Chapter – 1

A Triumph of Surgery

In this post, we have given the Important Questions of chapter 1 “A Triumph of Surgery”. It is the 1st chapter of the Class 10th English.

Board	CBSE Board, UP Board, JAC Board, HBSE Board, UBSE Board, PSEB Board, RBSE Board
Textbook	NCERT
Class	Class 10
Subject	English Footprints without Feet
Chapter no.	Chapter 1
Chapter Name	A Triumph of Surgery
Category	Class 10 English Important Questions
Medium	English

Chapter 1 A Triumph of Surgery

Question 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.

Question 2. What does she do to help him? Is she wise in this?

Answer: Mrs Pumphrey starts giving him extra snacks like malt, cod-liver oil and Horlicks, apart from his main meals, to improve his condition. She also continues to satisfy his sweet tooth with cream cakes and chocolates. She does not give him any exercise, considering his listlessness as well. She is not wise in doing so because overfeeding Tricki is worsening his conditions instead of improving it. It has made him very fat and lazy.

Question 3. Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?

Answer: ‘I’ refers to the narrator, Mr James Herriot, a veterinary doctor.

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 7. 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.

Answer the following Questions

Question 1. What was Tricki’s condition when Mrs. Pumphrey recollected him?

Answer. Tricki’s ears were flapping. His tail was waving. He had been transformed into a lithe, hard muscled animal. His chest was almost brushing the ground. He was frolicsome, rather than an uninteresting object. The other dogs enjoyed his company.

Question 2. How can you say Tricki had an affluent life?

Answer. Tricki had a rich mistress Mrs. Pumphery. He lived an affluent life. Tricki wore a little tweed coat. He had a whole wardrobe of coats and raincoats. He had many beds and bowls. He was given two dozen eggs and many glasses of wine in the hospital. He was found of cream, chocolates and cakes.

Question 3. How did Mr. Pumphrey and her servant behave when Tricki was being sent to the surgery?

Answer. The entire staff was roused, maids rushed in and out bringing his day bed, night bed, cushion, toys. Everybody was in tears. Mrs. Pumphrey gave a desperate cry, when Tricki was sent to surgery.

Question 4. Why did Mrs. Pumphrey make a frantic call to Mr. Herriot?

OR

What was Tricki’s ailment? How did it worry Mrs. Pumphrey?

Answer. Mrs. Pumphrey had a dog named Tricki. Indirectly, she was responsible for the dog’s illness. She gave him little extra between meals i.e., malt, cod-liver oil, etc. He was not given any physical exercise. So, the dog fell ill and started vomiting also. It made Mrs. Pumphrey so much worried that she had to call the veterinary surgeon, Dr. Harriot for his treatment.

Question 5. Why was Dr. Herriot confident that Tricki will be in hospital soon?

Answer. Dr. Herriot was shocked to see Tricki’s condition. He knew that the latter would soon be hospitalised as he was unable to move. He had become hugely fat, like a bloated sausage and his tongue lolled from his jaws.

Question 6. How would you describe the behaviour of the rich woman Mrs. Pumphrey’s, pampering and overfeeding Tricky?

Answer. Mrs. Pumphrey behaved in a very silly and thoughtless manner by over pampering Tricky. Indirectly, she was responsible for his ill health. It was totally a waste of money. But this behaviour is very common among rich people. It is a general problem of those who live alone.

Question 7. What suggestions were given by Dr. Herriot to Mrs. Pumphrey at the initial stage?

Answer. Dr. Herriot suggested Mrs. Pumphrey to cut down on the sweet things and not to give extra food to him. He also suggested her to give him more exercises and keep him on a very strict diet.

Question 8. Why was Mr. Herriot tempted to keep Tricki as a permanent guest?

Answer. Mrs. Pumphrey used to send lots of things like eggs, wine, brandy etc., for Tricki. But nothing was given to Tricki. All the things were consumed by the doctor and the other members of the hospital. Hence, Mr. Herriot was tempted to keep Tricky as his permanent guest.

Question 9. How did the vet cure Tricki of his ailment?

Answer. Tricki was kept in a warm box. He was given plenty of water. He was made to walk freely from the third day onwards. He was served food but he had to jostle with the bigger dogs for his food. It gave him the needed exercise. He started running, playing and fighting with other dogs. Soon he transformed into a healthy, golden, silky, muscular and flexible dog.

Question 10. Why was the narrator shocked at Tricki’s appearance?

Answer. The narrator was shocked at Tricki’s appearance because he had become very fat. His blood red and rheumy eyes gazed straight. His tongue lolled from his jaws. He had become hugely fat, like a bloated sausage with a leg at each corner.

Question 11. Do you agree that Tricki was in better hands of the surgeon who offered him no food but plenty of water, than with rich mistress?

Answer. Yes, Tricki was in better hands as the surgeon treated him well. He gave him the diet as per his need. He avoided over-feeding as his affectionate and emotional mistress did. The surgeon was taking good care of him personally.

Question 12. Why was Dr. Herriot worried about Tricki?

Answer. Dr. Herriot was worried about Tricki, because the latter was overweight and unable to walk. Moreover Mrs. Pumphrey gave him extra food, sweet things etc. He was hardly given any exercise.

Question 13. In the end of the lesson, Mrs. Pumphery says “This is a triumph of surgery.” Why.

Answer. Mrs. Pumphrey’s dog, Tricki had fallen ill and had to be admitted for treatment to Dr. Herriot’s hospital. Dr. Herriot gave him a lot of water and exercise which helped Tricki to recover. When Mrs. Pumphrey went to collect him, Tricki jumped into her lap and started licking her face. Seeing him fully recovered, Mrs. Pumphrey called it a
triumph in surgery.

Question 14. Mrs. Pumphrey thought that her dog’s recovery was a triumph of surgery. Elaborate.

Answer. Mrs. Pumphrey was worried on noticing Tricki’s listlessness bouts of vomiting and lack of interest in food. She could not bear to see him in pain. She called on Dr. Herriot who advised hospitalisation for Tricki for a fortnight. The doctor knew that the chief cause of Tricki’s ailment was overfeeding. He was confident that by restricting the dog’s diet he would be able to make him well again. Keeping a vigilant eye on him, the doctor served him plenty of water but no food for the first two days. Tricki regained perfect health within a span of few days. According to Mrs. Pumphrey such quick and complete cure is usually possible only after surgery, so she thought that Tricki’s recovery was a triumph of surgery.

Think About It

Question 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.

Question 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 earlier.

Question 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

Question 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.

Question 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.

Question 3. What would you have done if you were :

• a member of the staff in Mrs Pumphrey’s household,
• 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.

Question 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.

We hope that Class 10 English (Footprints without Feet) Chapter 1 A Triumph of Surgery Important Questions helped you. If you have any queries about Class 10 English (Footprints without Feet) Chapter 1 A Triumph of Surgery Important Questions or about any other notes of Class 10 English, so you can comment below. We will reach you as soon as possible…