NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 1 A Triumph of Surgery

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English

A Triumph of Surgery NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 1

A Triumph of Surgery  NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

A Triumph of Surgery Read and Find out

Question 1.
Why is Mrs Pumphrey worried about Tricki?
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey is worried about Tricki because he has become listless and weak. She feels that the condition of Tricki is very serious.

Question 2.
What does she do to help him? Is she wise in this?
Answer:
She gives him malt and cod liver oil and a bowl of Horlicks to make him energetic. She gives him an extra diet of cream cakes and chocolates to make him feel better as he loves to eat all this. She is not giving him exercises as he is very weak and the gardener is not feeling well to take him for a long walk. She is not being wise in spoiling her greedy dog.

Question 3.
Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?
Answer:
‘I’ refers to the veterinary doctor who is the narrator of this story.

Question 4.
Is the narrator as rich as Tricki’s Mistress?
Answer:
No, the narrator was not as rich as Tricky’s mistress because Mrs Pumphrey was spending lavishly even on her pet whereas the narrator could not afford luxuries like owning a big car.

Question 5.
How does he treat the dog?
Answer:
He wants to be very strict with the dog especially regarding the diet. He treats him by curtailing his food in the hospital and by keeping him under strict observation. For two days he is given only water and no food at all.

Question 6.
Why is he tempted to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest?
Answer:
The doctor was tempted to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest because Mrs Pumphrey used to send two dozen fresh eggs and bottles of wine. The doctor did not want to lose the treat that he and his partners were relishing.

Question 7.
Why does Mrs Pumphrey think that the dog’s recovery is ‘a triumph of surgery’?
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey thought that the dog’s recovery was a triumph of surgery because according to Mrs Pumphrey the dog was very serious and needed an urgent surgery to save his life. But the different treatment given by the doctor saved the life of the dog.

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, Mr Herriot, is a tactful doctor. He uses his practical wisdom in curing his patients. He does not want to give treatment to the dog if he could manage without going for the surgery. When he sees Tricki who is swollen like a ball, he at once concludes that he needs freedom from the love and care of Mrs Pumphrey to save the young one.

Instead of giving him medicine to be consumed at home, he advises Mrs Pumphrey to send the dog to the hospital. He frightens Mrs Pumphrey about the surgery and makes her leave Tricki with him. He is able to cure the dog by being strict with him ‘ regarding his diet.

Question 2.
Do you think Tricki was happy to go home? What do you think will happen now?
Answer:
At home Tricki had no company, no friends to play with but in the hospital he knew the pleasures of sharing his food and things and he played with other animals. He even enjoyed catching rats. Naturally, he would not feel comfortable at Mrs Pumphrey’s house with no friends and no games at all.

Question 3.
Do you think this is a real-life episode, or mere fiction? Or is it a mixture of both?
Answer:
The story seems to be quite real because rich people overfeed their children. As Mrs Pumphrey loved Tricki like her own child she overfed him. She was very emotional towards the cute puppy and could not bear the separation from her doting pet. There is nothing unusual in a wardrobe of dresses for the dog as rich people believe in showing the world that they are very rich to spoil even their pets.

A Triumph of Surgery Extra Questions and Answers

A Triumph of Surgery Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
How was Tricki treated in the first two days of his visit to the surgery?
Answer:
He was given a cozy bed in a warm loose box. He was kept under strict observation for first two days and given a plenty of water but no food was given to him. The cut down on his diet helped him improve a lot.

Question 2.
What made Tricki get well so soon?
Answer:
Tricki was not suffering from any disease indeed. His main ailment was his greed for overeating. When Mr Herriot gave him a controlled diet, he recovered from his lethargy caused by overeating and excessive fat.

Question 3.
Why did Mrs Pumphrey suffer in the absence of Tricki?
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey loved Tricki very much. She suffered thinking that Tricki was undergoing treatment and was to be operated on. She felt that he would not surive, if he did not see her daily.

Question 4.
What was the main cause of Tricki’s problem?
Answer:
Tricki was a greedy dog. He could never refuse to eat whatever and whenever it was given him. Only this was the main cause of Tricki’s problem.

Question 5.
Why could Tricki not be cured at home?
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey loved Tricki very much and could not be strict with him regarding his diet and exercise. Therefore, he could not be cured at home.

Question 6.
How did lunch become ‘a ceremonial occasion’ for Mr Herriot and his partners?
Answer:

• Mrs Pumphrey sent fresh eggs, two dozen at a time to build up Tricki’s strength.
• Mr Herriot and his partners began to take two eggs each in breakfast. They enjoyed it a lot.
  Then bottles of wine began to arrive to enrich Tricki’s blood. This way it became a ceremonial occasion for them, to have two glasses of wine before and during the meal.

Question 7.
‘You must harden your heart and help him on a strict diet.’ Why does Mr Herriot suggest this to Mrs Pumphrey?
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey is very loving and caring mistress for Tricki. Her love and care do more harm than good to Tricki. She pampered him by giving him a luxurious life. She overfed him. The result was that Tricki became fat and lethargic. Overpampering and overfeeding were leading into disaster by spoiling his health. Cutting down his meals was much required to improve his health. Therefore, Mr Herriot suggests Mrs Pumphrey so.

Question 8.
Why was Mr Herriot shocked at Tricki’s appearance?
Answer:
Mr Herriot was shocked at Tricki’s appearance as he had become very obese. His eyes were red and watery and his tongue was lolling. All these symptoms made Mr Herriot feel that he was not feeling well.

Question 9.
(i) What was Mrs Pumphrey’s reaction when THcki showed little enthusiasm for exertion?
(ii) What did Mrs Pumphrey do to bring Tricki back to normal health? Was she wise?
Answer:
(i) Mrs Pumphrey loved Tricki very much, naturally she was anxious after noticing that he was no more an active and energetic dog. She felt that he should be given more nutrients through his food.
(ii) She gave him malt and cod liver oil and a bowl of Horlicks to make him energetic. She gave him an extra diet of cream cakes and chocolates to make him feel better as he loved to eat all this. She was not giving him exercises as he was very weak and the gardener was not feeling well to take him for a long walk. She was not being wise in spoiling her greedy dog.

Question 10.
How was Tricki greeted at the surgery by other dogs in the beginning?
Answer:
When the household dogs at the surgery came closer to Tricki and sniffed round him for a few seconds, they found him an uninteresting object. They got bored and left him alone thinking that he could not move. After a few days of strict diet, he recovered and enjoyed playing with them, being bowled over, tramped on and squashed every few minutes. Thus, he became an accepted member of the game.

Question 11.
Describe the ‘parting scene’ between Tricki and Mrs Pumphrey’s entire household staff.
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey treated Tricki like a young pampered child, naturally it was not easy for her to part with him. She made all the possible arrangements to see that Tricki had all the comforts in the hospital. All his belongings like day bed, night bed, favourite cushions, toys and rubber rings, breakfast bowl, lunch bowl, supper bowl were sent with him. She cried pitiably at his departure and threw an armful of the little coats through window. Everyone bid him a tearful farewell.

Question 12.
How do you know that Tricki had an affluent life?
Answer:
Tricki was a pampered pet of an affluent mistress. He had a wardrobe of tweed coats with separate coats for the cold and rainy weather. He had separate beds for day and night with lovely cushions, toys, rubber rings, breakfast bowl, supper bowl and lunch bowl. All these luxury items show that he had an affluent living.

Question 13.
Why did Mrs Pumphrey make a frantic call to Mr Herriot? What immediate step did he take to save Tricki?
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey made a frantic call to Mr Herriot because her loving pet dog had stopped eating anything. He even refused to eat his favourite dishes and sweets. He became inactive and lay motionless all the time. He began panting and had bouts of vomiting. He took no interest in anything. Mr Herriot hospitalised Tricki for a fortnight and kept him on strict diet. By giving him a lot of water he was able to make Tricki active and energetic once again. Thus, he was able to save him from any kind of surgery or medicinal treatment.

Question 14.
“I think I know a cure for you.” What was the cure?
Answer:
The overeating and lack of exercise had made Tricki a very fat dog. The only cure for Tricki was to keep him on a very strict diet, that could never be done by Mrs Pumphrey. Therefore, he was to be removed from Mrs Pumphrey’s house.

Question 15.
Why was it tempting to keep Tricki in surgery as a permanent guest?
Answer:
As soon as Mrs Pumphrey came to know that Tricki was recovering rapidly, she started sending fresh eggs and brandy bottles to build up Tricki’s strength. The doctor and his friends were enjoying those eggs and brandy. Therefore, he felt the temptation to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest.

Question 16.
Why did Mrs Pumphrey keep Tricki on that extra diet? Did it help him?
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey kept Tricki on extra diet because she felt he was suffering from malnutrition and needed malt, cod-liver oil and a bowl of Horlicks. No, it didn’t help him. On the other hand, he had put on a lot of weight which made him lethargic.

Question 17.
Why was Mrs Pumphrey not able to control TVicki’s diet?
Answer:
She was not able to control his diet because according to her, he was very we^k. Secondly, he loved ice creams and chocolates. Being a very loving mistress, she could not refuse him all this.

Question 18.
Why did Mr Herriot expect a call from Mrs Pumphrey?
Answer:
On seeing the condition of Tricki, Mr Herriot was able to understand that he would be in trouble soon due to overeating and extra care in the form of his dresses and also because he was not doing any exercise. From his experience he could guess that Tricki would fall ill and he would get a call from Mrs Pumphrey.

A Triumph of Surgery Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
Mrs Pumphrey is a very loving and caring mistress for Tricki. But excess of everything is bad. Elaborate with reference to Mrs Pumphery and IHcki.
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey was a rich lady with a lot of love for her pet dog Tricki. She loved to live comfortably in a luxurious way. She took an extra care of Tricki by overfeeding him. She was not able to make out that the excess of weight and the fur coats do not allow the dog to move and play. She was so fond of her dog that she had got a wardrobe separate for daytime and night time beds, and a number of lovely fur coats. She pampered Tricki by giving him the food, that should not be given to a dog.

She could not refuse delicious and favourite food to Tricki which made him overweight and inactive. Even in the hospital, she sent him eggs and brandy. Her fondness for the dog and care were in excess. She forgot that excess of every thing is bad. She fed him like anything and made him sick. No doubt, Mrs Pumphrey was a very loving and caring mistress but her excess pampering of Tricky proved otherwise.

Question 2.
Give a brief character sketch of Mrs Pumphrey.
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey was a rich lady with a lot of love for pet dog, Tricki. She loved to live comfortably in a luxurious way. She took an extra care of Tricki by overfeeding him. She was not very intelligent as she was not able to make out that the excess of weight and the fur coats do not allow the dog to move and play. She thought that her loving pet was serious.

She was so fond of her dog that she had got a wardrobe separate for daytime and night-time beds, and a number of lovely fur coats. She pampered Tricki by giving him the food, that should not be given to a dog. She was really a loving lady as the news about the surgery of her pet dog shocked her and her eyes brimmed with tears. She could not refuse delicious and favourite food to Tricki which made him overweight and inactive. Even in the hospital, she sent him eggs and brandy. Her fondness for the dog and extra care showed that she had motherly attitude towards Tricki.

Question 3.
Write a brief character sketch of Mr Herriot, the veterinary surgeon. What impresses you the most in him? Do you think he is a good judge of human nature?
Answer:
Mr Herriot was a genius veterinary surgeon and above that he was a good human being. Mr Herriot had a deep understanding of veterinary medical science and psychology. Mr Herriot was quick to analyse the factors responsible for lack of fitness and ill health of Pumphrey. Apart from being an expert veterinary surgeon, he also had a lighter side which is evident from what he did with the eggs and brandy sent for Tricki. Hence, we can say that Mr Herriot was a successful veterinary surgeon with a caring heart for animals as well as for human beings.

Question 4.
Dr Herriot was an intelligent doctor. He had sympathy and compassion for both the patient and his
owner. He had practical approach in his treatment. Do you think doctors should be compassionate and practical like Dr Herriot? ‘
Answer:
Mr Harriot was an intelligent doctor. He had the values of sympathy and compassion. He had practical approach in his treatment. He knew how to balance the professional life and social life. He knew the human psychology. He satisfied Mrs Pumphrey who was very possessive and obsessive about Tricky. He respected her love for her dog but treated Tricki tactfully.

Yes, I feel that a doctor must be sympathetic and full of compassion for his patients. Dr Herriot is an example for all the doctors to follow. He understood the cause of and the remedy for all the diseases. He makes Mrs Pumphrey understand how she should treat Tricki. He is very modest when he says ‘you must harden . your heart and help him on a strict diet’.

Question 5.
Animals also understand the language of love. They have loving attitude towards their masters. Elaborate with reference to the story ‘A Triumph of Surgery’.
Answer:
Tricki was a very lucky dog to be looked after by a very sensitive lady Mrs Pumphrey, who looked after him like a pampered child. Tricki was fed on such delicacies and delicious food as might be a matter of jealousy for other dogs. Tricki also loved the heart that cared for him. After he had stayed with Mr Herriot for about a fortnight, he was eager to meet his mistress.

The moment he saw her come to pick him up, he rushed to her with a tremendous leap. He expressed his love for her by licking her face and barking. He was excited when he met her after sometime. He wanted to thank Mrs Pumphrey for giving him a lot of love. He was so loving and excited on meeting her that she could not hold back her tears. This behaviour of Tricki makes us realise that the animals are also grateful to their loving masters.

Question 6.
Obesity is a common problem nowadays. People live to eat and don’t eat to live. What should be our approach to our diet? Does being rich mean to eat and feed too much like Tricki and Mrs Pumphrey?
Answer:
The lethargic life led by Tricki at home makes us feel that probably he lived to eat. Tricki had become very greedy. He would never refuse to eat whatever and whenever it was given to him. His mistress overfed him to increase his intake of nutrients in order to give him vigour. But that affected adversely and made him obese and a dull dog.He suffered from the sickness called obesity.

Obesity is a common problem nowadays. People live to eat and don’t eat to live. Junk food and fast food have become a status symbol. Even students in schools bring food from branded food chains to show off. Being rich does not mean to eat too much. We should eat balanced and natural food. We should eat to earn stamina and good health and not to gain weight. We should eat to improve our health and not to spoil it.

Question 7.
Over pampering is not only bad for humans but also for animals. Do you think overpampering by parents is in favour of the children? What are the negative things that a child imbibes from overprotection and over pampering. Elaborate with reference to the story ‘A THumph of Surgery’.
Answer:
Mrs Pumphrey pampered Tricki and made him sick. Her love for her dog was in excess. She overfed him. He became so fat that he was unable to move. Her love and care made him dull. It is an example of overpampering. Overpampering is not only bad for humans but also for animals. There are many parents who pamper their children in the name of love and care. It is not in the interest of the children. They get spoiled. They never learn to be self-dependent, self-confident. They become greedy, laggy and dull in future. They are unable to face the challenges of life. Sometimes they indulge in antisocial and illegal acts knowing that their parents would save them. Hence, overpampering by parents does not help a child in the long run.