Footprints Without Feet Supplementary Reader Chapter 1 A Triumph Of Surgery

No, the narrator wasn't as rich as Tricki's mistress. It is clearly evident from the privileges that Tricki enjoys.

Tricki stayed at the surgery for a fortnight. Within two weeks, he had been transformed into a hard-muscled animal from a hugely fat dog. Mrs. Pumphrey was startled to See him when he hopped into her lap. She thought Tricki went through a surgery that transformed him completely.

It seems to be a real life episode. The narrator of the story, James Herriot was a was a British veterinary surgeon and writer. He had used his many years of experiences as a veterinary surgeon to write a series of semi autobiographical works. 

Actually, such people are ignorant about the consequences of their actions. In this chapter, The pet dog Tricki suffers from health ailments on account of its mistress, Mrs. Pumphrey's habit of overfeeding. She has lack of common sense and she keeps her dog feeding to show her affection towards him. Even when it is at the surgery, she keeps bringing bottles of wine and dozens of eggs everyday to build a little dog's strength. 

We saw in this lesson that Mrs. Pumphrey treated her pet like a child. She was unaware about it but her pet was suffering from illness on account of her foolishness. So, we can definitely say that there are parents like Mrs. Pumphrey. 

Tricki was Mrs. Pumphrey’s pet dog.

 The narrator’s name was Mr. Herriot. He was veterinary surgeon.

The narrator was worried about Tricki because he had become tremendously fat. He looked like a bloated sausage with a leg at each corner. His eyes were blood red. His eyes and nose had a watery discharge. He stared straight ahead and his tongue lolled from his jaws.

Mrs. Pumphrey told about Tricki that he was very unenergetic. Mrs. Pumphrey thought that he must be suffering from malnutrition, so she had been giving him some little extra food between meals to build his health. She also gave him some malt and cod-liver oil and a bowl of Horlicks at night to make him sleep. 

Yes, Mrs. Pumphrey had cut down on sweet things from Tricki’s diet for some time but he seemed to be so weak that she had to back down. He loved cream cakes and chocolates so much that she couldn’t bear to refuse him.

 Tricki’s only fault was that he was very greedy. He could never refuse food. He would tackle a meal at any hour of the day or night.

No, Mrs. Pumphrey didn’t give Tricki plenty of exercise. She said that Tricki had little walks with him. The gardener, Hodgkin used to play ring-throw with him but he had to stop playing with as he suffered with muscular pain in the back.

Mr. Herriot warned Mrs. Pumphrey that if she didn’t cut his food right down and give him more exercise he is going to be really ill. He advised her to harden her heart and keep Tricki on a very strict diet.

Mrs. Pumphrey said that it’s very difficult for her to be strict with Tricki’s diet. But, she assured him that she’d try.

Mr. Herriot noticed that Tricki was walking feebly. He struggled hard to walk along with his mistress.

Yes, Mrs. Pumphrey called Mr. Herriot as expected. She called him because Tricki had stopped eating. He refused to eat his favorite dishes. He had bouts of vomiting. He panted throughout the time lying on a rug. He didn’t want to do anything.

 The doctor made plans in advance because he could see that Tricki was unwell and he would need his help soon.

The doctor discerned that the only way to cure Tricki was to get him out of the house. He suggested that he needed to be hospitalized for about a fortnight to be kept under observation. 

She almost fainted when she heard that. She was certain that Tricki would pine and die if he did not see her every day.

 No, Mr. Herriot didn’t give up on his plans of hospitalizing Tricki. Rather, followed by Mrs. Pumphrey’s wailings, he marched out to the car carrying the little dog wrapped in a blanket.

When the doctor marched out to the car carrying the little dog wrapped in a blanket, he saw that the entire staff of the house got upset. They rushed in and out to bring his day bed, his night bed, favorite cushions, toys and rubber rings, breakfast bowl, lunch bowl and supper bowl etc. Mrs. Pumphrey threw an armful of the little coats through the window when the doctor started to drive. Everybody was crying when he left.

The doctor made up a bed for him made up a bed for him in a warm loose box. It was kept next to the one where the other dogs slept. He kept an eye on him for two days. He didn’t give him any food but he made him drink plenty of water.

Having plenty of water for two days, Tricki started to show some interest in his surroundings at the end of the second day. On the third day, he groaned when he heard the dogs in the yard. He actively participated in playing with the other dogs. 

1)At the surgery, Tricki got the company of other dogs. Seeing the other dogs play, he started participating actively from the third day. On that day, he didn’t show any interest in food. The doctor put an extra bowl for him from the next day. He was pleased to see Tricki jostling his way towards the bowl. From then on, his progress was rapid. Surprisingly, he ran about with the dogs all the day and joined them in their friendly brawls. He discovered the joys of being bowled over, tramped on and squashed every few minutes. Soon, he became a part of the gang. He fought like a tiger for his share at mealtimes and hunted rats in the old henhouse at night. He had never had such a time in his life.

When Mrs. Pumphrey heard that her pet is recovering, she started to bring round two dozen eggs to build up Tricki’s strength. Later, she started sending bottles of wine which would help in enriching his blood.

The doctor said so because he and his friends enjoyed the eggs and the bottles of wine which Mrs. Pumphrey brought for building Tricki’s health. The doctor spent his days cheerfully. He would start his day with the extra egg in the morning which was improved by the midday wine. He would finish his day luxuriously round the fire with the brandy after having dinner.

The doctor knew Mrs. Pumphrey was suffering as Tricki was away from her for fortnight. So, he felt compelled to call her and tell her that the little dog had recovered and he was ready to go home.

Tricki was so fat that he looked like a bloated sausage with four legs at the corner. He couldn’t walk properly. Within two weeks, his health observed a remarkable transformation. He had become a fit and hard-muscled animal who could stretch out in great bounds.

When Tricki saw his mistress, he took a tremendous leap off from the doctor’s arms and hopped into Mrs Pumphrey’s lap and started licking her face.

Mrs Pumphrey was startled when Tricki hopped into her lap and started licking her. Noticing the changes in Tricki, she got emotional. Tears of happiness were shining in her eyes and she thanked Mr. Herriot saying that it was the triumph of surgery.