NCERT Solutions Class 10 English (Footprints without Feet)
The NCERT Solutions in English Language for Class 10 English (Footprints without Feet) Chapter – 1 A Triumph of Surgery has been provided here to help the students in solving the questions from this exercise.
Chapter – 1 (A Triumph of Surgery)
Read and Find Out
1. Why is Mrs Pumphrey worried about Tricki?
Answer – Mrs Pumphrey is worried about Tricki because he is unwell. He has refused to eat food and had bouts of vomiting. She feels that he is suffering from a serious health issue such as malnutrition.
2. What does she do to help him? Is she wise in this?
Answer – She called the doctor to help Tricki. Yes, her decision was wise. The doctor suggested that Tricki should be hospitalised. She swooned and wailed, but let the dog go with the doctor. Ultimately, the doctor was successful in curing Tricki.
3. Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?
Answer – ‘I’ refers to the narrator, Mr James Herriot, a veterinary doctor.
Read and Find Out
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Why does Mrs Pumphrey think the dog’s recovery is ‘a triumph of surgery’?
Answer – She thinks so because it is the surgery, that is, hospital. It has made Tricki all right. Its stay at the surgery has cured it of its illness.
Think About It
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 – I think the narrator, a veterinary surgeon is a very practical man. He is also tactful and has a lot of common sense. He is kind-hearted and jovial kind of fellow. He, at once, understands Tricki’s illness. He wants to keep Tricki for a longer period. It may be his selfishness because he gets Jiuge supplies from Mrs. Pumphrey for Tricki. But it is not a mean quality.
2. Do you think Tricki was happy to go home? What do you think will happen now?
Answer – Yes, Tricki was very happy to go home. It jumped out of the narrator’s arms and leaped into Mrs Pumphrey’s lap as soon as it saw her. It licked her and barked. After this, if Mrs Pumphrey takes good care of the dog and does not feed it a lot, it will be as healthy as it is at the end of the story.
3. Do you think it is a real-life episode or mere fiction? Or is it a mixture of both?
Answer – I think it is a real-life episode with some part of fiction. But it is not mere and whole fiction. In fact it is a mixture of both.
Talk About It
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.
2. Do you think there are also parents like Mrs Pumphrey?
Answer – Yes, there are parents like Mrs. Pumphrey. They are doting on their children or pet animals. Later when things get out of their control they repent much. But losses can’t be made up.
3. What would you have done if you were :
(i) a member of the staff in Mrs Pumphrey’s household,
Answer – If I were a member of the staff in Mrs. Pumphrey’s household, I would give a lesser amount of food to it and would have taken it for a walk at least once a day.
(ii) a neighbour? What would your life have been like, in general?
Answer – If I were her neighbour, I would advise her to be careful about the pet’s health. In general, I would have taken care of my pet sensibly and I would not have behaved mindlessly like Mrs. Pumphrey.
4. What would you have done if you were in the narrator’s place?
Answer – If I had been in the narrator’s place, I would have done the same thing as he did. He did not exploit Mrs. Pumphrey, nor would I do. Eating a part of Mrs. Pumphrey’s food meant for Tricki was not bad in taste. It was playful.
