Mijbil the Otter

1.0About the Author

Gavin Maxwell (July 15, 1914 - September 7, 1969), a British naturalist and author, is best known for his non- fiction writing and his work with otters. During World War II, Maxwell served as an instructor with the Special Operations Executive. He wrote the book Ring of Bright Water (1960) about he brought a smooth coated otter back from Iraq and raised it in Camusfearna, Scotland. The book went on to sell over a million copies and was made into a film. He later took the otter to London Zoological Society, where it was named Lutrogale Perspicillata Maxwelli (or, colloquially, 'Maxwell's otter') after him.

Central Idea

The story reflects the love that the author had for animals, especially, the otter. After having lost his pet dog (Jonnie), he became very unhappy. Life without a pet was rather lonely. The author decides to keep an otter as a pet. He describes how his life changed after he decided to domesticate an otter and how he built an inseparable friendship with him along the way.

Naturally, handling an otter or for that matter, any animal out of its habitat, is not an easy task. Owing a pet is a lifetime of commitment involving considerable responsibility. The decision to acquire one, therefore, should be made by the whole family. Without full agreement by everyone, the pet could end up unwanted. Hence, it is very important to read and research before adopting or buying a pet.

2.0Love for Animals

The story begins with the author travelling to Basra with his friend. During their journey, the author expresses his desire to domesticate an otter because after he had lost his pet dog, life had become lonely for him. His friend suggested that he should get one from the marshes along river Tigris in Iraq.

When they reached the destination his friend received the mail immediately, while Maxwell had to wait for a few more days to receive his mail. Once he received the mail he took a sack in which there was something. The sack was for the narrator and there was an otter in it. It was a gift from his friend. The narrator christened it, Mijbil. It took some time for Mij to open up and get acquainted with his surroundings. It was covered in mud to an extent that it took almost a month of cleaning and washing to reveal his actual colour. First the otter slept on the floor but soon he entered the bed till the servant bought tea. When it went to bathroom it plunged and rolled in the bathtub joyfully.
The narrator was extremely surprised when he found it struggling with the water tap and was thoroughly amazed with the games played by Mij with its own touch of creativity.

3.0The Mischievous Otter

A different and new phase started for the narrator with entry of the otter. The way it came out of sack and shook himself the floor of the room became dirty. The Otter had learnt how to turn on the tap and believed that each drop of water should be squished and splashed till the bowl had been emptied. It then, spent most of the time playing with the rubber balls and marbles. He would throw the ball like a soccer player. His real play was when he lay on his back and played with small objects between his paws.

He could throw the ball a flick of his neck. Eventually, it was time for the author to return to Camusfearna and the British Airline would not fly animals. Hence, otter was put into the box an hour before he started for the airport. But soon Mij was out of the box. He disappeared and chaos followed in the plane. There were squawks and shrieks all round. A woman cried, "A rat, a rat!" The author saw the otter beneath the legs of an Indian. After some time, the otter came to him and sat on his lap.

4.0Bond With the Otter

The otter and the author remained in London for nearly a month. Many people had not seen an otter. When they saw Mij, they would make guesses about what kind of animal it was. The author faced a stream of questions filled with guesses. But nobody could guess that it was an otter. Mijbil used to play for hours with toys, ping - pong balls, marbles, rubber fruit, etc. He would place the ball on the sloping top of the suitcase and then would hurry and catch it before the ball fell off. The author used to take Mij out for exercise and walk. He went with the author like children playing, running and touching things in the streets.

5.0Let's Recall

  • When Maxwell's dog died, he became alone without a pet.
  • His friend advised him to get an otter from Tigris marshes.
  • Two Arabs were squatting on the floor and a sack was lying beside them with a note "Here is your otter....."
  • The narrator named the otter 'Mijbil'.
  • Initially Mijbil was indifferent but after some time it had started taking a keen interest in his surroundings.
  • Like every otter, Mijbil enjoyed splashing water like a hippo and was successful in screwing up the tap to its full flow.
  • It was really a difficult job to transport Mijbil from Basra to England. Hence, it was packed up in a small box.
  • As the box was opened, Mij was out of the box in a flash.
  • Mijbil disappeared and later on, it was found beneath the legs of a turbaned Indian.
  • Maxwell remained in London with Mijbil for nearly a month.
  • Mij invented his own game with the ping-pong ball and like school children, he would touch every second lamp - post.
  • The average Londoner could not recognize an otter and people started giving wild guesses about him. He was called 'a baby seal', 'a squirrel', 'a walrus', 'a beaver', etc.