NCERT MCQ Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 6 Mijbil the Otter

Maxwell’s friend suggested he could find otters in the Tigris marshes near Basra, where otters were common and often tamed by Arabs. This idea set the course for Maxwell’s unique adventure with Mijbil.

After the death of his beloved dog Jonnie, Maxwell found the loneliness difficult but could not bear the idea of replacing his pet with another dog, leading him to consider an otter instead.

Mijbil was neither friendly nor hostile when he first arrived but simply aloof and indifferent, choosing to sleep as far away from Maxwell’s bed as possible, showing no interest in people at first.

Maxwell named his new otter Mijbil, which later became known in the scientific community as Maxwell’s otter or Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli, because it was a previously unidentified race.

As soon as Mijbil was taken to the bathroom, he became ecstatic, plunging, rolling and making a great mess, displaying the otter’s natural affinity for water.

Mijbil was clever and tried to turn the bathroom tap with his paws, managing to get a trickle and eventually the full flow of water, surprising Maxwell with his intelligence and curiosity.

Mijbil spent hours playing with a rubber ball, moving it around the room like a four-footed soccer player and even enjoyed juggling marbles on his flat belly, showing otters’ playful and dexterous nature.

Mijbil was placed in a box for travel, but in his distress, he tore the box lining and hurt himself, leaving blood stains and making Maxwell anxious and rushed for the flight.

The air hostess was exceptionally kind and helpful, even suggesting that Maxwell could keep Mijbil on his knee during the flight and later helping recover Mijbil when he escaped, showing genuine compassion.

Mijbil dashed through the plane, causing chaos and even making a woman scream, “A rat!” before the air hostess calmed the situation and returned him to Maxwell.

After the chaotic incident on the plane, Mijbil greeted Maxwell with affection, nuzzling his face and neck, demonstrating the close bond that had developed between them.

Mijbil would put a ping-pong ball on a sloped suitcase, dash to catch it as it rolled down, and repeat the process for long periods, creating his own entertaining games.

Mijbil insisted on running the full length of a low wall opposite Maxwell’s flat every day on the way home, amusing and distracting schoolchildren and teachers alike.

Most Londoners had never seen an otter and made wild guesses, calling Mijbil a baby seal, walrus, beaver, bear cub and even a brontosaur, showing the otter’s uniqueness as a pet.

Mijbil belonged to a previously unknown race, officially named Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli or Maxwell’s otter, honoring both the species and Maxwell’s unique pet.

Otters like Mijbil are instinctively playful with water, overturning bowls, splashing and making water move constantly, as static water seemed wasted and provoking to them.

Maxwell felt miserable and guilty as he put the bloodied and exhausted Mijbil back in the box to catch the flight, recognizing the animal’s distress but pressed by circumstances.

Mijbil’s favorite pastime was to lie on his back and roll marbles up and down his belly with his paws, never dropping them, showing both intelligence and dexterity.

Maxwell described his experience as a thraldom or strong attachment to otters, admitting that once he owned one, he, like many others, became deeply fascinated with otters.

Otters are part of a small group called Mustellines, which also includes animals such as badgers, weasels, stoats and mink, highlighting their uniqueness and rarity as pets.