NCERT Solutions · Class 10 English · NCERT First Flight and Footprints Without Feet Footprints Without Feet · Chapter 1
Chapter 1: A Triumph of Surgery (A Triumph of Surgery)
NCERT solutions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 1: A Triumph of Surgery (2026-27). Answers to Think about it and Talk about it questions on Tricki, Mrs Pumphrey and Mr Herriot. All 7 questions are answered, with the key answer highlighted.
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?
Solution
The narrator, Mr Herriot, is a caring, sensible and practical person. He notices at once that Tricki is dangerously fat and rightly guesses that overfeeding and lack of exercise are the cause. He speaks firmly to Mrs Pumphrey ("You must harden your heart and keep him on a very strict diet"), but does not hurt her feelings.
He is also tactful. He knows she will not accept the truth easily, so he takes Tricki away to be "kept under observation" instead of telling her that the dog needs only food control and exercise. He avoids her questions about cushions and coats, and tells her only that Tricki is out of danger and convalescing. His common sense is clear in the cure: no medicine, just plain food and play with the other dogs.
Yes. He is kind, practical and tactful, and he cures Tricki by simple common sense.
Do you think Tricki was happy to go home? What do you think will happen now?
Solution
Yes, Tricki seems happy to go home. When he saw his mistress, he "took off from my arms in a tremendous leap and sailed into Mrs Pumphrey's lap", and then licked her face and barked. But he had also enjoyed his fortnight with the other dogs, so he may miss that freedom.
Now that Tricki is fit and Mrs Pumphrey has seen the result, she will probably feel grateful to Mr Herriot and may take more care. She may be more sensible about feeding him and let him exercise. (This is an opinion; the story does not say what happens next.)
Do you think this is a real-life episode, or mere fiction? Or is it a mixture of both?
Solution
It seems to be a mixture of both. The setting, the dogs' feeding time, the vet's work and the over-fond owner are true to life, and the story is told in the first person like a real memory. At the same time, some parts are exaggerated for humour, such as the "thirty feet of gleaming black metal" car, the maids bringing three bowls, the wine and brandy for "Tricki's blood", and Mrs Pumphrey's cry of "a triumph of surgery" when no surgery was done.
(This is an opinion question; a reasoned answer of this kind is accepted.)
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?
Solution
Such people are not only silly; their actions can cause real harm. Mrs Pumphrey's love made Tricki "hugely fat" and seriously ill, and she herself suffered with worry. Her servants had to run about for the dog's bed, cushions and bowls, and the eggs, wine and brandy she sent for Tricki ended up being enjoyed by the vet's household instead. An indulgent person may also spoil a child or pet so that it cannot lead a healthy, independent life. Loneliness may explain such behaviour, but it does not excuse the harm.
Do you think there are also parents like Mrs Pumphrey?
Solution
Yes, there are some. Such parents give children everything they ask for, such as sweets, fast food, gadgets and money, and cannot bear to say no. They also protect them from every difficulty. Like Tricki, these children can become unhealthy and dependent, and may not learn discipline or self-control. Real love means saying no when it is for the child's good.
What would you have done if you were: (i) a member of the staff in Mrs Pumphrey's household, (ii) a neighbour? What would your life have been like, in general?
Solution
(i) As a member of the staff, I would obey her orders politely, but I would also gently tell her that the vet's advice about diet and exercise should be followed, because the dog's health matters more than pleasing her. Life would be busy and tiring, with endless errands for the dog's beds, bowls and coats.
(ii) As a neighbour, I would be friendly and sympathetic to a lonely woman, and perhaps invite her out or offer to take Tricki for walks, so that she has company and the dog gets exercise. I would be careful not to hurt her feelings.
What would you have done if you were in the narrator's place?
Solution
I too would have first told Mrs Pumphrey clearly that Tricki needed less food and more exercise. When she failed to follow it, I would have taken the dog to my place to watch him, as the narrator did. I would keep him on plain food, water and play with other dogs, and would send her honest, regular reports. I might also have refused the wine and brandy politely, since they were meant for Tricki and not for us.
