Footprints without Feet

Chapter 1 of NCERT Class 10 English (Footprints Without Feet), "A Triumph of Surgery" by James Herriot, is a humorous story about a veterinary surgeon who cures an overfed dog, Tricki, not through surgical intervention but through diet, exercise, and disciplined care.

• 1Tricki: a small, overfed dog who becomes 'like a bloated sausage with a leg at each corner'
• 2Mrs. Pumphrey: a wealthy, indulgent owner who cannot refuse Tricki food despite advice
• 3Mr. Herriot: a practical veterinary surgeon who uses common sense, not surgery
• 4The real cure: strict diet, exercise, and social interaction with other dogs
• 5Irony of the title: 'triumph of surgery' when no actual surgery occurred

Chapter 2 of NCERT Class 10 English (Footprints Without Feet), "The Thief's Story" by Ruskin Bond, is a first-person narrative about Hari Singh, a 15-year-old thief who robs his employer Anil but returns the money, discovering that trust and education matter more than theft.

• 1Hari Singh—15-year-old experienced thief and narrator
• 2Anil—kind, trusting, struggling writer-employer
• 3The theft—600 rupees stolen from under the mattress
• 4The change of heart—hesitation at the station and reflection on trust
• 5Redemption and education—returning the money to learn to read and write

Chapter 3 of NCERT Class 10 English (Footprints Without Feet), "The Midnight Visitor" by Robert Arthur, is a spy thriller that subverts expectations: an unglamorous secret agent named Ausable outwits his rival Max using wit and quick thinking rather than action or violence.

• 1Ausable: unglamorous secret agent (fat, American accent, ordinary)
• 2Fowler: young writer seeking spy romance, disappointed then thrilled
• 3Max: rival spy with pistol, crafty fox-like features
• 4The balcony trick: Ausable's invented story convinces Max to flee
• 5There is no balcony: the final twist reveals Ausable's bluff

Chapter 4 of NCERT Class 10 English (Footprints Without Feet), "A Question of Trust" is a short story by Victor Canning about Horace Danby, a meticulous safe-cracker who is cunningly tricked by a woman who pretends to be the lady of the house, resulting in his arrest for jewel robbery.

• 1Horace Danby: a lock-maker and annual safe-cracker who loves rare, expensive books
• 2The woman in red: a professional thief who poses as the lady of Shotover Grange
• 3The safe: contains fifteen thousand pounds worth of jewels that Horace was planning to steal
• 4The trick: the woman manipulates Horace into opening the safe by asking him to retrieve her jewels
• 5The ironic twist: Horace is caught with fingerprints inside the safe because he removed his gloves to help the woman

Chapter 5 of NCERT Class 10 English (Footprints Without Feet), "Footprints without Feet" is a science fiction story by H.G. Wells about Griffin, a brilliant but lawless scientist who discovers how to make the human body invisible. The story explores the misuse of scientific discovery when Griffin uses his invisibility for crimes and lawlessness.

• 1Griffin—a brilliant but lawless scientist
• 2Invisibility—achieved by swallowing rare drugs making the body transparent
• 3The muddy footprints—the clue that reveals the invisible man
• 4Crimes—house fire, store theft, burglary, robbery of the theatrical shop
• 5Misuse of science—the central theme; brilliance without ethics leads to chaos

Chapter 6 of NCERT Class 10 English (Footprints Without Feet), "The Making of a Scientist", is a biographical narrative about Richard H. Ebright, whose childhood fascination with collecting butterflies and his mentorship by his mother and teacher Mr. Weiherer led him to discover an unknown insect hormone and develop a groundbreaking theory about how cells read DNA, ultimately publishing research in the National Academy of Science at age twenty-two.

• 1Richard Ebright, butterfly collector turned scientist
• 2Childhood curiosity and his mother's support
• 3The turning point: book 'The Travels of Monarch X'
• 4Monarch pupa gold spots and insect hormone discovery
• 5Science fair projects and Dr. Urquhart's mentorship

Chapter 7 of NCERT Class 10 English (Footprints Without Feet), "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant, tells the story of Matilda Loisel, a discontent woman who borrows a diamond necklace for a grand ball, loses it, and spends ten years in hardship to repay it—only to discover the necklace was fake.

• 1Matilda Loisel—a discontent woman born into poverty despite her beauty
• 2Her husband—a kind, supportive petty clerk
• 3Mme Forestier—Matilda's rich friend who lends her jewelry
• 4The borrowed necklace—believed to be diamonds, actually costume jewelry
• 5Ten years of debt—the Loisels' hardship to repay the replacement