English (Footprints Without Feet) · CBSE Class 10 · Supplementary Reader · James Herriot · 25 Quiz
A Triumph of Surgery — Summary, Author, Theme & Glossary
About the Author
James Herriot (1916–1995) was a British veterinary surgeon and writer, famous for his humorous and warm-hearted stories about animals and their owners, based on his own experiences as a country vet.
Theme
The story gently satirises the foolish over-indulgence of a rich, lonely pet-owner and shows that simple, sensible care — proper diet and exercise — is better than pampering. It also shows the vet’s wisdom and tact in handling both the dog and its doting mistress.
Summary
Tricki, a small dog, belongs to the wealthy Mrs Pumphrey, who pampers and overfeeds him terribly — giving him cream cakes, chocolates, malt, cod-liver oil and Horlicks between meals, and very little exercise. As a result Tricki becomes hugely fat, listless and ill. The narrator, the vet Mr Herriot, warns her to cut his food and give him exercise, but she cannot bear to refuse the greedy little dog.
Soon Tricki falls seriously ill — he stops eating, vomits and lies about panting. Mr Herriot insists on hospitalising him at his surgery for a fortnight. There he gives Tricki no food for two days (only water), then normal dog food, and lets him run and play with the other dogs. With this natural regime of diet and exercise, Tricki recovers rapidly, becoming a lithe, hard-muscled, happy animal.
Meanwhile Mrs Pumphrey, anxious, keeps sending fresh eggs, wine and brandy ‘to build up Tricki’s strength’ — which the vet and his partners happily enjoy themselves! After a fortnight, Mr Herriot returns the fit and healthy Tricki. Overjoyed, Mrs Pumphrey — never realising that the ‘cure’ was simply sensible feeding and exercise — cries, ‘This is a triumph of surgery!’ — though no surgery was ever performed.
Glossary
rheumy = watery discharge from the eyes/nose; listless = lacking energy; lumbago = lower-back muscular pain; regime = a prescribed diet/exercise routine; distraught = extremely worried; surgery = (here) a vet’s/doctor’s clinic; scrimmage = a rough, confused struggle; convalescing = recovering from illness; lithe = flexible and supple; bloated = swollen; relent = give in.
NCERT Textbook Solutions (A Triumph of Surgery)
RF1-1Read and Find Out: Why is Mrs Pumphrey worried about Tricki?
Mrs Pumphrey is worried because Tricki has become hugely fat and listless — he has no energy, his eyes are bloodshot, and his tongue lolls out. She wrongly thinks he is suffering from malnutrition.
RF1-2What does she do to help him? Is she wise in this?
She overfeeds him even more — giving him malt, cod-liver oil, a bowl of Horlicks at night, and plenty of cream cakes and chocolates between meals. No, she is not at all wise: this over-feeding is the very cause of Tricki’s illness, and it makes him worse rather than better.
RF1-3Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?
‘I’ refers to the narrator, Mr (James) Herriot, the veterinary surgeon who treats Tricki.
RF2-1Read and Find Out: Is the narrator as rich as Tricki’s mistress?
No, the narrator is not as rich as Mrs Pumphrey. This is clear from his delight at receiving the eggs, wine and brandy she sends, and from his modest surgery with its pack of ordinary dogs.
RF2-2How does he treat the dog?
He treats Tricki with sensible, natural care: he gives him no food for two days (only water), then normal dog food, and lets him run, play and roughhouse with the other dogs. He gives no medicine at all — only a proper diet and plenty of exercise.
RF2-3Why is he tempted to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest?
He is tempted because Mrs Pumphrey keeps sending fresh eggs, bottles of wine and brandy ‘to build up Tricki’s strength’ — which the narrator and his partners happily enjoy themselves. Those were ‘days of deep content’, so he is reluctant to end such a pleasant arrangement.
RF2-4Why does Mrs Pumphrey think the dog’s recovery is ‘a triumph of surgery’?
Because she believed Tricki was very seriously ill and was amazed at his complete recovery. Not realising that the cure was simply diet and exercise, she imagined the vet must have performed some great, difficult treatment — so she called it ‘a triumph of surgery’, though no surgery was ever done.
TI-1Think about it: What kind of person is the narrator? Is he tactful and full of common sense?
The narrator is a kind, sensible and practical vet who genuinely cares for animals. He is certainly tactful — he handles the over-anxious Mrs Pumphrey diplomatically, humouring her while doing what is right for the dog. He is also full of common sense — he correctly sees that the real cure for Tricki is not medicine but simple diet and exercise.
TI-2Do you think Tricki was happy to go home? What do you think will happen now?
Yes, Tricki was overjoyed to see Mrs Pumphrey — he leapt into her lap, licking her face and barking. However, it is likely that Mrs Pumphrey will again begin to over-pamper and over-feed him, and in time Tricki may fall ill once more.
TI-3Do you think this is a real-life episode, or mere fiction, or a mixture?
It is most likely a mixture of both. James Herriot was a real veterinary surgeon, and the story is clearly based on real experiences from his practice; but it is told with humour and some fictional exaggeration to make it entertaining.
TA-1Talk about it: Are foolishly indulgent people merely silly, or can their actions harm others?
(Sample) Such over-indulgence is not merely silly — it can cause real harm. Mrs Pumphrey’s excessive pampering made Tricki dangerously ill. In the same way, over-indulgence can spoil and harm children or pets, by making them unhealthy, greedy or unable to cope on their own.
TA-2Do you think there are also parents like Mrs Pumphrey?
(Sample) Yes, many parents are like Mrs Pumphrey — they over-indulge their children out of love, giving in to every demand, over-feeding them or shielding them from all hardship. Such pampering, though well-meant, can spoil children and harm their health, discipline and independence.