information about Iraq and London given below may help you.
|
Iraq
|
London
|
|
Iraq has mostly broad plains and marshes along the Iranian border in the south, with large flooded areas. A large part of Iraq’s land area is desert, so it has cool winters and dry, hot and cloudless summers. The mountain areas near Iran and Turkey have cold winters.
There is heavy snowfall there, and when the snow melts in spring, it causes floods in central and southern Iraq.
|
London has a large
population and is a very busy city. In addition to multistoreyed buildings, however, it has many open spaces or parks. It has a temperate climate (i.e. it is neither very hot, nor very cold), with regular but generally light rainfall or snow throughout the year. The warmest month is July, and the coolest month is January. February is the driest month. Snow is not very common in London.
|
Q.
Oral Comprehension Check
What ‘experiment’ did Maxwell think Camusfearna would be suitable for?
Q.
Why does he go to Basra? How long does he wait there, and why?
Q.
How does he get the otter? Does he like it? Pick out the words that tell you this.
Q.
Why was the otter named ‘Maxwell’s otter’?
Q.
Tick the right answer. In the beginning, the otter was
• aloof and indifferent
• friendly
• hostile
Q.
What happened when Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom? What did it do two days after that?
Q.
Oral Comprehension Check
How was Mij to be transported to England?
Q.
What did Mij do to the box?
Q.
Why did Maxwell put the otter back in the box? How do you think he felt when he did this?
Q.
Why does Maxwell say the airhostess was “the very queen of her kind”?
Q.
What happened when the box was opened?
Q.
Oral Comprehension Check
What game had Mij invented?
Q.
What are ‘compulsive habits’? What does Maxwell say are the compulsive habits of
(i) school children
(ii) Mij?
Q.
What group of animals do otters belong to?
Q.
What guesses did the Londoners make about what Mij was?
Q.
Thinking about the text
What things does Mij do which tell you that he is an intelligent, friendly and fun-loving animal who needs love?
Q.
What are some of the things we come to know about otters from this text?
Q.
Why is Mij’s species now known to the world as Maxwell’s otter?
Q.
Maxwell in the story speaks for the otter, Mij. He tells us what the otter feels and thinks on different occasions. Given below are some things the otter does. Complete the column on the right to say what Maxwell says about what Mij feels and thinks.
|
What Mij does
|
How Mij feels or thinks
|
|
plunges, rolls in the water and makes the water splosh and splash
|
|
|
Screws the tap in the wrong way
|
|
|
Nuzzles Maxwell’s face and neck in the aeroplane
|
|
Q.
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.
Q.
Thinking about the language
From the table below, make as many correct sentences as you can using would and/or used to, as appropriate. (Hint: First decide whether the words in italics show an action, or a state or situation, in the past.) Then add two or three sentences of your own to it.
|
Emperor Akbar
|
Would
used to
|
be fond of musical evenings.
|
|
Every evening we
|
take long walks on the beach.
|
|
Fifty years ago, very few people
|
own cars.
|
|
Till the 1980s, Shanghai
|
have very dirty streets.
|
|
My uncle
|
spend his holidays by the sea.
|
Q.
Noun Modifiers
Look at these examples from the text, and say whether the modifiers (in italics) are nouns, proper nouns, or adjective plus noun.
(i) An otter fixation (iv) The London streets
(ii) The iron railings (v) soft velvet fur
(iii) The Tigris marshes (vi) A four-footed soccer player
Q.
Given below are some nouns, and a set of modifiers (in the box). Combine the nouns and modifiers to make as many appropriate phrases as you can. (Hint: The nouns and modifiers are all from the texts in this book.)
temple girls triangle dresses person thoughts boys roar
gifts scream farewell expression time subject landscape handkerchief crossing flight chatterbox profession
physique coffee view celebration
|
college rough hundred stone ordinary
love uncomfortable white slang slack
bare railroad termendous family marriage
plump invigorating panoramic heartbreaking birthday
incorrigible ridiculous loud first three
|
Q.
Read this sentence:
He shook himself, and I half expected a cloud of dust.
The author uses a cloud of dust to give a picture of a large quantity of dust. Phrases like this indicate a particular quantity of something that is not usually countable. For example: a bit of land, a drop of blood, a pinch of salt, a piece of paper.
Match the words on the left with a word on the right. Some words on the left can go with more than one word on the right.
(i) a portion of – blood
(ii) a pool of – cotton
(iii) flakes of – stones
(iv) a huge heap of – gold
(v) a gust of – fried fish
(vi) little drops of – snow
(vii) a piece of – water
(viii) a pot of – wind
Q.
Use a bit of/a piece of/a bunch of/a cloud of/a lump of with the italicised nouns in the following sentences. The first has been done for you as an example.
(i) My teacher gave me some My teacher gave me a bit of advice. advice.
(ii) Can you give me some clay, please.
(iii) The information you gave was very useful.
(iv) Because of these factories, smoke hangs over the city.
(v) Two stones rubbed together can produce sparks of fire.
(vi) He gave me som
Download the PDF of NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 6 -Mijbil the Otter
Class 10 Chapter 6 English First Flight Questions & Answers - Mijbil the Otter
Before You Read (Page 81)
Q2.Imagine someone has gifted you a pet. With your partner’s help, make a list of the things you need to know about the pet in order to take good care of it. One has been done for you.
(i) The food it eats._____________________________
(ii) _____________________________________
(iii) _____________________________________
(iv) ________________________________________
(v) ________________________________________
Solution:
(i) The food it eats.
(ii) Is my current residence suited to the pet Iam considering.
(iii) Checking if we are intolerant of hair,such as allergies.
(iv) Plan for our new pet during vacations and/or work travel.
(v) Ways train and handle a pet.
(vi) size of pet we can accommodate.
Q3.Otters are found in large numbers in the marshes (i.e. wet areas near lakes, rivers or seas) near Basra, a town in Iraq.
Imagine you wanted to bring an otter from Iraq to London, as a pet. What special arrangements would you need to make for your pet otter? You would need to find a place with lots of water, for example. What other points should you think about? The information about Iraq and London given below may help you.
Iraq
|
London
|
Iraq has mostly broad plains and marshes along the Iranian border in the south, with large flooded areas. A large part of Iraq’s land area is desert, so it has cool winters and dry, hot and cloudless summers. The mountain areas near Iran and Turkey have cold winters.
There is heavy snowfall there, and when the snow melts in spring, it causes floods in central and southern Iraq.
|
London has a large
population and is a very busy city. In addition to multistoreyed buildings, however, it has many open spaces or parks. It has a temperate climate (i.e. it is neither very hot, nor very cold), with regular but generally light rainfall or snow throughout the year. The warmest month is July, and the coolest month is January. February is the driest month. Snow is not very common in London.
|
Solution:
(i) They feed on fish, frogs etc.
(ii) They live in marshes.
(iii) They are comfortable at low temperatures.
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 84)
Q1.What ‘experiment’ did Maxwell think Camusfearna would be suitable for?
Solution:
Maxwell thought that he would keep an otter instead of a dog. Camusfearna, ringed by water a very short distance from its door, would be an eminently suitable spot for the experiment.
Q2.Why does he go to Basra? How long does he wait there, and why?
Solution:
He went to Basra, to the Consultate-General, to collect and answer his mail from Europe. He had had to wait there for five days. To start with his mail didn’t reach on time. Then he tried to make a telephone call. This incident is of those days when one had to book an international call 24 hrs in advance. The telephone line was not working properly on the first day. Next day it was some public holiday so it was not working. Finally after a tortuous wait of five days his mail arrived.
Q3.How does he get the otter? Does he like it? Pick out the words that tell you this.
Solution:
When he received his mail, he carried it to his bedroom to read. There, he saw two Arabs and beside them was a sack that twisted from time to time. They handed him a note from his friend saying that he had sent him an otter.
Yes, he liked it. We know this because he uses the term ‘otter fixation’ to refer to his feeling towards the otter. He felt that this otter fixation or this strong attachment towards otters was something that was shared by most other people who had ever owned one.
Q4, Why was the otter named ‘Maxwell’s otter’?
Solution:
The otter was of a race previously unknown to science and was at length named by zoologists Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli or Maxwell’s otter.
Q5.Tick the right answer. In the beginning, the otter was
-
aloof and indifferent
-
friendly
-
hostile
Solution:
In the beginning, the otter was aloof and indifferent.
Q6.What happened when Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom? What did it do two days after that?
Solution:
When Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom, it went wild with joy in the water for half an hour. It was plunging and rolling in it, shooting up and down the length of the bathtub underwater, and making enough slosh and splash for a hippo.
Two days after that, it escaped from his bedroom to the bathroom. By the time he got there, Mijbil was up on the end of the bathtub and fumbling at the chromium taps with its paws. In less than a minute, it had turned the tap far enough to produce some water and after a moment, achieved the full flow.
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 86-87)
Q1. How was Mij to be transported to England?
Solution:
Maxwell booked a flight to Paris and from there he would go on to London. The airline insisted that Mij should be packed in a box (not more than eighteen inches square) that was to be placed on the floor, near his feet.
Q2.What did Mij do to the box?
Solution:
The box was lined with metal sheet. Mij didn’t find it comfortable to be there so tried to escape. In its attempt to escape Mij tore into the metal lining of the box. As a result it hurt itself and started bleeding.
Q3.Why did Maxwell put the otter back in the box? How do you think he felt when he did this?
Solution:
As there was no other way to carry Mij to London so the author had put it back into the box. He must have felt pity on the way the otter had hurt itself. Moreover, he must be worried as well.
Q4. Why does Maxwell say the airhostess was “the very queen of her kind”?
Solution:
Maxwell said that the airhostess was “the very queen of her kind” because she was extremely friendly and helpful. He took her into his confidence about the incident with the box. She suggested that he might prefer to have his pet on his knee. Hearing this, he developed a profound admiration for her, for she understood the pain of both the otter and its owner.
Q5.What happened when the box was opened?
Solution:
When the box was opened, Mij went out of the box. He disappeared at a high speed down the aircraft. There were cries all around. A woman stood up on her seat screaming that there was a rat. He saw Mij’s tail disappearing beneath the legs of an Indian passenger. He dived for it, but missed. The airhostess suggested him to be seated and that she would find the otter. After a while, Mij had returned to him. It climbed on his knee and began to rub its nose on his face and neck.
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 88)
Q1.What game had Mij invented?
Solution:
Mij had invented a game with ping-pong ball. He would put the ball at one end of a sloping lid and then grab it as it ran to the other end.
Q2. What are ‘compulsive habits’? What does Maxwell say are the compulsive habits of
(i) school children
(ii) Mij?
Solution:
Compulsive habits are usually strange act or behaviour which a person does without clear reason. On their way to and from school, children make it a habit to place their feet exactly on the centre of each paving block. Similarly, Mij had made it a habit to jump on to the school wall and go galloping all along its length of thirty yards.
Q3. What group of animals do otters belong to?
Solution:
Otters belong to a comparatively small group of animals called Mustellines, shared by the badger, mongoose, weasel, stoat, mink and others.
Q4.What guesses did the Londoners make about what Mij was?
Solution:
According to Maxwell, the average Londoner does not recognize an otter. The Londoners who saw Mij made different guesses about who Mij was. They guessed, among other things, that it was a baby seal, a squirrel, a walrus, a hippo, a beaver, a bear cub, a leopard and a brontosaur.
Thinking about the text (Page 88-89)
Q1. What things does Mij do which tell you that he is an intelligent, friendly and fun-loving animal who needs love?
Solution:
Mij was an intelligent animal. It invented it own game out of the ping-pong balls. It screwed the tap till water began to flow and then it would play and splash in the water. Though it was aloof and indifferent in the beginning, it soon became very friendly. It formed a special attachment with Maxwell. It responded when Maxwell called out his name. It grew desperate when Maxwell left it in a box and it got hurt while trying to come out of it. After Maxwell took it out, it clung to his feet. It was a fun-loving animal. It enjoyed playing all kinds of games. It would play with a selection of toys, ping-pong balls, marbles, rubber fruit, and a terrapin shell. It required love and affection from Maxwell and it got that readily
Q2. What are some of the things we come to know about otters from this text?
Solution:
Otters belong to a comparatively small group of animals called Mustellines, shared by the badger, mongoose, weasel, stoat, mink and others. Maxwell’s otter was of a race previously unknown to science and was at length named by zoologists Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli or Maxwell’s otter.
They are found in large numbers in marshes. They are often tamed by the Arabs. It is characteristic of otters that every drop of water must be extended and spread about the place; a bowl must at once be overturned, or, if it would not be overturned, be sat in and splashed in until it overflowed. For them, water must be kept on the move. Otters love playing various games, especially with a ball.
Q3. Why is Mij’s species now known to the world as Maxwell’s otter?
Solution:
Maxwell’s otter was of a race previously unknown to science and was at length named by zoologists Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli or Maxwell’s otter.
Q4. Maxwell in the story speaks for the otter, Mij. He tells us what the otter feels and thinks on different occasions. Given below are some things the otter does. Complete the column on the right to say what Maxwell says about what Mij feels and thinks.
What Mij does
|
How Mij feels or thinks
|
plunges, rolls in the water and makes the water splosh and splash
|
|
Screws the tap in the wrong way
|
|
Nuzzles Maxwell’s face and neck in the aeroplane
|
|
| What Mij does |
How Mij feels or thinks |
| plunges, rolls in the water and makes the water splosh and splash |
went wild with joy |
| Screws the tap in the wrong way |
irritated and disappointed |
| Nuzzles Maxwell’s face and neck in the aeroplane |
distressed chitter of recognition and welcome |
Q5. 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.
Solution:
(i) He spent most of his time in play.
(iii) I watched, amazed; in less than a minute he had turned the tap far enough to produce a trickle of water, and after a moment or two achieved the full flow.
(v) A suitcase that I had taken to Iraq had become damaged on the journey home, so that the lid, when closed, remained at a slope from one end to the other. Mij discovered that if he placed the ball on the high end it would run down the length of the suitcase. He would dash around to the other end to ambush its arrival, hide from it, crouching, to spring up and take it by surprise, grab it and trot off with it to the high end once more.
(vii) It is not, I suppose, in any way strange that the average Londoner should not recognize an otter, but the variety of guesses as to what kind of animal this might be came as a surprise to me. Mij was anything but an otter.
Thinking about the language (Page 89-92)
Q1. From the table below, make as many correct sentences as you can using would and/or used to, as appropriate. (Hint: First decide whether the words in italics show an action, or a state or situation, in the past.) Then add two or three sentences of your own to it.
Emperor Akbar
|
Would used to
|
be fond of musical evenings.
|
Every evening we
|
take long walks on the beach.
|
Fifty years ago, very few people
|
own cars.
|
Till the 1980s, Shanghai
|
have very dirty streets.
|
My uncle
|
spend his holidays by the sea.
|
Solution:
- Emperor Akbar used to be fond of musical evenings.
- Every evening we used to take long walks on the beach.
- Fifty years ago, very few people used to own cars.
- Till the 1980s, Shanghai used to have very dirty streets.
- My uncle would spend his holidays by the sea.
- My uncle used to take long walks on the beach.
- My uncle used to be fond of musical evenings
Q1.Noun Modifiers
Look at these examples from the text, and say whether the modifiers (in italics) are nouns, proper nouns, or adjective plus noun.
(i) An otter fixation (iv) The London streets
(ii) The iron railings (v) soft velvet fur
(iii) The Tigris marshes (vi) A four-footed soccer player
Solution:
- Noun
- Noun
- Proper Noun
- Proper Noun
- Adjective plus noun
- Adjective plus noun
Q2.Given below are some nouns, and a set of modifiers (in the box). Combine the nouns and modifiers to make as many appropriate phrases as you can. (Hint: The nouns and modifiers are all from the texts in this book.)
temple girls triangle dresses person thoughts boys roar
gifts scream farewell expression time subject landscape handkerchief crossing flight chatterbox profession
physique coffee view celebration
college rough hundred stone ordinary
love uncomfortable white slang slack
bare railroad termendous family marriage
plump invigorating panoramic heartbreaking birthday
incorrigible ridiculous loud first three
Solution:
Temple − white temple, stone temple, first temple
Person − incorrigible person, ridiculous person
Gifts − hundred gifts, ordinary gifts, birthday gifts
Time − college time, rough time, first time
Crossing − railroad crossing, first crossing
Physique − plump physique, ordinary physique
Three girls − first three girls, incorrigible three girls
Thoughts − incorrigible thoughts, uncomfortable thoughts, ridiculous thoughts, heartbreaking thoughts, first thoughts, ordinary thoughts
Scream − tremendous scream, loud scream
Subject − college subject, ordinary subject
Flight − rough flight, first flight
Coffee − invigorating coffee, ordinary coffee
Triangle − love triangle
Boys − college boys, incorrigible boys, rough boys, hundred boys
Farewell − college farewell, heartbreaking farewell
Landscape − bare landscape, rough landscape, white landscape
Chatterbox − incorrigible chatterbox
View − tremendous view, panoramic view, ordinary view
Dresses − hundred dresses, ordinary dresses, birthday dresses, marriage dresses
Roar − tremendous roar, loud roar
Expression − bare expression, slang expression, slack expression
Handkerchief − white handkerchief, ordinary handkerchief
Profession − family profession, first profession, ordinary profession
Celebration − tremendous celebration, family celebration, birthday celebratio
III.Q1. Read this sentence:
He shook himself, and I half expected a cloud of dust.
The author uses a cloud of dust to give a picture of a large quantity of dust. Phrases like this indicate a particular quantity of something that is not usually countable. For example: a bit of land, a drop of blood, a pinch of salt, a piece of paper.
Match the words on the left with a word on the right. Some words on the left can go with more than one word on the right.
(i) a portion of – blood
(ii) a pool of – cotton
(iii) flakes of – stones
(iv) a huge heap of – gold
(v) a gust of – fried fish
(vi) little drops of – snow
(vii) a piece of – water
(viii) a pot of – wind
Solution:
(i) a portion of - fried fish
(ii) a pool of - blood
(iii) flakes of - snow
(iv) a huge heap of - stones
(v) a gust of - wind
(vi) little drops of - water
(vii) a piece of - cotton
(viii) a pot of – gold
Q2. Use a bit of/a piece of/a bunch of/a cloud of/a lump of with the italicised nouns in the following sentences. The first has been done for you as an example.
(i) My teacher gave me some My teacher gave me a bit of advice. advice.
(ii) Can you give me some clay, please.
(iii) The information you gave was very useful.
(iv) Because of these factories, smoke hangs over the city.
(v) Two stones rubbed together can produce sparks of fire.
(vi) He gave me som
Solution:.
| (i) My teacher gave me some advice. |
My teacher gave me a bit of advice. |
| (ii) Can you give me some clay, please. |
Can you give me a lump of clay, please. |
| (iii) The information you gave was very useful. |
The piece of information you gave was very useful. |
| (iv) Because of these factories, smoke hangs over the city. |
Because of these factories, a cloud of smoke hangs over the city. |
| (v) Two stones rubbed together can produce sparks of fire. |
Two pieces of stones rubbed together can produce sparks of fire. |
| (vi) He gave me some flowers on my birthday. |
He gave me a bunch of flowers on my birthday. |
NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 6 - FAQs
Q1. How did Mijbil behave during his early days with Maxwell?
When Mijbil first arrived, he was covered in mud and felt shy and uncomfortable in his new surroundings. For the first twenty-four hours, he remained aloof and didn't show much interest in his owner. However, everything changed when Maxwell allowed him to play in the bathroom with water. Mijbil's true playful nature came alive as he splashed around joyfully for hours. He discovered the joy of turning on the water tap by himself and would spend time playing with the flowing water. Within a short time, Mijbil became completely comfortable with Maxwell, following him around the house like a shadow and sleeping peacefully on his bed at night.
Q2. What challenges did Maxwell face while traveling with Mijbil to England?
Traveling with an otter proved to be quite adventurous and troublesome for Maxwell. The airline insisted that Mijbil must travel in a box, so Maxwell had a special box made for him. Unfortunately, Mijbil panicked inside the closed box and tore it apart, injuring himself in the process. During the flight, blood seeped from the damaged box, causing panic among passengers who had no idea what animal was inside. When Maxwell finally opened the box, Mijbil escaped and created chaos in the airplane, running up and down the aircraft while frightened passengers screamed, thinking he was a dangerous animal like a rat or tiger.
Q3. What does this chapter teach students about the relationship between humans and animals?
This chapter beautifully demonstrates that animals, regardless of their species, can form deep emotional connections with humans when treated with love and care. Mijbil's transformation from a shy creature to a playful, affectionate companion shows that animals respond positively to kindness. The story also teaches responsibility—Maxwell had to arrange proper accommodation, deal with travel difficulties, and ensure Mijbil's comfort and safety. For exam preparation, students should focus on describing Mijbil's character traits, the humorous incidents during travel, Maxwell's attachment to his pet, and how the narrative uses descriptive language to bring the otter's personality to life.