FOOTPRINTS WITHOUT FEET
CHAPTER -1 A TRIUMPH OF SURGERY By James Herriot
Ø James Herriot stops his car and sees the poor health of Mrs Pumphrey’s dog, Tricki.
Ø He advises Mrs Pumphrey to put Tricki on a strict diet and make him exercise daily. Ø Mrs Pumphrey continues to overfeed Tricki, which worsens his condition.
Ø She calls Herriot for help on noticing Tricki’s deteriorating health. Ø Herriot decides to hospitalise Tricki for a fortnight to treat him.
Ø Tricki’s hospitalisation left Mrs Pumphrey and the helpers at home in tears.
Ø Tricki was kept on a strict diet in the hospital. His diet was increased according to the improvements he showed.
Ø Mrs Pumphrey’s anxiousness about Tricki’s health went away on learning that Tricki was convalescing satisfactorily.
Ø She started to send eggs, wine and brandy for Tricki to enrich his blood and improve his health.
Ø These items were instead enjoyed by James Herriot and his partner.
Ø Tricki was transformed from a weak fat dog to a hard-muscled and agile one.
Ø James Herriot calls Mrs Pumphrey to come and take Tricki home
1. “Herriot is dutiful doctor who cared for other’s emotions more than his personal interests.” Prove the statement.
2. Do you think there are also parents like Mrs Pumphery? Give reasons for your answer.
CHAPTER -2 THE THIEF STORY By Ruskin Bond
Ø Anil was 25 years old writer but a very careless person. He was struggling to write for earning money to run his life.
Ø One day Anil befriends Hari. Anil promised Hari that he would teach him how to write, add numbers and how to cook tasty food. Now both were living together happily.
Ø One day Hari saw Anil keeping a bundle of notes under the mattress.
Ø That night Hari stole the bundle of notes and ran away from there for the railway station to board a train to Lucknow. But, he missed it. Suddenly it started raining and Hari Singh was completely wet.
Ø There was a conflict in his mind. He did not want to betray the faith of Anil.. He felt guiltier as he had cheated an innocent person.
Ø Hari Singh had a change of heart. He decided to return to Anil and keep the money under the pillow.
Ø The next morning, Anil offered Hari Singh Rs. 50 and told him he would now be paid regularly
Ø He realized that the note was still wet from the rain last night. Hari got to know that Anil had come to know about his misdeed but there was no sadness, anger or guilt in his mind.
Ø Moral : Human values and relations are important in life and such values can change a person too.
Ø The Thief by Ruskin Bond, is based on the theme of friendship, betrayal, aspirations, connection, trust, guilt, change, kindness, loyalty, revenge and honesty.
1. Love, human sympathy and education can transform even a thief. Anil brings such a change in Hari Singh. How?
2. How did Hari Singh come into contact with Anil? Hari Singh breached Anil’s trust in him .Why did Anil not only forgive him but also promised to pay him regularly?
CHAPTER 3 : FOOTPRINTS WITHOUT FEET by H G Wells
Ø The story is about a scientist named Griffin who had discovered a rare drug that made him invisible.
Ø One day two boys noticed the footprints of someone (Griffin) and followed those until those became invisible.
Ø First, Griffins entered a mall, wore some warm clothes and ate cold meat and drank some coffee.
Ø Later he went to a grocery store but in the morning when some of the store assistants had seen him, he quickly threw away all the clothes he was wearing and became invisible again.
Ø He then decided to steal clothes from a theatre company and stole bandages for his face, dark glasses, false nose and a hat for covering himself.
Ø He then hit the shopkeeper and stole all his money. Soon he realized that London is too crowded to live like this, he came to stay at an inn at the Iping village.
There he stole money from people and also hit the landlord and his wife Mrs and Mr Hall.
Ø Then the village constable Mr Jaffers was asked for help. Mr. Jaffers. The constable also found out that he would have to arrest a man who did not have a head.
Ø They were unable to catch Griffin as he removed all his clothes and became invisible. He even knocked out Jaffers as he tried to catch him.
1. What extra ordinary things happened at the inn?
2. Griffins was not a true scientist as he misused his scientific discovery. Substantiate by giving two incidents from the story.
3. What makes you think that Griffin was a lawless person?
4. Discoveries of science can be used for welfare as well as for destruction. How is this applicable to Griffin’s scientific discovery?
CHAPTER 6 – THE MAKING OF A SCIENTIST by Robert W. Peterson
Ø At the age of 22, Richard. H. Ebright excited the world of science with a new theory on cells
Ø Richards scientific career started with butterflies, he collected butterflies when he was in Kindergarten.
Ø His mother encouraged his interest in learning, took him on trips, bought telescopes, microscopes, cameras and other equipments.
Ø His father died very young and his mother became his only companion and motivator.
Ø By the time Richard was in the 2nd grade, he had collected 25 species of butterflies found around his hometown.
Ø His mother gifted him a children's book called The Travels of Monarch X.
Ø The book described how Monarch butterflies migrated to Central America and opened the world of science for Richard Ebright.
Ø Ebright raised a flock of butterflies in his basement .He sent tagged butterflies to Dr Urquhart, the writer of the book .
Ø In the 7th grade, he entered the County Science Fair and lost .
Ø He wrote to Dr Urquhart for new ideas and received many suggestions for experiments.
Ø The next year, his science fair project was to test the theory that Viceroy butterflies copied Monarch butterflies. The project was placed 1st in the Zoology division and the 3rd overall in the County Science Fair.
Ø In his 2nd year in high school, Richard Ebright discovered an unknown insect hormone.
Ø He and his friend showed that tiny gold spots on butterflies produced a hormone that was necessary for the butterfly's full development.
Ø This project won Ebright 1st place in the county fair and an entry into the International Science and Engineering Fair.
Ø He grew cells from a monarch butterfly's wing in a culture, was able to identify the hormone’s chemical structure, showed how the cell can 'read' the blueprint of its DNA .
Ø Richard graduated from Harvard with highest honours, 2nd in his class of 1,516.
Ø His other interests-was a champion debater, good canoeist, and an expert photographer.
Ø Richard had a great admiration for his social studies teacher, Richard .A. Weiherer, who opened his mind to new ideas.
Ø He was competitive but not in a bad sense. He wanted to be the best.
Ø The Travels Monarch X opened the world of science to him and he never lost his scientific curiosity after that.
Ø Main ingredients in making of a scientist our curiosity, first-rate mind and will to win for the right reasons.
Ø
1. Explain the importance of mother in a child's life with reference to the chapter' The Making of a Scientist’ and your own ideas.
2. Who were the important people in Richard Ebright's life and why?
3. What are the essential qualities for becoming a scientist?
CHAPTER-5 THE NECKLACE by Guy De Maupassant
Ø Matilda, an ordinary woman, unhappy with her monotonous simple life, dreams of grandeur all the time.
Ø M. Loisel, Matilda’s husband, is satisfied with what he has. He is also happy being a clerk.
Ø Loisels get invited to a ball at the Minister of Public Instruction’s place.
Ø Loisel thinks that his wife would be happy to know about the invitation to the ball.
Ø Matilda is displeased and refused to go as she does not have a dress to wear to the ball.
Ø Her husband offers to buy her a dress for four hundred francs.
Ø Matilda buy a good dress but is still unhappy as she has no jewel to complement the beautiful dress.
Ø Her husband suggests borrowing jewels from her friend, Mme Forestier.
Ø Mme Forestier lends Matilda a diamond necklace.
Ø Matilda becomes a celebrity at the ball party as everyone admires her beauty.
Ø Unfortunately, the couple discovers the necklace is lost as they reach home.
Ø M Loisel contacts the police, cab offices, advertises to award the finder of the necklace but to no avail. They decide to buy a new necklace to replace it.
Ø M Loisel collects 18000 francs and they borrow eighteen thousand more to pay for the necklace.
Ø The couple spends ten years to pay back the debt, working day and night and suffering from dire poverty.
Ø Ten years of poverty and misery render them old and weary.
Ø M Loisel meets Mme Forestier one day and narrates the story of the necklace.
Ø Mme Forestier informs her necklace was worth just five hundred Francs. The story focuses that one should be content and satisfied with their belongings and not crave for expensive items that are not within their economical capabilities. Extreme desire for lavish items leads to unhappiness and loss of peace of mind.
1. What did Matilda often dream of?
2. Describe Mme Loisel’s success at the ball.
3. What was the cause of Matilda’s ruin? How could she avoid it?
4. Extreme desire for lavish items leads to unhappiness and loss of peace of mind. Elucidate it with refer- ence to the story’ The Necklace’.
CHAPTER- 8 BHOLI by K. A. Abbbas
Ø The story is about a little girl named Sulekha who was called ‘Bholi’ for being as simpleton.
Ø Her father Ramlal was always worried about her as she stammered and had pockmarks on her face.
Ø One day, at the request of the Tehsildar of their village Ramlal agreed to send Bholi to school.
Ø In the school, Bholi met a teacher who was very kind and polite to her. She encouraged her to study and speak with confidence. This filled hope in Bholi.
Ø Years passed and Bholi’s parents decided to marry her to a lame old man who was a widower but was rich and had not demanded any dowry.
Ø On the wedding day, the groom demanded dowry of Rs.5000 as Bholi had pock marks on her face.
Ø Bholi could not bear all this and refused to marry a greedy old man. People accused her of being shameless. The marriage ceremony ended without Bholi getting married.
Ø Her father was surrounded by grief as now no one would marry her and what would she do in future.
Ø To this, she replied that she would take care of her parents when they grew old and would teach in her school. Her teacher, who was quietly watching all this, felt proud of her decision.
Ø
The major theme of the story Bholi is the impact of family on children. Bholi is a little girl who fails to develop self-confidence because of her
parents’ attitude towards her. The story hints at why family support
and emotional security are essential for proper development of a child. Also, disabled children must be given encouragement, love and, education like their normal counterparts.
1. Why was Ramlal worried
about his daughter Bholi and not about
his other children?
2. How does Bholi’s teacher play an
important role in changing Bholi’s course of life?
3. How significant is the education,that Bholi received, to her life and decisions?
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