Mijbil the Otter

Setting: The story takes place in 1956, beginning in Southern Iraq and then moving to England, where the author lives in a place called Camusfearna.

The Story in Four Parts:

1. The Decision and Journey to Basra

The author decides he wants to keep an otter as a pet instead of a dog. He mentions this to a friend who tells him that otters are common in the Tigris marshes near Basra and are often tamed by Arabs. They travel to Basra to collect mail from Europe, where the author faces communication difficulties - phone lines are down, exchanges are closed for holidays, and there are technical breakdowns. After his friend leaves, the author finally receives his mail and discovers two Arabs in his bedroom with a squirming sack containing the otter.

2. Receiving and Getting to Know Mijbil

The creature emerges covered in mud, resembling a medieval dragon. The author names him Mijbil, who is later identified as a new species by zoologists as Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli, or Maxwell's otter. Initially aloof and indifferent, Mijbil gradually becomes more comfortable, sleeping on the author's bed and showing his love for water in the bathroom. He demonstrates remarkable intelligence by learning to turn on water taps and develops playful behaviors with toys, particularly marbles and rubber balls. The author describes Mijbil's characteristic behavior with water - how otters must keep water moving and spread it around.

3. The Challenging Journey to England

The author dreads transporting Mijbil to England. Since British airlines won't fly animals, he books a flight to Paris on another airline, and from there to London. Mijbil is packed in a small box (eighteen inches square), but he tears the lining and injures himself, causing bleeding. The journey is chaotic - Mijbil escapes on the plane, causing panic among passengers who mistake him for a rat, but eventually returns to the author's lap. The air hostess proves invaluable in helping manage the situation, suggesting that Mijbil stay on the author's knee rather than in the box.

4. Life in London with Mijbil

In London, Mijbil becomes a playful companion, inventing games with ping-pong balls and developing compulsive walking habits. He exercises on a lead like a dog and creates amusing situations when Londoners fail to recognize him as an otter, guessing everything from "baby seal" and "squirrel" to "walrus," "hippo," "beaver," "bear cub," "leopard," and even "brontosaur." Mijbil develops specific rituals during walks, like touching every seventh railing or jumping on a low wall near a school to gallop its full length. The story ends with a humorous encounter where a street laborer demands to know what kind of animal Mijbil is supposed to be, showing his surprise and affront at the unusual sight.

Key Details from the Text:

• Timing: The story begins in early 1956, and Mijbil and the author remain in London for nearly a month.
• Communication Issues: The author had to book phone calls 24 hours in advance, faced religious holiday closures, and technical breakdowns.
• Mijbil's Intelligence: He learned to turn water taps within two days of arrival, though sometimes turned them the wrong way.
• Water Behavior: Mijbil would go "wild with joy" in water for half an hour, creating enough splash "for a hippo."
• Playful Nature: He could juggle marbles on his belly without dropping them and invented his own games with ping-pong balls.
• Compulsive Habits: Mijbil developed specific walking rituals like touching every seventh railing and jumping on a low wall near a school.
• London Reactions: People guessed Mijbil was everything from a "baby seal" to a "brontosaur," showing complete unfamiliarity with otters.