A TRIUMPH OF SURGERY (Footprints without Feet)

About the Author 

Dr. James Herriot (3rd October 1916 – 23rd of February 1995) was a British veterinary surgeon and a great writer who wrote stories about animals and their owners. 

1. What is Mrs. Pumphery worried about? 

Mrs. Pumphery is worried about her dog ‘Tricki’ as he is unwell. He has refused to eat food and is having bouts of vomiting. She feels that he is suffering from serious health issues such as malnutrition. 

2. What did she do to help him? Is she wise to do so? 

Mrs. Pumphery starts giving him extra snacks like malt, cod liver oil and Horlicks, apart from his regular meals to improve his health. She also satisfies tricki by giving him cakes and chocolates. Basically she pampers the dog due to which it has become fat and inactive. But she was wise enough to call Mr. Herriot the veterinary surgeon to help her dog. 

3. Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?
“I” refers to Mr. Herriot the veterinary surgeon and narrator.
4. Is the narrator as rich as Tricki’s mistress?

No, the narrator is not as rich Tricki’s mistress. It can be inferred from various instances in the story- the author describes the kind of food she feeds Tricki, different accessories and clothes she keeps for Tricki and the servants in her house. 

5. How does he treat the dog? 

He treats the dog with lot of love and care. He knew that Tricki was not suffering from any disease or illness so he keeps the dog under observation and gives him no food but plenty of water, at the end of the second day Tricki starts showing some interest in its surroundings. On the third day he begins to sniffle when he hears other dogs in the yard. At the end Mr. Herriot’s treatment worked and the Tricki starts improving. 

6. Why is he tempted to keep Tricki as a permanent guest??
When Tricki was convalescing Mrs. Pumphrey begins sending dozens of eggs and bottles of brandy and wine to build up his strength. All these were not necessary for Tricki so the doctor and his staff enjoyed the delicacies therefore they were tempted to keep Tricki as a permanent guest to continue enjoying the delicacies provided by Mrs. Pumphrey for Tricki.
7. Why does Mrs. Pumphrey think the dog’s recovery is ‘a triumph of surgery’?
Mrs. Pumphrey thought that the dog’s recovery was a triumph of surgery because in two weeks Tricki had recovered completely and had transformed into a hard-muscled active animal. When Tricki saw her it leaped into her lap and licked her face. She was overwhelmed to see Tricki all well, so she says as a token of gratitude that it was a ‘triumph of surgery’.

8. 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? 

Dr. James Herriot no doubt is a competent veterinary surgeon as he is really worried about Tricki’s condition. He understands that the only fault of the dog is his greed for food. The doctor is practical and pragmatic as he doesn’t give any medical treatment to the dog instead puts the dog on a diet of only water and regular interaction with other dogs which provides plenty of exercise. He wants Tricki to lead a normal life as other dogs do, slowly Tricki starts taking interest in his surroundings and is transformed into flexible hard-muscled dog. 

9. How does Mrs. Pumphrey treat her dog? How did she add to his problems?
OR Give a character sketch of Mrs. Pumphery.
OR Tricki was not a mere dog but a part of Mrs. Pumphrey’s family? Explain with inferences.

Mrs Pumphrey was a rich lady. She pampered her dog Tricki by over feeding him and this made Tricki hugely fat. He looked like a bloated sausage. He became dull flabby and listless. Mrs. Pumphrey thought that Tricki is suffering from malnutrition, so she gave him Horlicks at night. As Tricki has a sweet tooth, Mrs. Pumphrey pampered him with cream cakes and chocolates. All this made the condition of Tricki worse. He had bouts of vomiting and kept lying all the time on the carpet without going out of the house even for a little time. Eventually Mrs. Pumphrey called the Vet to treat Tricki. When Tricki was being taken away to the Vet’s clinic she thought that Tricki would feel sad if he did not see his mistress. Finally after the dog was released she was very grateful to Mr. Herriot the Vet for his services to Tricki. 

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

Yes, Tricki was very happy to go home as he jumps onto Mrs. Pumphrey’s lap and licks her face upon seeing her. When the dog was brought to Mr. Herriot he was ill and unable to move but he got cured in two days without any medication. Proper diet and regular exercise helped a lot in his speedy recovery and the dog regained its strength. Now I think Mrs. Pumphrey will start pampering the dog once again which will again lead to the same situation. 

11. Character sketch of Tricki. 

Tricki is a small pet dog. The only fault of Tricki is his greed for food. He became rheumy and listless due to excess weight and no exercise. The narrator a Vet suggests Mrs. Pamphrey to follow a strict diet plan but Mrs Pamphrey does not do so. One day trick stops eating and becomes ill and leading to hospitalisation. At the hospital Tricki is kept on strict diet and given plenty of water. Tricki is kept in the company of other dogs and Tricki starts moving and playing with them. Within two weeks Tricki is quite normal and is sent back home. 

12. Do you think the story is a real life episode or mere fiction? Or is it a mixture of both. 

James Herriot was himself a veterinary surgeon therefore the story can be a mixture of both real life experience and some imagination of the narrator. The narrator gives a message to parents that too much of pampering is not good for the growth and development of a child. 

13. Do you think there are parents like Mrs. Pumphrey? 

Yes, there are parents like Mrs. Pumphrey who are very possessive about their children. They are examples of parents who are spoiling their children by meeting each and every demand of the child. Such pampering hinders the growth and development of the child. 

Word meanings 

1. Bloated sausage- looking swollen
2. Rheumy - watery discharge from mucous membrane especially from the nose or eyes.
3. Lolled - sit lie or stand in a lazy way.
4. Hastened - to act quickly.
5. Listless - lacking energy and enthusiasm.
6. Relent - become less severe or intense.
7. Tackle - to seize.
8. Lumbago - pain in the lower back.
9. Wrung - to squeeze.
10. Regime - a system or ordered way of doing things.
11. Tottering - staggering.
12. Tweed - a rough surfaced wooden cloth.
13. Drooping - hanging down.
14. Harness - ornamental clothes.
15. Distraught- extremely worried.
16. Bouts - a short period of intense activity of a specified kind.
17. Swooned - a partial or total loss of consciousness.
18. Pine - to lament, to feel sad.
19. Wailings - crying with pain grief or anger.
20. Surged - crowded.
21. Scrimmages - rough or confused struggle.
22. Trampled - tread on and crush.
23. Hovered - remain poised uncertainly none place or between two states.
24. Convalescing - the composition of something.
25. Constitution - the composition of something.
26. Reverently - with deep and solemn respect.
27. Gleaming - bright, shining.
28. Clasped - grasp.
29. Hurtling - to move at high speed.
30. Lithe - flexible, thin.