NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 1- A Triumph of Surgery (Footprints without Feet)

Read and Find Out

1. Why is Mrs. Pumphrey worried about Tricki?

Ans: Tricki became fat, like a bloated sausage. Since he had no energy, Mrs. Pumphrey thought he suffered from malnutrition and over-fed him. He couldn't refuse food and that led to his present overweight state. He spent most of his time resting in his expensive tweed coats and did no exercise.

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

Ans: She finally asked for professional help for Tricki’s condition. She tried her best to improve his condition, but it was all in vain. She had to let Tricki go to the hospital for the sake of him being treated properly and healthy again.

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

Ans: ‘I’ in the story refers to Mr. Herriot who was a veterinary surgeon. He treated Tricki and helped him regain his health.

4. Is the narrator as rich as Tricki’s mistress?

Ans: Tricki’s mistress was extremely rich and well off. She would dress Tricki in tweed coats and feed him malt, cod-liver oil, and a bowl of Horlicks. Often, she would feed him with ice creams and chocolates. He had a daybed, night bed, and a separate supper bowl. It is not clearly stated about the difference in wealth but throughout the story, Mrs. Pumphrey appears to have greater wealth. At the hospital, he was provided with a loose box as a bed. When Mrs. Pumphrey came to see off Tricki at the doctor, she had a whole army of staff at her disposal to transfer his belongings to the car. While he was at the hospital, she used to send edibles that he loved. When the doctor informed her about his recovery she sent over two dozen eggs, along with wine and brandy. All these references tell us that she was a lady of wealth.

5. How does he treat the dog?

Ans: Tricki was overfed good food items by his owner out of love. But instead of improving his health, it made him overweight, sick, and lazy. They initially started by feeding him just water for two days, it helped Tricki imbibe a little strength and interest in his surroundings. He started to gain back his energy and showed interest in playing with other dogs at the surgery. They started providing him proper food on the fourth day when they noticed him licking bowls of other dogs. Following days his progress was rapid and he recovered quickly after that day.

6. Why is he tempted to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest?

Ans: Mrs. Pumphrey went overboard with Tricki’s care. Her love for her dog did result in spoiling his health eventually. When he was at the hospital, Mrs. Pumphrey sent over eggs, wine, and brandy to build up his strength. These items though were fed to him but enjoyed by the narrator and his partners. The days provide them deep content as they day with eggs and then continue it with wine followed by brandy. This made the narrator really tempted to keep Tricki as a permanent guest as she would send these items to them forever.

7. Why does Mrs. Pumphrey think the dog’s recovery is “a triumph of surgery”?

Ans: Tricki was sick for an exceptionally long time and all of Mrs. Pumphrey’s efforts were going in vain. She was scared that he might not be able to recover and hence asked assistance from medical experts. Within two weeks after she sent Tricki to the surgery he recovered. He was healthy again and gained muscles too instead of his lumpy body. When they met for the first time after his recovery, he jumped into her lap and licked her face lovingly. She was so happy with the results and thought that her dog’s recovery was a “triumph of surgery.”

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?

Ans: The narrator was a very tactful person. He knew Mrs. Pumphrey was rich and hence would be ready to pay and do anything for her beloved dog. He immediately understood that Tricki didn't require any medical care. He was just overfed by his mistress, which led him to be lazy and gain a lot of weight. He took the dog to the surgery and with simple and basic care techniques cured him within two weeks. He also surfeited upon the stuff that Mrs. Pumphrey sent for the dog, which was quite unethical as a professional.

2. Do you think Tricki was happy to go home? What do you think will happen now?

Ans: Tricki was successfully treated and well taken care of by the surgery staff. Mrs. Pumphrey was happy with the results too when she met her dog in a healthy state after he returned. He was happy to go back home, and he jumped on Mrs. Pumphrey and licked her face. But I believe his state will not last long since he has returned home, and Mrs. Pumphrey will feed him lots of food again. Lack of exercise will lead to him gaining lots of weight again. Mrs. Pumphrey's excessive love and care might end him back into surgery again in no time.

3. Do you think this is a real-life episode or mere fiction? Or is it a mixture of both?

Ans: The story is a subtle mix of both reality and fiction. We can come across women like Mrs. Pumphrey in our lives who love to spend lavishly on their pets. She loved pampering her dog and, in that spirit, ended up overfeeding him. This caused him serious health issues and he started to look like a bloated sausage. She cared excessively for him and the section about her sending wine and brandy for the dog can be considered fiction.

Talk About It

1. This episode describes the silly behavior 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 was a rich lady who was highly indulgent. She spent more than required on her dog and fed him with brandy, wine, and chocolates, edibles considered harmful to the dog's health. Her love for her dog was genuine but it ended him being overweight and sick. She was not aware of the repercussions her actions were born just to satisfy her indulgent heart. Her actions caused a lot of bodily harm to the dog.

2. Do you think there are also parents like Mrs. Pumphrey?

Ans: Yes, there are a few parents like Mrs. Pumphrey out there. She overindulged her pet dog. She got him a whole rack of tweed coats, separate bowls, and fed him cod-liver oil and chocolates. Her overindulgence was not good for the dog, and he ended up gaining more than the required healthy weight which restricted his movement and he ended up requiring medical help.

3. What would you have done if you were:

(i) a member of the staff in Mrs. Pumphrey’s household

Ans: It would be disturbing, as a member of the staff in Mrs. Pumphrey’s household, to see the dog suffer so much because of her indulgences. I would have tried to stop her and explain to her my motives and how it was declining the dog’s health.

(ii) a neighbour? What would your life have been like, in general?

Ans: As a neighbour I wouldn’t find it right to barge into her personal matters. but it would have surely hurt to see the little creature suffer because of her stupid actions and recklessness. 

4. What would you have done if you were in the narrator’s place?

Ans: I believe I would have done the same as what the narrator did. It was high time, seeing Tricki’s deteriorating health, that Mrs. Pumphrey either changed her ways or consulted a medical expert. He grew like a bloated sausage and wasn't able to eat anything. Even though it was rude, I believe the narrator did the right job.

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Conclusion

Class 10 English Ch 1 A Triumph of Surgery highlights the story of Tricki, a dog, and his mistress, Mrs. Pumphrey, who keeps feeding him junk food. Tricki grows fat and lazy because of his improper eating habits. Mrs Pumphrey finally takes him to the vet, where he gets admitted and eventually grows healthy. The story highlights the importance of healthy eating and teaches us to eat not for pleasure but for need. Vedantu offers comprehensive solutions for Class 10 English Ch 1, A Triumph of Surgery. These solutions are written and compiled by top professionals and subject matter experts who hold years of experience dealing with the NCERT and CBSE Syllabus.

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