NCERT Class 10: Footprints Without Feet – Chapter 1 (A Triumph of Surgery)
ABOUT THE LESSON:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
James Alfred Wight, known by the pen name James Herriot, was a British veterinary surgeon and celebrated writer. He utilized his vast medical experience to craft engaging, semi-autobiographical stories about animals. His warm, humorous style in "A Triumph of Surgery" highlights his deep compassion and practical approach toward animal care.
BRIEF SUMMARY
The story revolves around Tricki, a small dog who is pampered and overfed by his rich, emotional owner, Mrs. Pumphrey. Due to a lack of exercise and a diet of cream cakes and chocolates, Tricki becomes "hugely fat" and listless.
Dr. James Herriot, a veterinary surgeon, intervenes and warns that the dog needs immediate treatment. He takes Tricki to his surgery (clinic) for a fortnight. Surprisingly, the "surgery" involves no medicines or operations. Instead, Tricki is kept on a strict water diet for two days, followed by a regular diet and plenty of physical play with other dogs.
Within days, Tricki recovers completely. When Mrs. Pumphrey sees her transformed, active dog, she is overcome with gratitude. She calls his recovery a "Triumph of Surgery," unaware that the cure was simply common sense and a healthy lifestyle.
TEXTUAL QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q1. Why is Mrs. Pumphrey worried about Tricki?
Ans: Mrs. Pumphrey is worried because Tricki has become listless and shows no enthusiasm for food. He refuses even his favorite dishes and spends all his time lying on a rug, panting. She mistakenly believes he is suffering from malnutrition.
Q2. What does she do to help him? Is she wise in this?
Ans: To help him, she starts giving him extra snacks between meals, including malt, cod-liver oil, and a bowl of Horlicks at night. She is not wise in this, as her over-pampering and excessive feeding are the actual causes of Tricki’s poor health.
Q3. Who is the ‘I’ in the story?
Ans: The ‘I’ in the story is Mr. James Herriot, a veterinary surgeon who is also the narrator of the tale.
READ AND FIND OUT:
Q 4.Is the narrator as rich as Tricki’s mistress ?
Answer: No, the narrator is not as rich as Tricki’s mistress, Mrs Pumphery. We
can say so because the narrator seems fascinated by how lavishly Mrs Pumphrey
spends on the well-being and maintenance of her pet. He is unusually surprised
by the enriching items she sends for Tricki, as he cannot afford them for
himself.
Q 5.How does he treat the dog?
Answer: James Herriot treats Tricki just like he would treat an
overweight and lazy dog, which Tricki is. He cuts down his food intake and
keeps him under strict observation for the initial days at hospital. He
gradually increases Tricki’s food and sets him free for physical activities to
improve his health.
Q 6.Why is he tempted to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest?
Answer: Mr Herriot is tempted to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest because of
the good food and wine he is enjoying in Tricki’s name. He does not want to
lose the luxurious inflow of fresh eggs, wine and brandy.
Q7.Why does Mrs Pumphrey think the dog’s recovery is ‘a triumph
of surgery’?
Answer: Mrs Pumphrey thinks that Tricki’s recovery is a triumph of surgery
because his illness was very serious. She was of the opinion that there were
very few chances of Tricki to improve and he needed immediate medical
attention. Thus, his revival without any medicinal treatment was a great
achievement, according to her.
Think About It:
(Page 6)
Q 1.What kind of a person do you think the narrator, a veterinary
surgeon, is? Would you say he is tactful as well as full of common sense?
Answer: The narrator, a veterinary surgeon, is a capable and wise doctor. He
handles Tricki properly which shows that he is sincere about his profession. He does not operate upon the dog unnecessarily and cures him by altering his
diet and activities. He is a tactful person as he knew exactly how to convince
Mrs Pumphrey to hospitalise Tricki for a surgery. His decision to inform Mrs
Pumphrey to collect Tricki supports his sensibilities even though he was
tempted to keep Tricki as a permanent guest.
Q 2.Do you think Tricki was happy to go home? What do you think
will happen now?
Answer: Tricki was happy to go back home as he really loved his mistress and
the comfort of his lavish life. He didn’t have any friends at home like in the
hospital, but he seemed equally excited at the sight of Mrs Pumphrey. I think
that Mrs Pumphrey will now be careful about Tricki’s diet and health. She may
also give him exercise daily as prescribed by the vet.
Q 3.Do you think it is a real-life episode or mere fiction? Or is
it a mixture of both?
Answer: The story seems to be a mixture of both. It may be possible for rich
persons to overfeed their pets due to love. It is not unusual for them to
maintain a vast wardrobe for them either. But it is unlikely for a veterinary
doctor to go out of the way and lie in order to save an animal. It is also
unusual for anyone to consume food which is given in the name of a pet’s
health.
Talk About It:
(Page 7)
Q 1.This episode describes the silly behaviour of a rich woman
who is foolishly indulgent, perhaps because she is lonely. Do you think such
people are merely silly or can their actions cause harm to others?
Answer: Mrs Pumphrey’s actions had a harmful reaction on Tricki’s health. She
was overparenting’ and overfeeding Tricki in the name of love. This worsened
his condition to an extent that he had to be hospitalised. People like Mrs
Pumphrey are not just merely silly but their actions can definitely have
dangerous consequences for others.
Q 2.Do you think there are also parents like Mrs Pumphrey?
Answer: Yes, there are some parents like Mrs Pumphrey who spoil their children
by pampering them. They overfeed their children/pets despite being aware of the
harmful effects on their health. Parents like Mrs Pumphrey should maintain a
healthy lifestyle of their family and pets.
Q 3.What would you have done if you were (I) A member of the staff in Mrs Pumphrey’s household (II) A neighbour? What would your life have been like, in general?
Answer: If I were a member of the staff in her household I would have not followed Mrs Pumphrey’s command to feed Tricki blindly. In fact, I would have fed him according to the vet’s advice. I would have also skipped sending the unnecessary stuff like toys, cushions etc to the hospital. My life would have been a very busy one, as I would have had to take care of the household chores and meet Tricki’s demands on time.
If I were Mrs Pumphrey’s neighbour, I would have advised her to consult a vet and follow his advice strictly keeping in mind Tricki’s deteriorating health. I would have also been supportive in their hard time when Tricki was hospitalised. My life as Mrs Pumphrey’s neighbour would have been full of surprises and gifts as Mrs Pumphrey was a loving lady.
Q 4.What would you have done if you were in the narrator’s place?
Answer: If I were in the narrator’s place, I would have treated Tricki with a
similar amount of compassion and love. I would have been equally caring as Mr
James Herriot towards Tricki. I would have just been a little more stern while
advising Mrs Pumphrey to put Tricki on a strict diet knowing her way of showing
love. I would have also not consumed Tricki’s share of eggs, wine and brandy
sent by Mrs Pumphrey.
EXTRA SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (1 MARK EACH)
Q1. What was Tricki’s main fault?
Ans: Tricki’s only fault was greed; he could never refuse food at any hour of the day or night.
Q2. What did Mrs. Pumphrey think Tricki was suffering from?
Ans: She thought he was suffering from malnutrition.
Q3. How did Tricki look when Dr. Herriot saw him in the street?
Ans: He looked like a bloated sausage with a leg at each corner.
Q4. For how many days was Tricki given no food at the surgery?
Ans: For two days, he was given no food, only plenty of water.
Q5. Who was Hodgkin?
Ans: Hodgkin was the gardener who used to play ring-throw with Tricki.
Q6. What kind of a woman was Mrs. Pumphrey?
Ans: She was a fabulously rich and over-indulgent woman who loved her pet excessively.
Q7. What was the name of the "gang" Tricki joined at the surgery?
Ans: He became an accepted member of the household dogs (the pack).
Q8. Why was Tricki sent to the hospital?
Ans: He was sent to be hospitalized for a fortnight to be kept under observation and away from his owner's overfeeding.
Q9. What was the "miraculous" physical change in Tricki after two weeks?
Ans: He had been transformed into a lithe, hard-muscled animal.
Q10. What does the title ‘A Triumph of Surgery’ mean?
Ans: It means a victory of medical treatment (though in this case, it was a victory of common sense over medicine).
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (MCQs)
Q1. Who is the author of the story "A Triumph of Surgery"?
A) James Joyces
B) James Herriot
C) Ruskin Bond
D) Robert Frost
Q2. What was the main cause of Tricki’s illness?
A) Lack of food
B) Viral infection
C) Overeating and lack of exercise
D) A physical injury
Q3. How did Tricki look according to the narrator?
A) Very thin and weak
B) Like a bloated sausage
C) Very active and playful
D) Large and muscular
Q4. What was the "surgery" mentioned in the title?
A) A major operation on Tricki’s stomach
B) The name of Dr. Herriot’s clinic
C) A heart transplant
D) A special medical procedure for dogs
Q5. For how many days was no food given to Tricki?
A) One day
B) Two days
C) Five days
D) Seven days
Q6. What did Mrs. Pumphrey bring to the surgery to help Tricki build his strength?
A) Fresh eggs
B) Wine
C) Brandy
D) All of the above
Q7. What was the gardener, Hodgkin, suffering from?
A) Fever
B) Lumbago
C) Malnutrition
D) Muscle pain
Q8. When Tricki saw his mistress after two weeks, he took a "tremendous leap" into her:
A) Car
B) Lap
C) Arms
D) Bed
Q9. The other dogs at the surgery initially decided that Tricki was a/an:
A) Interesting object
B) Very brave dog
C) Uninteresting object
D) Dangerous animal
Q10. Why was Dr. Herriot tempted to keep Tricki as a permanent guest?
A) He loved Tricki very much
B) He wanted to annoy Mrs. Pumphrey
C) Because of the eggs, wine, and brandy sent by Mrs. Pumphrey
D) Because Tricki was a very well-behaved dog
ANSWER KEY
| Question | Answer |
| Q1 | B) James Herriot |
| Q2 | C) Overeating and lack of exercise |
| Q3 | B) Like a bloated sausage |
| Q4 | B) The name of Dr. Herriot’s clinic |
| Q5 | B) Two days |
| Q6 | D) All of the above |
| Q7 | B) Lumbago |
| Q8 | B) Lap |
| Q9 | C) Uninteresting object |
| Q10 | C) Because of the eggs, wine, and bran |
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