CBSE Class 10 English A Triumph of Surgery Notes Set 01

About the story

A Triumph of Surgery is a humorous story from Footprints Without Feet by James Herriot, the pen name of a veterinary surgeon who worked in the Yorkshire Dales in England. The story is told by the vet himself. It is about a rich woman, Mrs Pumphrey, and her pet dog Tricki, and it shows how too much love and luxury can be as harmful as neglect.

Summary

1. Mr Herriot meets Mrs Pumphrey out walking Tricki and finds the dog fat and slow, like a bloated sausage with a leg at each end. He warns her to cut down his food and give him exercise, but she cannot refuse him anything.

2. Soon Mrs Pumphrey calls the vet, because Tricki has stopped eating and lies without energy. Herriot finds nothing wrong except overeating and a lazy life, and says the dog must stay at his surgery for a fortnight. She is heartbroken, and the household is in tears as the car drives away.

3. At the surgery Tricki is kept on a very light diet with plenty of water. For two days he stays quiet, but then he begins to move about, plays with the other dogs and starts to enjoy meals. Soon he is fighting for his food.

4. Meanwhile Mrs Pumphrey keeps sending eggs, wine and brandy for her pet. Herriot and his colleagues enjoy these gifts themselves, and he is tempted to keep Tricki longer. In the end he sends a message that the dog is cured, and Tricki leaps happily into the car when his owner comes. She thanks the doctor and praises his surgery.

Characters

Mrs Pumphrey: She is very rich, kind and sincerely loving, but impractical. She treats Tricki as a spoilt child, dresses him in coats and believes any change in him means a serious illness. She is also grateful and generous.

Mr Herriot: He is a skilled, honest and sensible vet who understands that the dog's only trouble is greed. He is tactful with his patient's owner, using a cheerful excuse of surgery, and has a good sense of humour about the presents sent to the surgery.

Tricki: He is a small pampered pet who loses his health because of the luxurious life. In the company of other dogs, with a simple diet and exercise, he becomes lively and normal again.

Themes and message

1. Excess of love and comfort can be harmful, and discipline is needed for good health and growth.

2. Natural living, exercise and companionship are better than a protected and cushioned life.

3. Humour and irony run through the story. The title is ironical, since no operation takes place; the real cure is a plain diet and exercise, but the owner calls it a triumph of surgery.

Important points to remember

1. The writer is the narrator and the veterinary surgeon of the story.

2. Tricki stays at the surgery for about two weeks.

3. The 'cure' is a strict diet, water, exercise and the company of other dogs.

4. Mrs Pumphrey is wealthy, as shown by her servants, her large house and the many gifts she sends.

Sample answer: Justify the title

The title is ironical. Mrs Pumphrey thinks Tricki has been cured by a clever operation, but the vet used no surgery at all. He put the dog on a simple diet and gave him freedom to play. The word triumph therefore points to the vet's wisdom in handling a foolish owner and a spoilt dog, and the story gently makes fun of blind affection.

Sample answer: Why did Mrs Pumphrey send eggs, wine and brandy?

She believed that Tricki was weak after an illness and needed strong food to build his blood. She did not know that the dog was never ill, and her kind gifts reached the vet's own table. This adds humour to the story.

Vocabulary

1. Listless means without energy. 2. Pamper means to spoil with too much care. 3. Regimen means a strict plan of diet and exercise. 4. Convalescence means the time of recovery after illness.

Quick Check Questions