A Triumph of Surgery Class 10: Summary, Themes and Characters
Updated 14 October 2026 · Fact-checked
A Triumph of Surgery is the first chapter of Footprints without Feet, by James Herriot. A vet, Mr Herriot, saves Tricki, a dog made ill by his rich owner's overfeeding, through a simple diet, exercise and company. The board asks it in Q9 (3-mark, 40-50 words) and Q11 (6-mark, 100-120 words).
What A Triumph of Surgery is about
A Triumph of Surgery is a humorous prose story by James Herriot. It is the first chapter of Footprints without Feet, your supplementary reader. It is told in the first person by Mr Herriot, a veterinary surgeon. In one line: a rich, lonely lady, Mrs Pumphrey, nearly kills her little dog Tricki with too much food and love, and the vet cures him with no medicine at all.
This book has no extract-based question. You meet this chapter in Q9 (short answers of 40-50 words, 3 marks each, two of three questions from Footprints without Feet) and in Q11 (a long answer of about 100-120 words, 6 marks, one of two). Q11 can ask about theme or plot, interpretation, inference, a character sketch or extrapolation to your own life. Short answers are marked for Content 2 and Expression 1. Long answers are marked for Content 3, Expression 2 and Accuracy 1.
In real board papers: asked in 11 of the 21 board papers we hold (2023 to 2026), on average 3 marks per paper. See the questions
A Triumph of Surgery: summary
In our own words, in the order of the text. Read the NCERT text itself too: the board quotes from it.
The story opens with Mr Herriot, the narrator and a vet, stopping his car when he sees Tricki walking with his mistress, Mrs Pumphrey. He is shocked. Tricki has grown hugely fat, his eyes are bloodshot and watery, and his tongue hangs out.
Mrs Pumphrey explains that Tricki seemed weak and listless. She thought he was suffering from malnutrition, so she gave him extras between meals: malt, cod-liver oil and a malted drink at night. She admits she stopped cutting down sweets because she could not refuse him cream cakes and chocolates. Herriot knows Tricki's only fault is greed. Tricki is also getting no proper exercise, because Hodgkin, the gardener who plays ring-throwing with him, is down with lumbago.
Herriot speaks sternly. He tells her to cut Tricki's food and give him more exercise, or the dog will be really ill. She agrees but says it is very difficult. Herriot watches Tricki totter away in his little tweed coat, one of a whole wardrobe of coats, and expects to hear from her soon.
Within a few days she phones, distraught. Tricki will eat nothing, vomits, and lies panting on a rug. Herriot has already planned what to do. He says Tricki must be hospitalised for about a fortnight. Mrs Pumphrey almost faints, sure the dog will pine and die without her. Herriot takes a firm line and carries Tricki to his car at once. Maids rush out with beds, cushions, toys and bowls, and Mrs Pumphrey throws in an armful of coats. Everyone is in tears.
At the surgery, Herriot's own dogs ignore the dull, motionless Tricki. Herriot puts him in a warm loose box and for two days gives him no food, only water. On the third day Tricki whimpers to join the dogs in the yard. Joe the greyhound and the others roll him over and accept him. At feeding time Tricki only licks the empty bowls, but the next day he pushes his way to his own bowl. With no medicine at all, he recovers fast: he plays rough games, fights for his food and hunts rats at night.
Meanwhile Mrs Pumphrey phones a dozen times a day. When Herriot says Tricki is 'convalescing', she starts sending two dozen fresh eggs at a time, then wine and finally brandy, all meant to build up Tricki's strength. Herriot and his partners enjoy these gifts themselves. He is tempted to keep Tricki as a permanent guest, but knowing she is suffering, he phones her after a fortnight.
She arrives in a huge chauffeur-driven car, trembling. Tricki, now lithe and hard-muscled, leaps into her lap and licks her face. None of the beds, toys, cushions, coats or bowls has been used. With tears in her eyes, Mrs Pumphrey thanks Herriot and calls the cure 'a triumph of surgery', never realising that no surgery took place.
Themes and message
Love that harms: overindulgence
Mrs Pumphrey loves Tricki deeply, but her love has no limits or discipline. She feeds him sweets, extras and drinks because she cannot bear to refuse him. The result is a fat, sick dog who can barely walk. The story shows that love without good sense can hurt the very one you love. We can infer a wider lesson for parents and guardians: giving children everything they ask for, and protecting them from all effort, is not real care. True love sometimes means saying no.
From the text: Mrs Pumphrey admits, "I can’t bear to refuse him." Tricki becomes "like a bloated sausage with a leg at each corner" and later stops eating and vomits.
Discipline, diet and a natural life heal
Tricki is cured without any medicine. Herriot starves him for two days, gives him water, and then lets him live like an ordinary dog: playing rough games, competing for food and hunting rats. Exercise, a controlled diet and the company of other dogs do what pampering could not. The contrast between the listless dog at the start and the lithe, muscular dog at the end shows that a healthy routine and the right environment matter more than luxuries.
From the text: "He had no medicinal treatment of any kind"; in two weeks Tricki became "a lithe, hard-muscled animal", keeping up with the pack.
Common sense and tact
Herriot's success comes from common sense, not a scalpel. He sees that greed and lack of exercise are the problem and takes Tricki away from the house, the real cause of his illness. He is also tactful. He never tells Mrs Pumphrey that her pampering made Tricki ill, dodges her questions about cushions and coats, and lets her believe what she likes. This suggests that good professionals handle people as carefully as they handle problems.
From the text: Herriot "dodged the questions about whether his cushions were being turned regularly" and simply told her the dog was "out of danger and convalescing rapidly".
Humour and irony about the rich
The story gently mocks the silly ways of a very rich woman. A small dog has a wardrobe of coats, three separate bowls, a day bed and a night bed. His owner sends eggs, wine and brandy to a dog. The biggest irony is the title: Mrs Pumphrey calls the cure a triumph of surgery, though no surgery was done. The humour is warm, not cruel, because her love is sincere even when it is foolish.
From the text: Mrs Pumphrey's final words, "This is a triumph of surgery!", after a cure that used no operation and no medicine.
Characters
Mrs Pumphrey
Tricki's rich, doting mistress whose overfeeding makes the dog ill
- Over-indulgent and foolishly loving
- Emotional and easily upset
- Weak-willed when firmness is needed
- Generous and grateful
- Naive about the real cure
She gives Tricki extras between meals and cream cakes because she "can’t bear to refuse him". She almost swoons when told he must be hospitalised, and everyone is in tears when he leaves. She phones a dozen times a day and sends eggs, wine and brandy. She wrings her hands and admits a diet is "so very difficult". She believes Tricki was saved by "a triumph of surgery".
Mr Herriot (the narrator)
The veterinary surgeon who treats Tricki and tells the story
- Full of common sense
- Firm and decisive
- Tactful and kind
- Humorous and honest about himself
- Caring towards animals
He sees that Tricki's "only fault was greed" and plans in advance to remove him from the house. He "took a firm line" against Mrs Pumphrey's protests. He dodges her questions instead of blaming her. He pats Tricki and calls him "Poor old lad". He admits the temptation to keep Tricki for the wine and brandy, yet phones her because he knows she is suffering.
Tricki
Mrs Pumphrey's small, pampered dog, the patient
- Greedy
- Listless and weak at first
- Quick to adapt
- Lively and playful once healthy
- Affectionate towards his mistress
He "had never been known to refuse food". At first he lies motionless with dull eyes. Within days he joins the gang, fighting "like a tiger for his share at mealtimes". At the end he leaps into Mrs Pumphrey's lap, licking her face and barking.
How it is written
| Device | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Irony (title and ending) | Mrs Pumphrey calls the cure "a triumph of surgery", though Tricki had no operation and no medicine. | The gap between what she believes and what really happened makes the ending funny and stresses that common sense, not medicine, cured Tricki. |
| Humour through exaggeration and comic detail | A dog with "a whole wardrobe" of coats, three bowls, a day bed and a night bed, and "about thirty feet of gleaming black metal" for her car. | These details gently mock the excesses of the rich and keep the tone light and warm. |
| Simile | Tricki looks "like a bloated sausage with a leg at each corner"; later he fights "like a tiger" at mealtimes. | The first simile shows how unhealthy he has become; the second shows his new strength. Together they mark his change. |
| First-person narration | The story is told by Herriot himself: "I was really worried about Tricki this time." | You see events through the vet's eyes, share his private thoughts and his honest confession about enjoying the eggs, wine and brandy. |
| Contrast | The listless, panting Tricki at the start against the lithe, hard-muscled dog racing with the pack at the end. | The contrast proves the value of discipline, exercise and a natural life over pampering. |
Key quotations
Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.
like a bloated sausage with a leg at each corner
narrator: Herriot describes Tricki when he sees him in the street with Mrs Pumphrey.
A comic simile that shows how dangerously fat the pampered dog has become.
I can’t bear to refuse him.
Mrs Pumphrey: She explains why she gave up cutting down on sweets like cream cakes and chocolates.
It reveals the root of the problem: her love has no firmness.
You must harden your heart and keep him on a very strict diet.
Mr Herriot: Herriot warns Mrs Pumphrey sternly in the street.
It shows his firmness and the story's message that true care needs discipline.
Tricki’s only fault was greed.
narrator: Herriot looks at the dog while Mrs Pumphrey talks of his weakness.
He diagnoses the real cause of illness with plain common sense.
He had no medicinal treatment of any kind
narrator: Describing Tricki's rapid progress at the surgery.
It proves the cure came from diet, exercise and company, and sets up the irony of the title.
The word ‘convalescing’ seemed to do something to Mrs Pumphrey.
narrator: After Herriot tells her Tricki is recovering, she begins sending eggs, wine and brandy.
It shows her emotional nature and leads to the humorous episode of the gifts.
It was a temptation to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest
narrator: Herriot and his partners have been enjoying the eggs, wine and brandy.
His honest, humorous admission shows he is human, yet he puts Mrs Pumphrey's feelings first.
This is a triumph of surgery!
Mrs Pumphrey: Her last words as she leaves with the healthy Tricki.
The title's irony: no surgery was done, and she never realises her own role in the illness.
A Triumph of Surgery in real life
Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.
Love that harms: overindulgence
Suppose your Dadi gives your eight-year-old cousin Aarav sweets and her mobile phone whenever he sulks. He now refuses dal and sabzi, sleeps late and seems tired all day. Your aunt says, 'She loves him too much to say no.'
Compare Dadi's behaviour with Mrs Pumphrey's treatment of Tricki. Is such love truly kind? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Link: Mrs Pumphrey could not refuse Tricki cream cakes and extras.
- Effect in the text: Tricki became listless and ill.
- Effect on Aarav: he is restless, eats badly and is tired.
- Judgement: real love sometimes says no.
Answer: Like Mrs Pumphrey, who couldn't refuse Tricki cream cakes, Dadi confuses giving with caring. Her love is real, but constant sweets and phone time leave Aarav restless and unhealthy, just as extras made Tricki listless and ill. True affection sometimes means firmly saying no.
Memory hook: Too many sweets from Dadi = Tricki's cream cakes: love without limits makes you ill.
Discipline, diet and a natural life heal
Imagine you spend the summer holidays mostly on the sofa, eating fried snacks and scrolling till midnight, and you feel dull and tired. Then you join a two-week school sports camp with fixed meals, morning drills and team games.
How is your experience like Tricki's fortnight at the surgery? What does it teach about health? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Before: overfed and inactive, like Tricki.
- Change: fixed meals, exercise and company, with no medicine.
- Result: Tricki became lithe in two weeks.
- Lesson: routine and an active life heal.
Answer: Like Tricki, I was overfed and inactive, so I felt listless. At camp, as at the surgery, fixed meals, exercise and the company of others changed me without any medicine. Tricki became lithe in two weeks. Healthy routine and a natural, active life heal better than comfort.
Memory hook: Sports camp = Herriot's surgery: two weeks of routine beats two months of comfort.
Common sense and tact
Imagine you are captain at a school inter-house cricket camp. A teammate's anxious father phones you several times a day, asking whether his son is wearing his sweater and eating the dry fruits he packed. In fact the boy is happily playing all day in a T-shirt.
How would you reply, using what Mr Herriot does with Mrs Pumphrey's calls? Justify your answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Recall: Herriot dodged questions about cushions and coats.
- Do not argue over small things.
- Give honest reassurance about real health and happiness.
- Result: the parent is calm and the healthy routine continues.
Answer: Like Herriot, who dodged questions about cushions and coats, I would not argue about the sweater. I would honestly reassure him that his son is fit, active and enjoying camp. This calms the worried parent without lying and lets the boy keep his healthy routine.
Memory hook: Anxious calls at camp: answer like Herriot, with true comfort and no fights over sweaters.
Humour and irony about the rich
Suppose you fall ill before your half-yearly exams. Your mother makes you rest, drink water and eat simple khichdi for a week, and you recover. An uncle who visited once with an expensive tonic tells everyone, 'My tonic did the trick!'
Explain the irony in the uncle's claim, comparing it with the ending of 'A Triumph of Surgery'. Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- The uncle credits the wrong cure.
- Mrs Pumphrey credits 'surgery'.
- Truth in the text: no operation and no medicine. Diet, exercise and play cured Tricki.
- In both cases, simple care did the work.
Answer: The uncle credits the wrong cure, just as Mrs Pumphrey calls Tricki's recovery a triumph of surgery. Tricki had no operation and no medicine; diet, exercise and play cured him. In both cases, simple care did the work, while the person praised the dramatic-sounding remedy.
Memory hook: Khichdi cured you, the tonic got the credit; diet cured Tricki, 'surgery' got the credit.
Topics in this chapter
- A Triumph of Surgery Character Sketch of Mrs PumphreyComing soon
- Character Sketch of Mr Herriot the NarratorComing soon
- A Triumph of Surgery Theme and MessageComing soon
- A Triumph of Surgery Question AnswersComing soon
- A Triumph of Surgery Summary and Tricki's RecoveryComing soon
How the board asks A Triumph of Surgery
The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.
| Question type | How it is asked | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Short answer on an event or reason (Q9, 3 marks) | A direct or inference question in 40-50 words, such as why Herriot took Tricki away, or what effect a word had on Mrs Pumphrey. | Answer the question in the first sentence. Add two clear points from the text with a cause and effect. Stay within 50 words; Content 2, Expression 1. |
| Character sketch (Q9 or Q11) | Describe Mrs Pumphrey or Mr Herriot, or judge whether Herriot is tactful and full of common sense. | Pick three or four traits. Back each with an event from the story. In a long answer, end with a judgement on what the character teaches us. |
| Theme or message evaluation (Q11, 6 marks) | Evaluate how the story is a lesson about parenting, care, or the dangers of overindulgence. | State the message, show Mrs Pumphrey's mistake and its result, then show Herriot's cure. Link the lesson to parents and children. Write about 100-120 words in paragraphs. |
| Compare and contrast (Q11) | Compare Tricki's condition before and after his stay at the surgery and what the change shows. | Give specific 'before' details (fat, listless, vomiting) and 'after' details (lithe, playing, eating keenly). Explain the causes of the change: diet, exercise, company, discipline. |
| Humour and irony (Q11) | Evaluate the humour, irony or endearing moments in the story, or comment on the title. | Name examples: the coats and bowls, the eggs, wine and brandy, the huge car, the title's irony. Explain how the humour is gentle and why the characters remain likeable. |
| Extrapolation and values (Q9 or Q11) | Relate the story to modern pet ownership, parenting, or a 'Suppose you were...' situation. | Start from the text's lesson, apply it clearly to the new situation, and give a reasoned opinion. Keep text facts accurate; do not add events that are not in the story. |
Tricks to remember A Triumph of Surgery
Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.
Five Fs for the plot
Fat, Fast, Friends, Feasts, Farewell.
- Fat: the bloated sausage in the street
- Fast: taken away, then two days of only water
- Friends: Joe and the gang, scrimmages, rats
- Feasts: eggs, wine and brandy enjoyed by the vets
- Farewell: the leap into the lap and 'a triumph of surgery'Use it when: Recall the order of events quickly before a plot-based long answer.
Gifts in order: E-W-B
Eggs, Wine, Brandy = 'Every Week Better'. Eggs at breakfast, wine at lunch, brandy by the fire at night, in the same order as the day.
Use it when: Answers on the word 'convalescing', on Herriot's temptation, or on irony.
Who's who at a glance
Hodgkin Hurts (gardener with lumbago), Tristan Tips the food into bowls, Joe Jumps (the greyhound who welcomes Tricki).
Use it when: Avoid mixing up the minor names, which costs marks for accuracy.
Surgery is a place
The glossary says a surgery is the place where a vet treats patients. So the only 'surgery' Tricki had was the place, not an operation. Place, not knife.
Use it when: Explaining the irony of the title in any 3-mark or 6-mark answer.
Themes on a leash
LEASH: Love that harms, Exercise and diet heal, All luxuries unused (humour about the rich), Sense and tact (Herriot), Harden your heart (discipline as care).
Use it when: Name at least two themes in every long answer on the chapter.
A Triumph of Surgery: board-level solved questions
Ordered from board level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.
Example 1: Why Tricki was taken away from home · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level
Why did Mr Herriot insist that Tricki be hospitalised for a fortnight? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Tricki was seriously ill: he refused food, vomited and lay panting on a rug.
- Mrs Pumphrey could not refuse him food, and she had already relented on an earlier diet.
- Herriot had planned in advance that the only way was to get Tricki out of the house.
- At the surgery Herriot could control Tricki's diet and give him exercise.
Answer: Herriot knew that Mrs Pumphrey could not refuse Tricki anything, so the dog would never be dieted at home. Tricki was seriously ill, vomiting and refusing food. Taking him away for a fortnight was the only way to control his diet and give him exercise, away from his pampering mistress.
Example 2: Herriot's temptation and his honesty · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Why was Mr Herriot tempted to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest? What made him return the dog? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Mrs Pumphrey sent fresh eggs, then wine, then brandy to build up Tricki's strength.
- Herriot and his partners enjoyed these gifts themselves: extra eggs at breakfast, wine at lunch, brandy by the fire.
- The gifts made keeping Tricki tempting.
- He knew Mrs Pumphrey was suffering, so after a fortnight he phoned her. This shows honesty and kindness.
Answer: Mrs Pumphrey's gifts of fresh eggs, wine and brandy, meant to build up Tricki, were enjoyed by Herriot and his partners instead. This made keeping Tricki tempting. Yet Herriot knew she was suffering without her dog, so after a fortnight he phoned her. This shows his honesty and kindness.
Example 3: The irony of the title · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Mrs Pumphrey calls Tricki's recovery 'a triumph of surgery'. Explain the irony in her words. Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Mrs Pumphrey believes a medical operation or treatment saved Tricki.
- In fact Tricki 'had no medicinal treatment of any kind'.
- He was cured by two days without food (only water), then shared meals, exercise and play with the other dogs.
- In the glossary, 'surgery' means the place where a vet treats patients, so the only 'surgery' was the place itself.
- The irony gently mocks her ignorance.
Answer: Mrs Pumphrey calls Tricki's recovery 'a triumph of surgery', but no operation was done. Tricki had no medicinal treatment. He was cured by two days of no food but plenty of water, then shared meals, exercise and play with other dogs. The title is ironic and mocks her ignorance.
Example 4: Character sketch of Mrs Pumphrey · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Write a character sketch of Mrs Pumphrey, showing how her love for Tricki is both her strength and her weakness. Answer in about 100-120 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Wealthy: maids, a gardener (Hodgkin), a chauffeur and a huge car.
- Loving but unwise: cream cakes, chocolates and little extras between meals; she says she cannot bear to refuse him.
- Weak-willed: she relented when told earlier to cut sweet things.
- Highly emotional: she almost swoons at the idea of hospitalisation and wails and cries when Tricki leaves.
- Trusting and grateful: she rings for news a dozen times a day and sends eggs, wine and brandy. She thanks Herriot in tears.
- Innocent: she believes surgery cured Tricki.
- Message: blind affection can harm the one we love.
Answer: Mrs Pumphrey is a wealthy lady with maids, a gardener, a chauffeur and a huge car. She loves her dog Tricki deeply, but her love lacks wisdom. She feeds him cream cakes, chocolates and 'little extras' between meals, admitting she cannot refuse him. Told earlier to cut sweet things, she relented, which shows a weak will. She is highly emotional: she almost swoons at the idea of hospitalisation and sends eggs, wine and brandy to build up Tricki. Yet she is not selfish. She trusts the vet, rings anxiously and is deeply grateful at the end. Her belief that surgery cured Tricki shows her innocence. Through her, Herriot shows that blind affection can harm those we love.
Example 5: Love that cannot say no · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
'Love that cannot say no is not always kind.' Evaluate this statement with reference to Mrs Pumphrey and Mr Herriot, and say what young people today can learn from it. Answer in about 100-120 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Mrs Pumphrey's love is real, but she 'can’t bear to refuse him'.
- Result: Tricki becomes bloated and listless. He vomits, refuses food and falls ill.
- Herriot's care is firm: he takes Tricki away, gives no food for two days, then shared meals, exercise and company.
- Outcome: in a fortnight Tricki becomes lithe and hard-muscled.
- Evaluation: real love sometimes means saying no.
- Extrapolation: unlimited junk food, gadgets or money can harm children. Accepting limits is a form of care.
Answer: Mrs Pumphrey truly loves Tricki, yet her love nearly kills him. Because she 'can’t bear to refuse him', she overfeeds him with cream cakes and extras, and he becomes bloated, listless, vomiting and ill. Mr Herriot loves animals too, but his care is firm. He takes Tricki away, gives him no food for two days, then shared meals, exercise and company. In a fortnight Tricki becomes lithe and lively. So the story shows that real love sometimes means saying no. This lesson applies to us. Parents who give children unlimited junk food, gadgets or money may harm them. Young people too should accept limits on screen time and eating, because discipline is a form of care.
Example 6: Should Herriot have told the truth? · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Mrs Pumphrey drives away believing that surgery saved Tricki. Should Mr Herriot have told her the truth about the cure? Justify your view in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Take a clear stand (yes or no).
- Mrs Pumphrey still thinks surgery, not diet, cured Tricki.
- Without the truth she may return to cream cakes and extras, and Tricki could fall ill again.
- Herriot could explain gently, so that being tactful does not mean hiding the truth.
- A 'no' answer is also acceptable if it is justified, for example that she would not have believed him or that it would hurt her feelings.
Answer: Yes, he should have. Mrs Pumphrey thinks surgery cured Tricki, so she may return to cream cakes and extras, and Tricki could fall ill again. Telling her gently that diet, exercise and play saved him would protect the dog. Herriot's tact need not mean hiding the truth.
Where the marks are
How a typical answer is marked: the value points the examiner looks for and the marks each earns.
Why does Mrs Pumphrey call Tricki's recovery 'a triumph of surgery'? Why is her remark ironic? (40-50 words) (3 marks)
| Step | Marks |
|---|---|
| Content: she believes Herriot's surgery and treatment cured Tricki, and she is overjoyed and grateful | 1 |
| Content: irony explained: there was no operation and no medicine; fasting, shared meals, exercise and play with the dogs cured him | 1 |
| Expression: clear, connected answer within 40-50 words (up to 1 mark may be deducted for spelling or grammar errors) | 1 |
Write a character sketch of Mr Herriot, the narrator, showing his common sense and tact. (about 100-120 words) (6 marks)
| Step | Marks |
|---|---|
| Content: common sense and skill: he sees greed and overfeeding as the cause and treats Tricki with no medicine (fasting, exercise, company) | 1 |
| Content: firmness: 'harden your heart'; he takes Tricki away at once despite Mrs Pumphrey's distress | 1 |
| Content: tact, humour and honesty: he dodges questions about cushions and coats, admits the temptation of the gifts, and returns Tricki because she is suffering | 1 |
| Expression: traits organised point by point, each with evidence, with a brief conclusion | 2 |
| Accuracy: correct spelling, grammar and names, within about 100-120 words | 1 |
Where students lose marks in A Triumph of Surgery
The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.
Mistake: Saying Herriot operated on Tricki
Students take the title literally and miss its irony.
Wrong working
Mr Herriot performed a successful operation and Tricki recovered.
Right working
No operation was done; Tricki had no medicinal treatment. Diet, exercise and the company of other dogs cured him.
Do this: Remember that 'surgery' here is the vet's place. The title is Mrs Pumphrey's mistaken belief.
Usually costs: Can cost 1-2 of the 2 content marks in a 3-mark answer, as the central fact is wrong.
Mistake: Retelling the story instead of sketching a character
Students write the plot in order and never name a trait.
Wrong working
Herriot saw Tricki in the street, then took him to the surgery, then the dogs played with him, then eggs came...
Right working
Herriot is firm: he tells Mrs Pumphrey to harden her heart and takes Tricki away at once despite her wailing.
Do this: Start each point with a trait, then give the event as evidence.
Usually costs: Can cost up to 2 of the 3 content marks in a 6-mark character sketch.
Mistake: Mixing up the minor characters
Hodgkin, Tristan and Joe appear only briefly.
Wrong working
Tristan, the greyhound, rolled Tricki over in the garden.
Right working
Joe, the greyhound, and his friends rolled Tricki over; Tristan slopped the food into the bowls.
Do this: Use the H-T-J trick: Hodgkin hurts, Tristan tips food, Joe jumps.
Usually costs: Can cost the accuracy mark, or a content mark if the point depends on it.
Mistake: Calling Mrs Pumphrey cruel or selfish
Students judge her by the harm done and miss her genuine love.
Wrong working
Mrs Pumphrey was a selfish woman who did not care about Tricki.
Right working
Mrs Pumphrey loved Tricki deeply but foolishly; because she could not refuse him, her love made him ill.
Do this: Show both sides: real affection and poor judgement.
Usually costs: Can cost 1 content mark for a one-sided, unsupported reading.
Mistake: Going far over the word limit in 3-mark answers
Students add the whole background before reaching the point.
Wrong working
An 85-word answer that tells the street scene, the diet advice and the phone call before explaining why Tricki was taken away.
Right working
A 40-50 word answer that states the reason (only way to control diet and exercise, away from his indulgent owner) and backs it with one detail.
Do this: Answer the question in the first sentence, add one or two pieces of evidence, then stop.
Usually costs: Can cost the expression mark, and time needed for other questions.
A Triumph of Surgery: previous year questions
- Asked in 11 of the 21 board papers we hold (2023 to 2026), on average 3 marks per paper; 11 questions in all, counting OR alternatives. In 3 of 4 sample papers.
Counted from the real papers on our previous year papers page, not estimated. Average marks are over every board paper we hold, with an OR pair counted once. Chapter tags are ours.
Solved board questions from A Triumph of Surgery
Real questions from recent papers. Try each one first, then open our step-by-step solution with marks per step.
2026, set 2/1/1, Q11 · 6 marks · Long answer
Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 100-120 words:
- I.0 marks
Evaluate how "A Triumph of Surgery" is a lesson in thoughtful parenting.
- II.0 marks
Evaluate how "The Necklace" critiques the obsession with appearances and social status.
Try it first, then show our solutionSolution
- 6 marks
I. Mrs Pumphrey's excessive love nearly kills Tricki. She mistakes indulgence for care, so he becomes a bloated sausage with rheumy eyes. Even at the surgery she sends eggs, brandy and treats. She ignores Herriot's advice on exercise and fewer chocolates. The lesson is that love without discipline harms, and real care means setting boundaries and saying no.
- 6 marks
II. Matilda borrows a diamond necklace to look rich and loses it. She spends ten years in poverty repaying the debt, sacrificing her youth and health for one night. The twist is that the necklace was fake, which is ironic. She equates worth with wealth and status. The story critiques pride and superficiality, and shows that true worth lies in contentment.
Answer: Attempt either I or II (6 marks).
Where the marks are
- Three points with textual evidence (3 marks)
- Expression (2 marks)
- Accuracy (1 mark)
2025, set 2/2/1, Q6(b) · 5 marks · Reading comprehensionCompetency-based
Read the following extract and answer the questions.
Tricki was tottering along in his little tweed coat.... He struggled on, drooping in his harness. I thought it wouldn't be long before I heard from Mrs. Pumphrey. The expected call came within a few days. Mrs. Pumphrey was distraught. Tricki would eat nothing. Refused even his favourite dishes; and besides, he had bouts of vomiting. He spent all his time lying on a rug, panting. Didn't want to go for walks, didn't want to do anything. I had made my plans in advance. The only way was to get Tricki out of the house for a period. I suggested that he be hospitalized for about a fortnight to be kept under observation. The poor lady almost swooned. She was sure he would pine and die if he did not see her every day. But I took a firm line. Tricki was very ill and this was the only way to save him.
(A Triumph of Surgery)
- (i)1 mark
Why had the author made his plans in advance?
- (A)Mrs. Pumphrey was worried that Tricki would pine and die without her.
- (B)The author was aware of the severity of Tricki's medical condition.
- (C)The author knew about Mrs. Pumphrey's financial condition.
- (D)The author had planned his own vacation.
- (ii)2 marks
The author firmly proposed the need to remove Tricki from the house for a specified period. Elaborate the reason for doing so in about 40 words.
- (iii)1 mark
Fill in the blank with the correct word from the brackets.
The word 'swooned' in the following sentence indicates almost ________ (tripped/fainted).
- (iv)1 mark
"Mrs. Pumphrey was distraught." What does this suggest about her character? Mention any one reason.
Try it first, then show our solutionSolution
- 1 mark
(i) Option (B): Tricki was seriously ill, and the author understood how severe his condition was.
- 2 marks
(ii) Tricki was seriously ill, refusing food, vomiting and lying listless. Away from the house, he could be kept under close observation and receive proper medical care. Mrs Pumphrey's overfeeding and pampering were harming him.
- 1 mark
(iii) fainted.
- 1 mark
(iv) It suggests she is deeply attached to Tricki and cares for him emotionally, so she is greatly troubled by his declining health.
Answer: (i) B; (ii) to treat and observe the seriously ill Tricki away from overfeeding; (iii) fainted; (iv) she is deeply caring and emotionally attached to Tricki
Where the marks are
- (i) B (1 mark)
- (ii) two valid reasons (2 marks)
- (iii) fainted (1 mark)
- (iv) one reason showing her care or attachment (1 mark)
Every A Triumph of Surgery question, by year
- 2026
Set 2/1/1: Q11 (6 marks, solved)
Set 2/2/1: Q11(a) (6 marks, solved)
Set 2/3/1: Q9 (6 marks, solved)
Set 2/4/1: Q11(a) (6 marks, solved)
Sample paper 2025-26: Q11(b) (6 marks, solved)
- 2025
Set 2/1/1: Q9 (6 marks, solved)
Set 2/2/1: Q6(b) (5 marks, solved)
Set 2/5/1: Q11(b) (6 marks, solved)
Sample paper 2024-25: Q11(II) (6 marks, solved)
Practice questions on A Triumph of Surgery
Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.
Q1 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level
Describe Tricki's condition when Mr Herriot saw him in the street. What had caused it? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Look at the opening paragraph for his appearance, then at what Mrs Pumphrey admits about food and exercise.
Answer
Value points:
- Hugely fat, like a bloated sausage; bloodshot, rheumy eyes; tongue lolling.
- Cause: cream cakes, chocolates and little extras between meals.
- No ring-throwing, because Hodgkin the gardener had lumbago.
Model answer: Tricki had become hugely fat, 'like a bloated sausage with a leg at each corner'. His eyes were bloodshot and rheumy and his tongue lolled. The cause was overfeeding: cream cakes, chocolates and extras between meals, with too little exercise since Hodgkin's lumbago stopped ring-throwing.
Q2 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level
How did Tricki behave during his first three days at the surgery, and how did Mr Herriot treat him? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Think of the warm loose box, food and water, and the sounds from the yard.
Answer
Value points:
- He lay motionless, and the other dogs ignored him.
- He was kept in a warm loose box with no food but plenty of water for two days.
- He showed interest at the end of day two and whimpered at the dogs on day three.
Model answer: Tricki first lay motionless on the carpet, and the other dogs ignored him. Herriot kept him in a warm loose box with no food but plenty of water for two days. At the end of day two he showed interest, and on the third he whimpered hearing the dogs.
Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
How does Mr Herriot show tact in handling Mrs Pumphrey's phone calls while Tricki is at the surgery? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
What did he avoid answering, and what did he tell her instead?
Answer
Value points:
- She rang a dozen times a day about cushions and coats.
- He dodged those questions, because Tricki used none of his luxuries.
- He told her that Tricki was out of danger and convalescing rapidly.
- He calmed her without hurting her feelings.
Model answer: Mrs Pumphrey rang a dozen times a day, asking about cushions and coats. Herriot dodged these questions, since Tricki was using none of his luxuries. Instead he told her the dog was out of danger and convalescing rapidly. He calmed her without hurting her or revealing his methods.
Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
'He had never had such a time in his life.' What did life at the surgery give Tricki that his luxurious home could not? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Compare coats and cushions with scrimmages, mealtimes and the hen-house.
Answer
Value points:
- Home: coats, cushions and rich food, but little activity.
- Surgery: running with the dogs, rough scrimmages, competing for food and hunting rats at night.
- Inference: freedom, exercise and company suited him better.
Model answer: At home Tricki had coats, cushions and rich food but little activity or play. At the surgery he ran with the dogs, joined rough scrimmages, competed for food and hunted rats at night. He enjoyed freedom, exercise and companionship, which suggests a natural dog's life suited him better.
Q5 · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Write a character sketch of Mr Herriot, the narrator. Would you call him both sensible and tactful? Answer in about 100-120 words.
Hint
Take one trait at a time (common sense, firmness, tact, humour, honesty) and back each with an event.
Answer
Value points:
- Common sense: he sees that greed and overfeeding are the problem.
- Firm: 'harden your heart'; he takes Tricki away at once despite the wailing.
- Wise treatment: no medicine, just a fast, then exercise and company.
- Tactful: he dodges questions about cushions and coats but reassures her.
- Humour and honesty: he admits the temptation of eggs, wine and brandy, yet returns Tricki because she is suffering.
Model answer: Mr Herriot, the narrator, is a veterinary surgeon who combines skill with common sense. He sees at once that Tricki's only problem is greed and overfeeding. He is firm, telling Mrs Pumphrey to 'harden your heart', and later taking the sick dog away at once despite her wailing. His treatment is simple and wise: no food for two days, then exercise and play with his own dogs, with no medicine at all. He is tactful, dodging silly questions about cushions and coats while reassuring her. He has a sense of humour and admits being tempted by the eggs, wine and brandy, yet he is honest enough to return Tricki after a fortnight because she is suffering.
Q6 · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level
How does James Herriot use humour and irony to comment on the lifestyle of the rich in 'A Triumph of Surgery'? Answer in about 100-120 words.
Hint
List Tricki's luxuries, the farewell scene, the car and the gifts. Then ask who actually benefits from each.
Answer
Value points:
- Exaggeration: a wardrobe of coats, three bowls, day and night beds.
- Farewell scene: maids rushing about and everyone in tears.
- The car: 'about thirty feet of gleaming black metal'.
- Irony: the vets enjoy the gifts, the luxuries come back unused, and 'surgery' gets the credit.
- The humour is gentle, not cruel. Message: wealth without sense spoils.
Model answer: Herriot laughs gently at Mrs Pumphrey's wealthy world. Tricki has a whole wardrobe of coats, separate bowls for breakfast, lunch and supper, and day and night beds. When he leaves, maids rush out with all this luggage and everyone is in tears, which is comic exaggeration. The car is 'about thirty feet of gleaming black metal'. Irony runs through the story: gifts meant to strengthen the dog are enjoyed by the vets, the luxuries come back unused, and Mrs Pumphrey thanks surgery for a cure that needed no operation. The humour is never cruel, as she is shown as loving. Yet it suggests that wealth without good sense spoils rather than helps those we care for.
Q7 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Suppose Mr Herriot is asked to give three rules for pet owners, based on Tricki's case. What would they be, and why? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
One rule each for food, exercise and the owner's attitude, each linked to an event in the story.
Answer
Value points:
- Food: no sweets or extras between meals.
- Exercise and play: Tricki recovered by running with the dogs.
- Firm love: 'harden your heart'.
Model answer: First, feed pets at fixed times and never give sweets like cream cakes and chocolates. Second, give daily exercise and play, as Tricki recovered by running with other dogs. Third, love firmly: Herriot's advice to 'harden your heart' shows that saying no protects a pet's health.
Q8 · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Imagine Tricki could write a diary entry on his last night at the surgery. Write it in about 100-120 words, showing what he has learnt about his old life and his new one.
Hint
Use real details from the text (blanket, water only, Joe, scrimmages, hen-house, unused coats). Then end with a lesson.
Answer
Value points:
- Arrival: wrapped in a blanket, too fat and weak.
- Two days with only water, then a slow return to life.
- New life: Joe and the gang, being bowled over, fighting for his bowl, hunting rats.
- Luxuries unused.
- Looks forward to his mistress, but hopes she learns what he really needs.
Model answer: Tonight is my last night with Joe and the gang. Two weeks ago I came here wrapped in a blanket, too fat to walk properly. For two days I got only water and felt weak, but then I began to feel alive. Now I race round the lawn, get bowled over and squashed, and fight like a tiger for my bowl. I even hunt rats in the old hen-house! I haven't worn a single coat or slept on a cushion. Tomorrow my mistress will come, and I will be happy to see her. But I hope she understands that I don't need cream cakes. I need running, friends and plain meals. That is real love for a dog.
Test your recall
Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.
1.Who narrates 'A Triumph of Surgery', and what is his job?Show answer
Mr Herriot, a veterinary surgeon. The chapter is by James Herriot.
2.What does Herriot compare the fat Tricki to?Show answer
'like a bloated sausage with a leg at each corner'.
3.Why had there been no ring-throwing for Tricki lately?Show answer
Hodgkin, the gardener, had been down with lumbago.
4.What treatment did Tricki get for the first two days at the surgery?Show answer
No food but plenty of water, in a warm loose box next to the other dogs.
5.Which dog first engulfed Tricki in the yard?Show answer
Joe, the greyhound, and his friends.
6.Which word seemed to do something to Mrs Pumphrey, and what did it lead to?Show answer
'Convalescing'. She began sending fresh eggs, then wine, then brandy to build up Tricki's strength.
7.What happened to Tricki's beds, toys, cushions, coats and bowls?Show answer
None of them had been used; they were carried back to the car.
8.What does Mrs Pumphrey cry out as the car moves away?Show answer
'This is a triumph of surgery!' She thinks surgery cured Tricki, though no operation was done.
Quick revision checklist
The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?
- Can you describe Tricki in the street (eyes, tongue, body) and name two foods that caused it?
- Can you say why Herriot says the only way was to get Tricki out of the house?
- Can you recall the sequence at the surgery: lying motionless, two days of water, whimpering, joining Joe's gang, his own bowl?
- Can you explain what 'convalescing' made Mrs Pumphrey do, in the order eggs, wine, brandy?
- Can you give two reasons why Herriot was tempted to keep Tricki, and the one reason he returned him?
- Can you explain the irony of the title using the glossary meaning of 'surgery'?
- Can you name three traits each of Mrs Pumphrey and Mr Herriot, with one piece of evidence for each?
- Can you link the story to a real-life lesson about love, limits and discipline in 40-50 words?
A Triumph of Surgery: frequently asked questions
Why is the story called A Triumph of Surgery?
The title is ironic. Mrs Pumphrey believes Tricki was saved by surgery, but Herriot gave him no operation and no medicine. A strict diet, exercise and the company of other dogs cured him.
What was wrong with Tricki?
Tricki was greedy and was overfed by Mrs Pumphrey with extras, cream cakes and chocolates. He also got little exercise. He became hugely fat and listless, then stopped eating, vomited and lay panting on a rug.
How did Mr Herriot cure Tricki?
He took Tricki to his surgery for about a fortnight. For two days he gave him no food, only water. Then Tricki played with the other dogs, competed for food and became fit again, all without medicine.
Is Mr Herriot tactful as well as full of common sense?
Yes. His common sense shows in seeing that greed and lack of exercise were the problem and removing Tricki from the house. His tact shows in never blaming Mrs Pumphrey and dodging her questions about cushions and coats.
Why did Herriot want to keep Tricki as a permanent guest?
Mrs Pumphrey kept sending eggs, wine and brandy to build up Tricki's strength, and Herriot and his partners enjoyed them. He was tempted to keep Tricki, but he phoned her after a fortnight because he knew she was suffering.
Will this chapter come as an extract in the board exam?
No. The board paper has no extract-based question on Footprints without Feet. This chapter can appear as a 3-mark short answer in Q9 or a 6-mark long answer in Q11.
Based on: CBSE English Language and Literature syllabus 2026-27; NCERT Footprints without Feet (Reprint 2026-27), A Triumph of Surgery