Get comprehensive NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 1: “A Triumph of Surgery” at your fingertips. Ace your exams with expertly crafted answers to all questions, ensuring a thorough understanding of the chapter’s concepts. Explore the life-changing tale of Dr. James Barry, unraveling the triumph of surgery over adversity. These solutions provide clarity and insights into the plot, themes, and characters, empowering you to excel in your academic journey. Accessible, reliable, and complete, these NCERT Solutions guarantee academic success and foster a love for literature and learning.
A Triumph of Surgery Questions and Answers Class 10
Page no. 1
• Read and Find Out
Q1. Why is Mrs Pumphrey worried about Tricki?
Ans : Mrs Pumphrey was distraught because Tricki wasn’t eating anything. He refused to eat his favourite dishes and had bouts of vomiting. He spent all his time lying on a rug, panting. He didn’t want to go for walks, or do anything.
Q2. What does she do to help him? Is she wise in this?
Ans : When Mrs Pumphrey finds Tricki listless and having no energy, she starts giving him some little extras between meals to build him up, some malt and cod-liver oil and a bowl of Horlicks at night to make him sleep. No, she wasn’t being wise because she was making him further ill.
Q3. Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?
Ans : In this story, ‘I’ is the narrator of the story. The narrator, James Herriot, was a veterinary surgeon and was always concerned about the well-being of his patients.
Page no. 3
• Read and Find Out
Q1. Is the narrator as rich as Tricki’s mistress?
Ans : No, the narrator is not as rich as Tricki’s mistress. When Mrs Pumphrey’s staff gets Tricki’s personal things, he realises that his car can never hold all the stuff. And when Mrs Pumphrey sent across eggs, wine and brandy for Tricki while he was convalescing, the narrator and his partners had them and he felt that those were the days of deep content.
Q2. How does he treat the dog?
Ans : James Herriot treats Tricki just like he would treat overweight and lazy dogs, which Tricki is. He cuts down his food intake and keeps him under strict observation for the initial days at the hospital. He gradually increases Tricki’s food and sets him free from physical activities to improve his health.
Q3. Why is he tempted to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest?
Ans : When the doctor told Mrs Pumphrey that Tricki was ‘convalescing’, she sent across eggs, wine and brandy for Tricki’s betterment which the doctor and his partners consumed. They felt that these were days of deep content so he was tempted to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest.
Q4. Why does Mrs Pumphrey think the dog’s recovery is ‘a triumph of surgery’?
Ans : When Tricki went to the surgery, he was listless, not eating his favourite dishes, vomiting and spent his time lying on a rug, panting. But when Mrs Pumphrey came to pick Tricki from the surgery after a fortnight, he was transformed into a lithe, hard-muscled animal. He took off from the doctor’s arms in a tremendous leap and sailed into her lap and began to lick her face and bark. Seeing the transformation, she felt Tricki’s transformation is ‘a triumph of surgery’.
Page no. 6
Think about it
Q1. 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?
Ans : Yes, I think the narrator, James Herriot, is tactful as well as full of common sense. He is a veterinary doctor and a good doctor and wishes well for his patients. But with pet parents like Mrs Pumphrey, he had to be tactful because she pampered her dog too much and it was becoming harmful for the dog. Herriot realised that his advice of not giving Tricki sweet things and giving him plenty of exercise were not heeded, so he used his common sense and devised a plan. He told Tricki’s mistress that Tricki should be hospitalised for about a fortnight. Although the mistress was relenting to keep Tricki under observation, the doctor was tactful and firm and told her that it was the best for him. In the hospital too, the doctor was tactful with Tricki. He didn’t pamper him and let him get adapted with his new surroundings. The dogs in the hospital rolled Tricki, bowled over, tramped upon and squashed him, and soon Tricki realised that this was fun. The narrator was also tactful and Mrs Pumphrey’s questions on whether Tricky’s cushions were being turned regularly or his correct coat worn according to the weather. All he told her was that the little fellow was out of danger and convalescing rapidly.
Q2. Do you think Tricki was happy to go home? What do you think will happen now?
Ans : Yes, I think Tricki was happy to go home. If Mrs Pumphrey is wise enough, she will realise that all her pampering only did harm to her pet and that he required two weeks of hospitalisation to get better. After his stay in the hospital, I think Tricki has also learnt to be less greedy and run about and play.
Q3. Do you think it is a real-life episode or mere fiction? Or is it a mixture of both?
Ans : I think this is a real-life episode. There are instances when pets are pampered and overfed like Mrs Pumphrey does to Tricki. And the story is part of an autobiography, so I think this is a real incident.
Page no. 7
Think about it
Q1. 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?
Ans : Mrs Pumphrey is a rich lady and loves her pet so much that she isn’t aware that by overfeeding him and pampering him, she was spoiling his health. Even on the advice of the doctor, she didn’t have the heart to cut down on the sweet things that Tricki loved. She felt that by denying the things that he loved, he was getting weak. So she continued feeding him and without proper exercise, Tricki was getting hugely fat. So, I would say that Mrs Pumphrey was foolishly overindulgent as a pet parent without realising that their actions would harm their pet.
Q2. Do you think there are also parents like Mrs Pumphrey?
Ans : Yes, there are overindulgent parents like Mrs Pumphrey who spoil their children. Some parents overfeed their children or let them have what they desire such as fast food and aerated drinks. They do not insist their children get enough physical exercise. Then there are some parents who give children a lot of freedom and pocket money without proper monitoring. When freedom comes without responsibility, the children tend to go wayward. So, parenthood comes with a huge responsibility. One should strike a balance between love and indulgence.
Q3. 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?
Ans : (i) 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 tried to convince Mrs. Pumphrey to follow the advice of the doctor and accordingly take care of Tricki.My life would have been very busy as I would have to take care of the complete household.
(ii) 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.
Q4. What would you have done if you were in the narrator’s place?
Ans : 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 was towards Tricki. I would have just been a little more strict while advising Mrs Pumphrey to put Tricki on a strict diet knowing her way of showing love. would have also not consumed Tricki’s share of eggs, wine and brandy sent by Mrs Pumphrey.