Footprints without Feet

Chapter 1 of the Class 10 English NCERT textbook (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 surgery 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 the Class 10 English NCERT textbook (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 the Class 10 English NCERT textbook (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 the Class 10 English NCERT textbook (Footprints Without Feet), "A Question of Trust" by Victor Canning, is a short story about Horace Danby, a meticulous safe-cracker who is cunningly tricked by a woman posing as 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 the Class 10 English NCERT textbook (Footprints Without Feet), "Footprints without Feet" by H.G. Wells, is a science fiction story about Griffin, a brilliant but lawless scientist who makes his body invisible and misuses the discovery 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 the Class 10 English NCERT textbook (Footprints Without Feet), "The Making of a Scientist", is a biographical narrative about Richard H. Ebright, whose childhood love of butterfly collecting and strong mentorship led him to discover an insect hormone and a groundbreaking theory of how cells read DNA.

• 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 the Class 10 English NCERT textbook (Footprints Without Feet), "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant, tells the story of Matilda Loisel, a discontented woman who borrows a diamond necklace for a grand ball, loses it, and spends ten years in hardship to repay it, only to learn 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