Footprints without Feet | CBSE Class 10 English Notes

Who wrote this story and what is it about?

"A Triumph of Surgery" is told in the first person by a veterinary surgeon who treats a small, overfed dog named Tricki.

The story is written as a light, humorous anecdote from the narrator's daily working life, drawn from the experience of a country vet who deals with pampered pets and their wealthy, indulgent owners.

The dog's owner, Mrs Pumphrey, is rich and showers Tricki with food, coats, cushions and attention.

The narrator must balance tact with firmness to save the dog's health, and the story's gentle comedy comes from the gap between the owner's anxious devotion and the vet's plain, practical methods.

The title itself is ironic: Mrs Pumphrey calls Tricki's recovery "a triumph of surgery" at the end, although the narrator never actually operates on the dog.

His real cure is starvation for two days, followed by ordinary exercise, play and company with other dogs. The humour of the story rests on this mismatch between the grand phrase and the very ordinary method that worked.

Because the piece is narrated calmly and with dry wit, readers are invited to laugh gently both at Mrs Pumphrey's fussing and at the narrator's own quiet enjoyment of the free eggs, wine and brandy that arrive at the surgery while Tricki convalesces.

Who are the characters?

Who is the narrator (the vet)?

The narrator, addressed in the story as Mr Herriot, is a veterinary surgeon who treats Tricki. He is firm when needed, telling Mrs Pumphrey she must "harden her heart" and put Tricki on a strict diet, yet he is also tactful, dodging her anxious questions about cushions and coats rather than upsetting her further.

He plans Tricki's "cure" in advance, hospitalising the dog for a fortnight with no food for two days, then letting him mix freely with the other dogs.

He clearly enjoys the unexpected perks, the eggs, wine and brandy, that Mrs Pumphrey sends, showing he is practical and not above a little mischief.

Who is Mrs Pumphrey?

Mrs Pumphrey is Tricki's wealthy, doting mistress. She wrings her hands with worry, keeps a "whole wardrobe" of coats for her dog, and is "distraught" when he will not eat.

She almost "swooned" at the idea of hospitalising him, fearing he would "pine and die" without her. Her affection is genuine but excessive; it is her overfeeding that makes Tricki ill in the first place.

At the end she is overjoyed, crying that the recovery is "a triumph of surgery."

Who is Tricki?

Tricki is Mrs Pumphrey's small pet dog, so overfed that he is "tottering" and "drooping" at the story's start, refusing food and suffering bouts of vomiting.

At the surgery, deprived of food for two days, he slowly revives, begins whimpering to join the other dogs, and is soon "fighting like a tiger for his share at mealtimes." Within a fortnight he becomes a "lithe, hard-muscled animal," transformed by ordinary exercise and companionship.

Who is Tristan?

Tristan is the narrator's colleague at the surgery. He is shown feeding the household dogs, "slopping" the food into their bowls at the usual noisy, headlong mealtime, which gives Tricki the chance to watch and eventually join in.

Who is Joe?

Joe is described as "the greyhound," one of the household dogs who immediately engulfs Tricki, rolling him over and inspecting him when he first trots out to join the pack. Joe and his friends represent the boisterous, healthy dog life that slowly cures Tricki.

What happens in the story, part by part?

The warning and Tricki's decline

The narrator warns Mrs Pumphrey sternly that unless she cuts Tricki's food and gives him more exercise, the dog "is going to be really ill," and she must "harden her heart" and keep him on a strict diet.

She promises to try, but within days Tricki refuses even his favourite food, vomits repeatedly and lies panting on a rug, uninterested in walks or anything else.

The decision to hospitalise Tricki

The narrator has already planned his cure: removing Tricki from the house for about a fortnight. Mrs Pumphrey is horrified, fearing he will "pine and die" without seeing her daily, but the narrator insists firmly that this is the only way to save him, and takes the dog without delay.

A chaotic departure

As the narrator carries Tricki to the car wrapped in a blanket, the household staff rush about bringing his day bed, night bed, cushions, toys, rubber rings and three separate feeding bowls. The car cannot hold it all;

Mrs Pumphrey even throws an armful of little coats through the window as the car pulls away, and "everybody was in tears."

Life among the surgery dogs

At the surgery, Tricki is ignored at first by the other dogs and lies motionless. He is given no food, only water, for two days.

By the third day he whimpers to join the dogs in the yard; once let out, he is "engulfed" by Joe the greyhound and the pack, and begins to follow them about.

Tricki's rapid recovery

Watching the other dogs eat at a "headlong rush," Tricki eventually gets his own bowl and joins in eagerly.

With no medicine at all, he runs about all day, is "bowled over, tramped on and squashed," becomes an accepted member of the gang, and even hunts rats in the old hen-house at night.

The narrator notes he had "never had such a time in his life."

Mrs Pumphrey's gifts

Reassured by phone that Tricki is "convalescing," Mrs Pumphrey begins sending fresh eggs two dozen at a time, then bottles of wine "to enrich Tricki's blood," and finally brandy "to put a final edge on Tricki's constitution." The narrator and his partners enjoy these unexpected luxuries at breakfast, lunch and by the fire each evening.

Tricki goes home

After a fortnight, the narrator tells Mrs Pumphrey that Tricki has recovered. Her huge car arrives; she is too anxious even to step out.

The narrator finds Tricki, now transformed into a "lithe, hard-muscled animal," bounding with the pack in the garden. When Tricki sees his mistress he leaps into Mrs Pumphrey's lap, licking her face.

In her joy she declares it "a triumph of surgery," even though no surgery was ever performed.

Why does Mrs Pumphrey call the recovery "a triumph of surgery"?

The phrase is spoken by Mrs Pumphrey herself at the very end, overwhelmed with gratitude and relief as Tricki leaps joyfully into her lap, "transformed" and healthy again. She uses the word "surgery" loosely, simply meaning the veterinary treatment Tricki received, not an actual surgical operation.

The irony the story builds towards is that Tricki's cure involved no surgery and almost no medicine at all.

The narrator's real method was withholding food for two days, then allowing the dog ordinary exercise, rough play, and competition for food among the other dogs. This simple, almost old-fashioned remedy succeeded where Mrs Pumphrey's pampering had failed.

The title therefore works as gentle comedy: a grand, technical-sounding phrase is applied to what was really just a return to a normal, active dog's life.

It also reflects how differently the dog's mistress and the narrator understand what cured Tricki, she credits "surgery," while readers know it was starvation, play and company.

This closing line sums up the story's comic tone, since it shows Mrs Pumphrey's affectionate but somewhat exaggerated way of speaking, consistent with her earlier anxious fussing over coats, cushions and bulletins throughout Tricki's stay.

What themes does the story explore?

Overindulgence can harm the one you love

Mrs Pumphrey's excessive feeding, warm coats and constant attention, meant with love, actually make Tricki seriously unwell. The story suggests that too much pampering, even when well-intentioned, can be as damaging as neglect, since Tricki becomes "tottering," listless and unable even to enjoy his favourite food.

Firmness can be an act of real kindness

The narrator must be strict with Mrs Pumphrey, telling her to "harden her heart," and he removes Tricki from the house against her wishes. This firmness, though painful for Mrs Pumphrey, is shown to be the genuinely caring choice, since it is what actually saves Tricki's health.

Health often lies in simple, natural living

Tricki is cured not by medicine or surgery but by ordinary things: hunger for two days, fresh air, rough play, competition for food, and the company of other dogs. The story quietly suggests that a normal, active life is often the best remedy for problems caused by excess.

Gentle humour and affection between humans and animals

Throughout, the narrator's warm, amused tone, and Mrs Pumphrey's anxious love for Tricki, create a story that is as much about human affection and eccentricity as about the dog himself. The eggs, wine and brandy sent "for Tricki" but enjoyed by the vets add a further layer of gentle comedy.

What tone and narrative style does Herriot use?

The story is narrated in a calm, slightly wry first-person voice that treats even dramatic moments, Mrs Pumphrey's near-swoon, the tearful departure, with amused restraint. The narrator often understates his own cleverness, simply noting he "had made my plans in advance" without describing them until they unfold.

Dialogue is used sparingly but effectively: Mrs Pumphrey's anxious exclamations ("Oh I will, Mr Herriot… but it is so difficult, so very difficult") contrast with the narrator's brisk, practical lines ("Yes, he's fine.

There's no need for you to get out of the car"). This contrast in speech patterns reinforces the gap between her emotional fussing and his calm competence.

Descriptive detail is often comic rather than purely informative: the "thirty feet of gleaming black metal" car, the three separate feeding bowls, and the growing procession of eggs, wine and brandy all build a picture of excess that the narrator records with a straight face, letting readers draw their own amused conclusions.

The final line, Mrs Pumphrey's cry about "a triumph of surgery," is placed for maximum comic irony, since readers already know the truth of Tricki's simple cure. This closing technique, letting a character's misunderstanding deliver the final humorous note, is characteristic of the narrator's light, affectionate storytelling style.

How does Tricki's life at the surgery compare with his life at home?

At home, Tricki is carried about, overfed, dressed in "a whole wardrobe" of tweed coats, and never required to exert himself. This cossetted life leaves him weak, overweight and eventually seriously unwell, unable even to manage a walk without "drooping in his harness."

At the surgery, Tricki receives no special treatment at all for the first two days, only water and no food, while he is simply left to recover among the other dogs.

Once he shows interest in his surroundings, he is allowed to run freely in the yard and garden with Joe the greyhound and the rest of the "shaggy crew."

The contrast could not be sharper: instead of cushions and favourite dishes, Tricki must now compete for his share at mealtimes and tolerate being "bowled over, tramped on and squashed" in play. Instead of being an only, pampered pet, he becomes "an accepted member of the gang."

This change in environment, from isolated luxury to the rough, shared, active life of a pack, is exactly what restores Tricki's health. The story uses this comparison to make its underlying point about the dangers of overindulgence without ever stating it directly.

What are the key quotations?

"You must harden your heart and keep him on a very strict diet." — the narrator, warning Mrs Pumphrey about Tricki's overfeeding.

"Poor old lad... You haven't a kick in you but I think I know a cure for you." — the narrator, speaking to the sick Tricki in the car.

"He had never had such a time in his life." — the narrator, describing Tricki's new active life among the other dogs.

"...fighting like a tiger for his share at mealtimes and hunting rats in the old hen-house at night." — the narrator, on Tricki's transformation.

"It was a temptation to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest..." — the narrator, admitting he enjoyed the free eggs, wine and brandy.

"Oh, Mr Herriot, how can I ever thank you? This is a triumph of surgery!" — Mrs Pumphrey, overjoyed at Tricki's recovery.

What are the answers to the textbook questions?

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? The narrator is a sensible, practical vet who diagnoses the real cause of Tricki's illness, overfeeding, and plans a firm but simple cure in advance.

He is also tactful: he dodges Mrs Pumphrey's anxious questions about cushions and coats rather than upsetting her, and he gently insists on hospitalising Tricki even against her wishes, because he knows it is necessary.

His calm, slightly amused narration also shows a good sense of humour.

2. Do you think Tricki was happy to go home? What do you think will happen now? Tricki does seem happy to see his mistress again, leaping into her lap and licking her face joyfully.

However, since he returns to the same home where he was overfed and under-exercised before, it is likely that, without a change in Mrs Pumphrey's habits, his old problems of overeating and lack of exercise could return in time.

3. Do you think this is a real-life episode, or mere fiction? Or is it a mixture of both? The story reads like a real-life episode drawn from a working vet's experience, since the details, Tricki's symptoms, the staff's chaotic packing, the eggs and wine, feel specific and lived-in rather than purely invented.

It is likely a mixture of both: a genuine kind of incident from veterinary practice, retold and shaped with comic exaggeration for effect.

Talk about it: Can indulgent behaviour like Mrs Pumphrey's cause harm, or is it merely silly? The story shows that such behaviour is not merely silly, it genuinely harms Tricki's health, making him seriously unwell through overfeeding and lack of exercise, even though Mrs Pumphrey's affection is sincere.

Are there also parents like Mrs Pumphrey? The story invites readers to recognise that some parents, like Mrs Pumphrey, may overindulge children out of love or loneliness, without realising that too much comfort and too little discipline can cause real harm.

What would you have done as a staff member or neighbour? A sensible staff member might gently encourage more exercise and less food for Tricki, while a neighbour might tactfully raise concerns, much as the narrator does, balancing honesty with kindness towards Mrs Pumphrey.

What would you have done in the narrator's place? Like the narrator, one would likely need to be firm about removing Tricki temporarily, while managing Mrs Pumphrey's anxiety carefully, since her cooperation was essential to Tricki's recovery.

Glossary

• Sausage — finely minced meat stuffed into long cylindrical cases and divided into small lengths by twisting or tying.
• Rheumy — describing eyes affected by a watery discharge from a mucous membrane, often a sign of being unwell.
• Listless — lacking energy and enthusiasm, showing no interest in activity or surroundings.
• Lumbago — muscular pain felt in the lower part of the back, in the lumbar region.
• Regime — a prescribed, carefully planned course of exercise and diet that must be followed strictly.
• Distraught — extremely worried and upset, unable to remain calm.
• Surgery — a place where a doctor, dentist or veterinary surgeon examines and treats patients.
• Scrimmage — a rough or confused struggle or scuffle, as among playing animals.
• Convalescing — gradually recovering from an illness and regaining health and strength.
• Lithe — slim, supple and flexible in body and movement.
• Tottering — walking unsteadily, as if about to fall, from weakness.
• Engulfed — completely surrounded or swallowed up, as Tricki is by the other dogs.

Common errors and misconceptions

• Misconception: The narrator performs an actual surgical operation on Tricki. Correct: No surgery takes place; the cure is simply no food for two days, followed by exercise and company with other dogs.
• Misconception: Mrs Pumphrey is a cruel or careless owner. Correct: She is loving but overindulgent; her excessive care, not neglect, makes Tricki ill.
• Misconception: Tricki recovers because of medicine. Correct: The text states he had "no medicinal treatment of any kind"; recovery comes from diet change and activity.
• Misconception: Tricki dislikes his time at the surgery. Correct: He becomes an "accepted member of the gang" and is described as never having had "such a time in his life."
• Misconception: The eggs, wine and brandy are consumed by Tricki. Correct: They are sent for Tricki's benefit but are actually enjoyed by the narrator and his partners at meals.
• Misconception: The narrator refuses to take Tricki without Mrs Pumphrey's agreement. Correct: He insists firmly and takes Tricki "without delay," despite her distress.

Exam-style questions with model answers

Q1. Why did the narrator decide to hospitalise Tricki? [2 marks]

1. Tricki had stopped eating, was vomiting repeatedly and lay listlessly all day.
2. The narrator believed removing him from Mrs Pumphrey's overindulgent household for about a fortnight was the only way to cure him.

Q2. What did Mrs Pumphrey send to the surgery while Tricki was convalescing? [2 marks]

1. She sent fresh eggs, two dozen at a time, to build up Tricki's strength.
2. She also sent bottles of wine, to "enrich Tricki's blood," and later brandy to put "a final edge on Tricki's constitution."

Q3. Describe how Tricki changed during his fortnight at the surgery. [4 marks]

1. At first Tricki was listless, ignored by the other dogs, and lay motionless on the carpet.
2. After two days without food, he began whimpering to join the dogs in the yard.
3. He then started running and playing with the pack, eventually fighting "for his share at mealtimes" and hunting rats at night.
4. By the end, he had become a "lithe, hard-muscled animal," keeping up well with the other dogs in the garden.

Q4. What does Mrs Pumphrey's behaviour reveal about her as a person? [4 marks]

1. She is extremely affectionate towards Tricki, keeping a whole wardrobe of coats and anxious bulletins about his health.
2. She is prone to exaggerated worry, almost swooning at the suggestion of hospitalising her dog.
3. Her care, though sincere, is overindulgent, and it is this very overindulgence that makes Tricki ill.
4. At the end, her relief and gratitude are genuine, shown by her tears and the warmth of her cry, "This is a triumph of surgery!"

Q5. Describe the irony of the story's title, "A Triumph of Surgery," with reference to Tricki's actual cure. [5 marks]

1. Mrs Pumphrey calls Tricki's recovery "a triumph of surgery" because she believes the narrator's medical skill restored her dog's health.
2. In reality, no surgery is performed on Tricki at any point in the story.
3. The actual cure is simple: the narrator withholds food for two days to deal with the effects of overfeeding.
4. Tricki's health then improves through ordinary exercise, play and rough company with the other dogs at the surgery, not through medicine or operation.
5. The title is therefore ironic, since a grand phrase is used by Mrs Pumphrey to describe what was really a return to a simple, active, natural way of life for Tricki, which gives the story its gentle, closing humour.

Q6. How did the other dogs at the surgery help Tricki recover? [3 marks]

1. Joe the greyhound and his friends engulfed and inspected Tricki, drawing him out of his listlessness.
2. Their noisy, competitive mealtimes encouraged Tricki to want to eat again, eventually earning him his own bowl.
3. Their rough play, being "bowled over, tramped on and squashed," gave Tricki the exercise he had never had before.

Q7. Why does the narrator warn Mrs Pumphrey about Tricki's health at the start of the story? [2 marks]

1. Tricki had been overfed and under-exercised, leaving him dangerously unwell.
2. The narrator warns that unless his food is cut and exercise increased, Tricki "is going to be really ill."

Q8. What does the story suggest about the care of pets? [3 marks]

1. Excessive feeding and pampering, even out of love, can seriously harm an animal's health.
2. Firm, sensible treatment, even when painful for the owner, can be the kindest real course of action.
3. Ordinary exercise, proper diet and the company of other animals can restore health better than luxury or indulgence.

Key takeaways

• Tricki falls seriously ill because of Mrs Pumphrey's overfeeding and his lack of exercise.
• The narrator hospitalises Tricki for a fortnight, firmly insisting despite Mrs Pumphrey's distress.
• At the surgery, Tricki receives no food for two days, only water, to counter his overfeeding.
• Joe the greyhound and the other dogs draw Tricki into play, exercise and competitive mealtimes.
• Tricki recovers completely with no medicinal treatment of any kind, only diet and activity.
• Mrs Pumphrey sends eggs, wine and brandy for Tricki, which the narrator and his partners enjoy.
• Tricki returns home transformed into a "lithe, hard-muscled animal."
• Mrs Pumphrey calls the recovery "a triumph of surgery," though no surgery actually took place.

Test yourself

What two symptoms showed that Tricki was seriously unwell?

Tricki refused even his favourite food and suffered repeated bouts of vomiting.

How long did the narrator keep Tricki at the surgery?

He kept Tricki at the surgery for about a fortnight, as he had originally suggested to Mrs Pumphrey.

What treatment did Tricki receive for the first two days?

He was given no food, only plenty of water, while he rested in a warm loose box.

Who is Joe?

Joe is the greyhound among the surgery's household dogs who immediately engulfs and inspects Tricki when he first joins the pack.

What three gifts did Mrs Pumphrey send to the surgery for Tricki?

She sent fresh eggs, bottles of wine and, finally, brandy, believing each would help Tricki's recovery.

How does Tricki behave when he sees his mistress on his return home?

He leaps from the narrator's arms in a tremendous bound and sails into Mrs Pumphrey's lap, licking her face and barking.

Why is the title "A Triumph of Surgery" ironic?

No surgery is performed; Tricki is cured simply by withholding food and then giving him ordinary exercise and company.