DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL, PALI

SUBJECT- ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE

CLASS – X
Chapter - 1 ( A Triumph of Surgery)
Extra Question and Answers
Short Answer Type Questions
1. What makes you know that Mrs. Pumphrey was a rich lady?
Answer: Mrs. Pumphrey was a wealthy lady as she had many servants and maids also had a
pet. She used to feed her pet with a lot of dishes, sweets and snacks. Moreover, she had a
separate room and wardrobe for her pet. All these things show that she was a rich lady.
2. Why did Mrs. Pumphrey calls the doctor?
Or
Why did Mrs. Pumphrey takes Tricki to the doctor?
Answer: Tricki was not eating anything for the past few days. He had refused even dishes and
had bouts of vomiting. Moreover, he was spending his time lying on a rug; panting-He was not
going for walks. All these symptoms forced Mrs. Pumphrey to visit the doctor.
3. How does Dr. Herriot treats Tricki?
Answer: Dr. Herriot cut down Tricki food and made him exercise. For the first three days jobs
didn’t give him food but only water. He did not give any medicinal treatment but made him all
day with the dogs. He discovered the joys of being bowled over, tramped on and squashed
every few minutes. He enjoyed a lot along with his recovery.
4. Why were the household dogs not interested in Tricki initially?
Answer: Tricki was a newcomer in the house. Moreover, Tricki was very lethargic to play with
them He was not comfortable there. But after a few days, Tricki started enjoying them. He
discovered the joys of being bowled over, tramped on and squashed every few minutes. He
became an accepted member of the gang.
5. Why was Dr. Herriot confident that Tricki will be in hospital soon?
Answer: Tricki was tottering (move in an unsteady way) slowly in the house. He was not eating
anything, not even his favorite dishes and besides, he had bouts of vomiting. Dr. Herriot was
sure that if his food was not cut down and more exercise was not given to him, he would be
really ill soon.
6. Why was the entire staff of Mrs. Pumphrey at work while Tricki was going to the
hospital?
Answer: Tricki was Mrs. Pumphrey beloved dog, and when he was going to the hospital, the
entire staff got to work. His day and night beds, favorite cushions, toys and rubber rings, and
food bowls were loaded into the narrator’s car by them.
7. What was the cause of Tricki’s ailment?
Or
What was the main cause of `Tricki’s ill-health’?
Answer: Tricki was overfed by Mrs. Pumphrey. He became hugely fat and inactive. He was
pampered with a lot of cream cakes, chocolates and Hot links. This was the main cause of his
illness.
8. Why did Mr. Herriot ask Mrs. Pumphrey to admit Tricki in a hospital?
Answer: Dr. Herriot asked Mrs. Pumphrey to admit Tricki in a hospital because instead of
cutting down upon his food and making him exercise, she was pampering him.
9. Why did Mrs. Pumphrey treats Tricki in a special way?
Answer: Mrs. Pumphrey was an extremely rich lady but was foolishly indulgent in pampering her
dog, Tricki. She served him with cream cakes, chocolates and cod-liver oil. She did so because
she treated Tricki like her son.
10. Why was Dr. Herriot worried about Tricki?
Answer: Dr. Herriot was worried about Tricki because he had become hugely fat and inactive.
He suggested to Mrs. Pumphrey to cut down his food and give him some exercise but she was
reluctant to do so.
11. Why was Tricki sent to the hospital?
Answer: Tricki had become sluggish as he had grown so fast that it became difficult for him to
walk. He started panting all the time, kept on vomiting and stopped eating. He seemed very ill
so he was hospitalized.
12. What was Mrs. Pumphrey’s reaction when Tricki showed little enthusiasm for
exertion?
Answer: She was shocked and worried. She thought that Tricki was seriously ill. She thought
that he had been suffering from malnutrition.
13. What did she do to bring him back to normal health? Was she successful?
Answer: To bring Tricki to normal health she started giving him a beer and cod-liver oil. She also
gave him a bowl of Horlicks at night to make him sleep. But she was not successful because all
these things put an adverse effect on the little dog.
14. What was Mr. Herriot’s strict advice? Did Mrs. Pumphrey heed his advice? What
excuses did she make?
Answer: Mr. Herriot’s strict advice was to cut down on sweet things and to give him plenty of
exercises. But Mrs. Pumphrey did not heed (pay attention) to this advice. She thought Tricki
was weak. So she was giving him cream cakes and chocolates. Tricki had very little exercise
because the gardener was unwell.
15. Why did Mrs. Pumphrey make a frantic (anxiety with fear) call to Mr. Herriot?
Answer: Mrs. Pumphrey made a frantic call to Mr. Herriot because Tricki was seriously ill. He
ate no food. He refused even his favorite dishes. He had bouts of vomiting. He liked to do
nothing.
16. Describe the `parting scene’ between Tricki and Mrs. Pumphrey’s household.
Answer: Mrs. Pumphrey was wailing. The entire staff was roused (awakened). The maids
rushed in and out bringing his beds and bowls to the doctor’s car. When the doctor drove the
car away everybody in the house was in tears.
17. The household dogs at the surgery rejected Tricki as “uninteresting objects.” Why?
Answer: At the surgery the household dogs surrounded Tricki. He looked at them with dull eyes.
The other dogs sniffed him but he did not give any response. So they found him as an
uninteresting object and rejected him.
18. How did he become an accepted member of the gang and start enjoying the company
of other dogs?
Answer: After two or three days Tricki’s health began to improve rapidly. He started mixing-up
with other dogs. He enjoyed playing different games with the other dogs. In this way, he became
an accepted member of the gang. He enjoyed their company.
19. Describe the small dog Tricki.
Answer: Tricki was a small dog of a rich lady Mrs. Pumphrey. She loved him too much. Because
of overfeeding, he looked like a bloated sausage. He had become hugely fat. He had bloodshot
and rheumy eyes.
20. What did Mrs. Pumphrey thinks her dog suffered from? How did she try to help him?
Answer: Mrs. Pumphrey’s dog Tricki was dull and listless. She thought that he suffered from
malnutrition. So she gave him malt and cod-liver oil between meals. She gave him a bowl of
Horlicks at night.
21. What was the real disease that Tricki was suffering from?
Answer: Actually, Tricki didn’t have physical disease. He had a vomiting problem because of
overfeeding. He was lazy because he did not have any physical exercise.
22. What was Mrs. Pumphrey’s reaction when the doctor said that Tricki must be taken to
the hospital for a fortnight?
Answer: Hearing this from the doctor’s mouth she almost swooned. She was sure that Tricki
would pine and die if he did not see her every day.
23. How did the gang of the household dogs accept Tricki as their member?
Answer: After two or three days Tricki mixed-up with the household dogs. He had a lot of fun
and exercise there. He ran about with the dogs. He enjoyed being bowled over, tramped on and
squashed. Thus they accepted him as their member.
24. Why did Dr. Herriot try to sound severe when he gave strict instructions to Mrs.
Pumphrey about Tricki?
Answer: Dr. Herriot knew the real cause of Tricki’s problems. He found that the only fault of
Tricki was his greed for food. So, he gave strict instructions to Tricki’s mistress, Mrs. Pumphrey.
He asked her to cut his food right down. He also recommended giving him more exercise and
keeping him on a very strict diet.
25. What plans did Dr. Herriot make to get Tricki out of the house?
Answer: Dr. James Herriot realised that as long as Tricki was with Mrs. Pumphrey, he would be
miserable. He suggested to her that Tricki must be hospitalised for a fortnight. He would be
under his observation. The lady almost fainted on hearing this, but Dr. Herriot took a firm line.
He insisted that the dog was ill and it was the only way of saving him.
26. How did Mrs. Pumphrey react when she heard from the doctor that Tricki needed to
be hospitalised for a fortnight?
Answer: When Dr. Herriot informed Mrs. Pumphrey that Tricki was to be kept under his
Supervision, Mrs. Pumphrey almost fainted on hearing this. It was extremely difficult for her to
be away from her pampered pet for a fortnight. She agreed only after Dr. Herriot told her that
that was the only way of saving Tricki.
27. How was Tricki treated at the surgery?
Answer: Dr. Herriot gave no medical treatment to Tricki. He realised that the only problem of
Tricki was his greed for food. For two days, he kept an eye on him. He gave him no food but
plenty of water. He made up a bed for him in a warm loose box next to where other dogs slept.
28. Describe the gradual progress of Tricki at the surgery.
Answer: Tricki’s main problem was his greed for food. For two days, Dr. Herriot gave no food
but plenty of water to the dog. On the first day, Tricki lay motionless on the carpet. On the
second day, he started showing some interest in his surroundings. On the third day, he began to
whimper when he heard the dogs in the yard. From then on, his progress was rapid. He started
for his share of food and hunting rats at night.
Long Answer Type Questions
1. Herriot enjoyed the lavish (costly) meal during Tricki’s stay but still, he felt compelled
(forced to do something) to inform Mrs. Pumphrey about the recovery of Tricki. Why did
he not keep Tricki for a longer time? Did he feel concerned for Mrs. Pumphrey? Was it
not in his attitude to break the trust of others. Discuss the values he possessed in 100-
120 words.
Answer: Tricki was a fat dog, the pet of Mrs. Pumphrey. He became listless and seemed to
have no energy and fell ill. So, Mrs. Pumphrey called the veterinary surgeon, Dr. Herriot for
help. Dr. Herriot took Tricki to his surgery. He kept an eye on him for two days and gave him no
food but plenty of water. At the end of the second day, he started showing some interest in his
surroundings and on the third day, began to whimper (cry) on the sound of dogs.
During his stay at the surgery, Mrs. Pumphrey started to bring round fresh eggs to a dozen at a
time. She also sent bottles of wine and brandy for Tricki’s health. But that was consumed by Mr.
Herriot and his partners. Hence, Herriot enjoyed the stay of Tricki. He did not want to keep Tricki
for a longer time because he felt concerned for Mrs. Pumphrey. He did not want to separate the
pet from his owner. He could understand Mrs. Pumphrey’s concern for the little dog. So he
returned him back.
2. The chapter shows the silly(lack of commonsense) and negligent (careless) behaviour
of rich people like Mrs. Pumphrey who may harm their near and dear ones by their extra
caring nature. Tricki declined health was the outcome of Mrs. Pumphrey’s over-caring
nature. Do you think such people’s actions can prove to be fatal (harmful) for the health
of their kinds? What values would you suggest to such people to emulate in themselves
and why? Write your answer in 100-120 words.
Answer: Mrs. Pumphrey was a wealthy lady with a fat pet dog named Tricki. Tricki was too dear
to Mrs. Pumphrey. Hence, she took extra care of him. She had pampered the dog with all kinds
of comforts. The dog had many coats worn according to the weather, had different cushions for
his comfort and also had various dishes to eat. Some extras between meals were given to him,
some malt, cod- liver oil and a bowl of Horlicks at night to make him sleep.
He was also given cream cakes and chocolates. This made him fat and lethargic. He became
hugely fat like a bloated sausage. His eyes bloodshot and rheumy, stared straight ahead and
his tongue lolled from his jaws. I think Mrs Pumphrey’s extra-caring nature resulted in Tricki’s
declined health. Such an attitude can result in fatal health of their kind. One should not over
care for them. Exercise and proper meal are important for one’s health. The same was taken
care by Dr. Herriot, which resulted in the speedy recovery of Tricki.
3. “He had never been known to refuse food; he would tackle a meal at any hour of the
day or night.” Herriot believed that Tricki’s problem was his greed. Did he lack tolerance?
What values would you like Tricky to imbibe? Elucidate.
Answer: Dr. Herriot was not entirely wrong in believing that Tricki’s problem was greed. Tricki
was indeed greedy, but Mrs. Pumphrey only made matters worse by stuffing him with rich food.
Herriot did not lack intolerance; he was just stating the obvious. Tricki’s ill-health made him
concerned, and he made the observation as a veterinary doctor. Tricki, on the other hand,
needed to exercise control on his eating habits. It would have been good if he did not greedily
gobble up everything that was placed in front of him. Mrs. Pumphrey herself reveals that Tricki
loved cream cakes and chocolates very much. Thus, Tricki ought to have been less gluttonous
(excessively greedy) and luxury-loving, and behaved more like a dog!
4. Herriot seems to be a duty-bound doctor who values others ’emotions’ than his
personal interests. Elucidate the above statement. Mention those values of Herriot which
you would like to emulate in yourself also and give reasons for the same. Write your
answer in 100-120 words.
Answer: Herriot was a duty-bound veterinary doctor. He used to visit Mrs. Pumphrey’s house
regularly for the regular check-up of her dog Tricki. Mrs. Pumphrey was a very rich lady who
had pampered her dog. Dr Herriot was quite worried about Tricki health. He knew that the dog
was over-fed by his owner. He advised Mrs. Pumphrey to keep him on a rich diet and give him a
lot of exercises. But she didn’t bother. Hence, in order to improve Tricki health, he decided to
take him away from Mrs. Pumphrey. He told her that ‘Tricki needed surgery. He made a Tricki
cut down his diet and made him do certain exercises which improve his health. Although he
knew Mrs. Pumphrey was very rich and much attached to the dog, he did not take any
advantage of it. He just performed his duties and should also learn the same values in our life.
5. How did Mrs. Pumphrey keep her dog? How did she add to his problems?
Or
Tricki was more a member of Mrs. Pumphrey’s family than a mere dog. Explain, giving an
example from the text.
Answer: Mrs. Pumphrey was a rich lady. She pampered her dog Tricki. She overfed him. She
gave him a nutritious diet. This made him hugely fat. He looked like a bloated sausage. He
became dull, flabby. lazy and listless. She thought that he had been suffering from malnutrition.
So she gave him malt and cod-liver oil between meals. She gave him Horlicks at night. In spite
of the doctor’s advice, she gave him cream cakes and chocolate. All these things made his
condition worse. He had bouts of vomiting. He kept lying all the time on the carpet. He did not
want to go out of the house even for a little time.
6. How did Herriot save Tricki’s life?
Answer: Tricki was seriously ill. He refused food. He had bouts of vomiting. Mrs. Pumphrey was
very much worried about him. She called Mr. Herriot who was a vet. Herriot and knew Tricki’s
disease well. He told Mrs. Pumphrey that the dog must be hospitalized for a fortnight
immediately. He carried the dog in his car to his surgery. There he put him in a separate room.
He was given no food for two days but plenty of water. After two days the dog felt better. He
started enjoying games with other dogs. In this way, Herriot cured Tricki of his illness without
any medicine or surgery.
7. Write a character-sketch of Mrs. Pumphrey.
Answer: Mrs. Pumphrey was a very wealthy lady. She was very loving to her dog Tricki. She
pampered overfed him. She gave him much nutritious food. Tricki was very greedy. He never
refuses food. This made him hugely fat and lazy. Mrs. Pumphrey was much worried about him.
She thought that he was suffering from malnutrition and she gave him more food for energy.
She almost swooned Herriot told her that Tricki must be hospitalized for a fortnight. She thought
that Tricki would pine and die if he did not see his mistress even for a single balance and was
very grateful to Herriot for his services to Tricki.
8. Write a character-sketch of Tricki.
Answer: Tricki was a small dog. He was pampered and overfed by his mistress. He was given
much nutritious food. He was greedy enough to refuse food at any time. He liked eating cream
cakes and chocolates. This made him hugely fat. He looked like a bloated (swollen) sausage.
He had bloodshot and rheumy eyes. He became dull, flabby, lazy and listless. He was seriously
sick. He had bouts of vomiting. He was taken to Herriot’s surgery. There he was given no food
for two days. He had a lot of exercises to do. This made him quite fit. He loved his mistress very
much. His mistress said about him that he would pine and die if he did not see her even for a
single day.
9. Mrs. Pumphrey says, “This is ‘A Triumph of Surgery’. Why did she say so? Did she
know what ‘, Ticki’s ailment was?
Answer: Tricki was seriously ill. He refused food. He had bouts of vomiting. Mrs. Pumphrey was
very much worried about him. She called Dr. Herriot who was a vet surgeon. Dr. Herriot knew
about Tricki’s disease. He took the dog to his surgery. He gave Tricki no food for two days. He
gave him a lot of exercises. When Mrs. Pumphrey went to Dr. Herriot’s surgery to take Tricki
back she found him totally transformed. He had been very lazy and flabby. But now he had
been transformed into a lithe and hard-muscled animal. All this made him say, “This is ‘A
Triumph of Surgery’. No, Mrs. Pumphrey did not know about Tricki’s ailment. She also did not
know how he was cured.
10. Mrs. Pumphrey, the overindulgent and caring mistress of Tricki, pampers her pet dog
like a spoilt child. Comment.
Answer: Mrs. Pumphrey was a fabulously rich and resourceful lady with a large number of
servants and maids. She was passionately attached to her little pet dog, Tricki. She was very
worried about Tricki’s miserable condition. Tricki had become hugely fat and listless. She
thought he was suffering from malnutrition. So, she started giving Tricki malt, cod-liver oil and a
bowl of Horlicks at night.
Being overindulgent, Mrs Pumphrey even ignored Dr. Herriot’s advice. The doctor knew that
Tricki’s only fault was his greed for food. He had advised Mrs Pumphrey to cut down food and
sweets for Tricki. He also advised her to give him plenty of exercises. The dog was to be kept
on a very strict diet. For Mrs. Pumphrey, it was very difficult for her because she pampered
Tricki like a spoilt child. This only compounded Tricki’s misery. His condition worsened. He lost
appetite (hunger) and started vomiting.
Mrs Pumphrey was impractical but very compassionate (softhearted) and caring. She and her
staff arranged all comforts, beds, cushions and toys for Tricki. She constantly enquired about
his health from Dr Herriot. She gratefully thanked Dr Herriot for saving Tricki’s life and called it
“A Triumph of Surgery”. Had she been a little more practical and disciplined, things might have
not gone that far.
11. Dr James Herriot was a competent veterinary surgeon. His practical approach and
common sense helped in the rapid recovery of Tricki. Comment.
Or
Give a character sketch of Dr James Herriot.
Answer: Dr James Herriot, no doubt, was a competent veterinary surgeon. He was really
worried about Tricki. He understood that the real fault of the dog was his greed for food. He
never refused food. The dog had become hugely fat and listless. Dr Herriot instructed Mrs
Pumphrey to keep Tricki on a very strict diet. He also asked her to give him a lot of exercises.
Dr Herriot also suggested cuttting down sweets to him. He advised her that Tricki must be
hospitalised for a fortnight under his observation.
Dr James Herriot was practical and pragmatic (sensible). He didn’t give any medical treatment
to the dog. The dog was not given any food but lots of water. His method worked. Tricki’s
recovery was surprisingly rapid. Tricki was transformed into a flexible and hard-muscled dog. He
was not only out of danger but was soon handed over to his mistress. The grateful mistress
thanked Dr. Herriot and called his feat (achievement)”A Triumph of Surgery”.
Dr. James Herriot was clever enough to enjoy the best of both worlds. He was tempted to keep
Tricki on as a permanent guest. It was a happy period for Dr. Herriot and his friends. He enjoyed
eggs for breakfast, and wine and brandy for lunch.
12. Why did Mrs Pumphrey, the mistress of Tricki, make a frantic call to the noted
veterinary surgeon, Dr James Herriot? How did Dr James Herriot succeed in curing
Tricki?
Answer: Mrs Pumphrey, the mistress of Tricki was an overindulgent lady. She pampered and
even spoilt her pet dog. Dr Herriot instructed her to keep Tricki on a very strict diet and give him
a lot of exercises. She ignored him. It was very difficult for her to deny Tricki sweets, cakes and
chocolates. She gave a frantic call to Dr James Herriot only when Tricki’s condition worsened.
Tricki lost his appetite and started vomiting. Dr Herriot advised that the dog be hospitalised
under his observation for a fortnight. It was difficult for Mrs Pumphrey to accept it but she
accepted it only to save Tricki’s life.Dr James Herriot knew that Tricki’s only fault was his greed
for food. He didn’t give him medical treatment. He didn’t give Tricki food but a lot of water for a
few days. His method worked. Within a few days, Tricki was out of danger. His recovery was
rather rapid. He started taking interest in his surroundings. His appetite came back, and he ran
along with the other dogs in the garden. Dr Herriot informed Mrs Pumphrey that Tricki was
completely cured and she could collect him. The grateful mistress thanked the doctor and called
his feat (achievement)‘A Triumph of Surgery’.
13. Why did Dr James Herriot say that he was tempted to keep Tricki on as a permanent
guest? Give a reasoned answer.
Answer: Dr. James Herriot was not only a competent veterinary surgeon but also a clever man
of the world. No doubt, Tricki was in a highly miserable state when he was brought to Dr.
Herriot’s surgery. The doctor gave no medical treatment to the dog. He didn’t give food but
plenty of water for a few days. Tricki’s recovery was rather rapid. Soon, he was transformed into
a flexible and hard-muscled dog. The grateful mistress obliged Dr. Herriot and his friends. His
partners and he himself had two eggs each for breakfast. Lunch became a ceremonial
occasion. The grateful and fabulously rich mistress of Tricki treated him warmly with liberal
(wide-ranging) servings of wine and brandy.
Dr. James Herriot was enjoying the best of both the worlds. He had no hesitation in accepting
Mrs. Pumphrey’s tempting services. Naturally, it was a temptation for him to keep Tricki on as a
permanent guest. Those were days of deep content. Fresh eggs in the morning, wine at noon
and finishing luxuriously around the fire with brandy. Who wouldn’t like such a pleasant
situation? After all, Dr. Herriot was a clever and worldly-wise man.
14.The foolish indulgence and pampering of the rich mistress, Mrs Pumphrey was the
real cause of Tricki’s miserable condition. Give a reasoned answer.
Answer: Overindulgence and pampering beyond a limit becomes unproductive. Be it a pet or a
child, discipline is very necessary. The fabulously rich and resourceful mistress was the main
cause of Tricki’s miserable condition. The entire staff and maids were there to look after the
needs of Tricki. His day-bed, night-bed, cushions, toys, rubber rings, breakfast bowl, lunch bowl
and supper(dinner) bowl were always kept ready. Dr. Herriot rightly found out that Tricki’s only
fault was his greed for food. Overfeeding of sweets, cakes and chocolates made Tricki hugely
fat and listless. Had Mrs. Pumphrey followed Dr. Herriot’s instructions sincerely, things would
not have worsened so far.The doctor advised her to put Tricki on a strict diet and give him
plenty of exercises. It was necessary to cut down his intake of sweets. But foolish indulgence of
the mistress ignored his healthy advice. The result was disastrous(harmful). Tricki lost his
appetite and started vomiting. Only when Mrs. Pumphrey was ready to send Tricki to Surgery to
Dr. Herriot’s for a fortnight, things started improving. The doctor gave him no food but plenty of
water for a few days. It worked and Tricki’s recovery was rather fast.