MIJBIL THE OTTER
GAVIN MAXWELL
Gavin Maxwell (15 July
1914-7 Sep.19690) was a
Scottish naturalist and
author best known for
his work with Otters. He
wrote the book ‘ Ring of
Bright Water’ about how
he brought an otter back
from Iraq and raised it in
Scotland.
Gavin Maxwell, the narrator
lived in a cottage in
Camusfearna, in the Western
Highlands in Scotland. When
his pet dog Johnie died, he
could not think of keeping
another dog for a pet
But life without a pet was very lonely. In 1956 he travelled
to Southern Iraq. The thought of keeping an otter for a pet
had already crossed his mind. When he mentioned his desire
to one of his friends , he replied that he could get one from
the Tigris Marshes. They were going to Basra to collect their
mail from Europe.
Since the narrator did not get his mail he had to wait there for a
few days. After collecting the mail when he came back to his room
he found two Arabs squatting on the floor with a sack beside
them that squirmed from time to time. The Arabs handed him a
note which said ‘Here is your Otter’
Squatting
Squirmed –twisted about
A new phase of life started for the narrator which he thought
would continue till his death. The creature that came out from the
sack appeared like a Medievally conceived dragon. It was totally
covered in mud and he could see it in its true colours almost after
a month. Writer named it as Mijbil and it belonged to a species
previously unknown to scientific world. The zoologists christened
it as Lutrogale Perspicillata Maxwelli or Maxwell’s Otter.
Medievally conceived-
an imagination of middle ages
Christened - named
Initially he was neither hostile or friendly but soon became a
very friendly creature. Soon he lost his apathy and started taking
interest in his surroundings. When writer took him to the
bathroom he was wild with joy plunging and rolling in the
bathtub filled with water making big movements to spill the
water all around. It is the characteristic of otters -every drop of
water must be spread about . Static water is very provoking for
otters.
Hostile - unfriendly
Apathy - lack of interest
Provoking- causing anger or
some other reaction
Two days later Mij escaped from narrator’s bed room as he entered
it and found Mij’s tail disappearing towards the direction of the
bathroom. Reaching there he found to his amazement Mij fumbling
at the chromium taps with his paws and in less than a minute
turned the tap enough to let the full flow of water. On certain other
occasions he turned the tap on the opposite direction and was
chittering with irritation at the tap’s failure to co-operate.
Fumbling- trying to do
something in a clumsy
manner
Mij was a fun loving animal who spent hours together playing. He
had a rubber ball which he dribbled like a four footed soccer player.
He also juggled with marbles. Lying on his back and keeping two or
more marbles on his flat belly he allowed them to roll down
without ever letting them fall off.
Narrator dreaded the prospect of transporting Mij to
England. The British airlines to London would not fly
animals. So he had booked a flight to Paris on another
airline and from there to London. The airline insisted
that Mij should be packed in a box of eighteen inches
squire to be carried on the floor at the narrator’s feet.
Maxwell prepared box, put Mij into it , closed the lid to
let Mij accustomed to the box and went for a hurried
meal.
dreaded the prospect- great fear of something to happen in future
When he came back there was an appalling spectacle.
There was a complete silence about the box ,but from its
airholes and chinks around the lid blood had trickled and
dried. Tearing open the box writer found that Mij had hurt
himself in his effort to get out of it. Writer removed the
narrow cutting edge of the lining and had to keep the
miserable animal back in the box and went for the car as
he had only a few minutes left for the flight
Appalling spectacle- a shocking sight
Chinks - narrow openings.
Writer took the back seat with the box beside
him while the driver was taking the car like a
ricochetting bullet. The air craft was waiting
to take off and the narrator was rushed
through to it by the infuriated officials. Luckily
seat booked was at the front.
Ricochetting bullet- a bullet which changes its
direction after hitting a hard surface
Infuriated – very angry
He covered the floor around his feet with papers
and rang for the air hostess who permitted him to
keep Mij on his lap. But the moment the box was
opened Mij jumped out of it and disappeared
under the rows of seat which created some
troubles for the other passengers. Finally Mij came
back to him.
Mij and narrator remained in London for a month.
During this time Mij would play for hours together,
with his toys ,ping-pong balls, marbles, rubber fruit
and a terrapin shell. With the ping-pong balls he
invented a new game which could keep him engrossed
for up to half an hour at a time.
Terrapin shell- the shell of a small
turtle
Engrossed- completely interested in
Ambush-to attack suddenly from a
hidden position.
He had a suitcase which got
damaged and as a result its lid
had a slop from one end to
the other. Mij discovered that
if the ball is kept on the high
end it would run down by
itself. Keeping the ball on the
higher end he would run to
the lower end to ambush its
arrival hiding and then spring
to catch it as it reached the
lower end.
Compulsive habit of Mij
Compulsive habits - habits impossible to control
Maxwell also speaks about the
inability of the Londoners to identify
the otter. It was not at all strange if
they failed to identify Mij as an otter.
But the wild guesses they made really
surprised the writer. Their guesses
covered almost all the animals except
otter. They guessed the otter as a
squirrel, a Walrus, a baby seal, a hippo,
a beaver, a bear cub, a leopard, a
brontosaur etc.
But Maxwell says that he would
award the highest score to the
question raised by a labourer
who was digging a hole in the
street. As Mij and the narrator
came near him , he dropped his
tool and keeping his hands on his
hips said, ‘ Here Mister- what is
that supposed to be?’ The poor
fellow, unlike the others,
couldn’t even make a wild guess
as to which animal it could be.
