A TRIUMPH OF SURGERY(NOTES)

-JAMES HERRIOT
SHORT QUESTIONS:
Q1. Why was the narrator shocked at Tricki’s appearance?
Ans1. The narrator was shocked to see Tricki’s abnormal appearance. He had become very fat and looked
huge, like a bloated sausage. His eyes were watery and his tongue hung out over the jaws.

Q2. What little extras’ did Mrs. Pumphrey give to Tricki and why?
Ans2. Mrs. Pumphrey thought Tricki to be suffering from malnutrition, therefore, she fed him little extras
between the meals in order to make him strong. She fed him some malt, cod-liver oil and a bowl of
Horlicks at night. She also continued his cream cakes and chocolates as he loved to eat them and she had
to relent.

Q3. What exercises did Mrs. Pumphrey into place for Tricki?
Ans3. Mr.Hodgkin who was Tricki’s playmate ,was suffering from lumbago and so, was not able to play.
There was no ring-throwing game. Tricki therefore, only had a little walk with his mistress and it was not
enough exercise for him.

Q4. Why did the narrator think that Tricki would fall seriously ill?
Ans4. Mrs Pumphrey was not at all strict with Tricki’s diet and exercise.Tricki’s only fault was that he was
greedy.He would eat anything at any time of the day. The narrator felt that if the mistress would not cut
down his food and would not give him more exercise, he would certainly fall ill very soon.

Q5. What made Mrs Pumphrey call the vet?

Ans5. Tricki’s condition made Mrs Pumphrey call the vet for help. Tricki had become fat and lazy. He just
used to lie on his rug and pant. He also refused to eat food, even his favourite dishes. His bouts of vomiting
added to Mrs Pumphrey’s worry. That is why she called James Herriot.

Q6.What was the only way to help Tricki?

Ans6. The doctor was very intelligent and thought that the only way to help Tricki was to take him out of
the house for a period of time. So ,the doctor suggested Tricki to be hospitalized for a fortnight for keeping
him under observation.

Q7. How can you say that it was hard for Mrs Pumphrey to part with her doting pet?
Ans. Mrs Pumphrey treated Tricki as her own child. She loved him very much. It was very difficult for her to
see Tricki in such a situation. She was distraught when she had to make the decision to hospitalize Tricki,
for her love for him knew no bounds. It was a terrible and tearful moment for her but she agreed to
Herriot’s suggestion for the betterment of her pet.

Q8. Why was the staff of Mrs Pumphrey at work when Tricki was going to the hospital?
Ans8. Tricki was Mrs Pumphrey’s beloved pet and if he was going to the hospital, then the entire staff had
to work. His wardrobe , favourite cushions, toys, food bowls were being loaded into Mr.Herriot’s car by
them. Mrs.Pumphrey did not want her pet to live uncomfortably in any way.

Q9. How was Tricki welcomed at the surgery?

Ans9. When the narrator reached the surgery with Tricki, all the dogs of the surgery encircled them.Tricki
did not react and lay motionless on the carpet.The other dogs went round sniffing him and after doing
so,decided im to be an uninteresting thing and ignored him completely.
Q10. How were the first few days for Tricki at the surgery?
Ans10.Tricki was given a bed in a warm loose box next to the other dogs.For the first in three days,he was
given no food but plenty of water.The second day,he showed interest in his surroundings.The third day, he
made low crying noises when he heard the other dogs in the yard.

Q11. How was the mealtime at the surgery?

Ans11. As soon as the food was slopped into the bowls,the dogs rushed to their bowls and started eating
greedily with high-speed eating.Every dog knew that if he was late in eating,he was liable to face
competition for the last part of his meal.

Q12. How did Tricki’s rapid progress come about?

Ans12. Tricki’s progress was very fast.He had no medical treatment at all.All day long,he ran about with the
other dogs and enjoyed the friendly fighting and scuffling.He experienced for the first time,the joy of being
bowled over,tramped and getting squashed.

Q13. Why does the narrator say that Tricki was an unlikely presence in the yard?
Ans13. The narrator found something unusual about Tricki at the surgery since he was the only
‘sophisticated’ dog in his surgery, while the rest of his dogs were pure mongrels. As he got to know his
playmates, he came to his normal self. He fought for his share at the mealtime like a tiger. He hunted rats
at the old hen-house at night. He had never had such a life in Mrs Pumphrey’s house, where he was kept in
extreme luxury and also in isolation from the rest of the world.

Q14. Which questions of Mrs.Pumphrey did the narrator dodge?

Ans14. Mrs Pumphrey was perturbed and anxious to learn about Tricki’s latest condition. So, she rang a
dozen times a day.The doctor had to face lot of queries and dodge them,like whether Tricki’s cushions
were being turned regularly or whether the proper coat was worn according to the weather.The doctor
would constantly tell her that Tricki was out of danger and was recovering fast.

Q15. What did Mrs Pumphrey do when she heard that Tricki was convalescing?
Ans15. On hearing about Tricki’s fast recovery, Mrs Pumphrey was really overwhelmed with joy. She
started to bring fresh eggs, about two dozens at a time in order to build Tricki’s strength. Later, she also
started sending bottles of wine to enrich Tricki’s blood.

Q16. What were “the days of deep content”? OR Why was there a tempatation to keep Tricki as a
permanent guest?
Ans16. The days when Tricki was at the surgery, were of deep satisfaction for the narrator and his partners.
They had extra eggs at breakfast, wine during the midday meal and in the evening, it was luxury to have
brandy round the fire.They thought that if they keep Tricki permanently with them then the supply of
special food and beverages for Tricki would continue and they could enjoy all that.

Q17. How was Tricki transformed within two weeks?

Ans17. In two weeks, the roly-poly, sickly Tricki had been transformed into a slim, flexible, hard-muscled
dog, who was well acquainted with the pack of dogs at the surgery.

Q18. Why does Mrs Pumphrey think the dog’s recovery is ‘a triumph of surgery’?
Ans18.The narrator had tricked Mrs Pumphrey into believing that he was taking Tricki away for
hospitalization and subsequent ‘surgery’. To Mrs Pumphrey , evidently ,this meant that Tricki was to be
operated on. The vet, Mr Heriot, however ,merely took Tricki to his ‘surgery’, the place where he kept
other dogs and treated them. When Tricki, finally, after getting enough exercise and sticking to a diet, had
grown well-built, Mrs Pumphrey’s former belief was as if reinforced and she termed, Tricki’s
transformation to be a ‘ triumph of operation’, i.e.,’surgery’.

LONG QUESTIONS:

Q1. Discuss the character traits of Dr James Herriot.

VALUE POINTS:
 A COMPETENT VETERINARY SURGEON: CURED TRICKI IN A NATURAL WAY
WITHOUT ANY SURGERY(OPERATION).
 A COMPASSIONATE DOCTOR: WAS WORRIED TO SEE TRICKI BLOATED LIKE A
SAUSAGE AND UNDERSTOOD THAT HE WAS BEING PAMPERED AND NO STRICT
DIET WAS BEING FOLLOWED AS ADVISED BY HIM.HE WAS SURE THAT SOON
TRICKI WILL FALL ILL.
 A WISE AND A SYMPATHETIC HUMAN BEING: TOOK TRICKI AWAY FROM
HIS MISTRESS FOR A FORTNIGHT.
 AN UNDERSTANDING AND A TACTFUL PERSON:UNDERSTOOD THAT THE REAL PROBLEM WITH
THE DOG WAS HIS GREED.DODGED ALL QUERIES OF MRS PUMPHREY NO MATTER HOW MANY
TIMES SHE CALLED.
 PRACTICAL IN APPROACH: CURED TRICKI IN A NATURAL WAY RATHER THAN OPERATING ON
HIM.KEPT TRICKI ON WATER FOR TWO DAYS AND THEN GRADUALLY GAVE HIM FOOD.
 CARING AND POLITE: CARED FOR TRICKI AT THE SURGERY AND TREATED HIM WELL.

Q2. Discuss the character traits of Mrs Pumphrey.

 EXTREMELY RICH LADY: HAD A CHAUFFEUR DRIVEN CAR, MANY SERVANTS AND MAIDS.ALSO
HAD A PET DOG AND SERVED HIM A LOT OF DISHES, SWEETS AND SNACKS. HAD A SEPARATE
ROOM AND A WARDROBE FOR THE PET.HAD DIFFERENT SORTS OF BEDS AND COATS FOR THE
DOG.
 A LONELY LADY: TRICKI WAS THE ONLY COMPANION.
 A DOTING MISTRESS WHO PAMPERED HER DOG TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT HE FELL ILL.
 AN IGNORANT LADY: DID NOT SERVE THE RIGHT KIND OF FOOD TO THE DOG AND DID NOT
GIVE HIM PROPER EXERCISES TO KEEP HIM FIT.( DID NOT FOLLOW THE REGIME ADVISED BY
HERRIOT)
 ANXIOUS AND TENDER HEARTED:THOUGHT THAT TRICKI HAD A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND CRIED
BITTERLY WHEN HE WAS HOSPITALISED.
 A GRATEFUL PERSON: THANKED DR.HERRIOT FOR CURING TRICKI AND CALLED IT ‘A TRIUMPH
OF
SURGERY’.