1.

A TRIUMPH OF SURGERY
1. A TRIUMPH OF SURGERY
James Alfred Wight is
popular as James Herriot
•Tricki is a small dog who is pampered by his wealthy mistress, Mrs.
Pumphrey.
•Tricki is greedy and loves food, but doesn't exercise.
•Mrs. Pumphrey gives Tricki extras between meals to build him up, such
as malt, cod-liver oil, and Horlicks at night.
•A veterinary doctor sees the dog and is shocked by how bloated he
isThe doctor advises Mrs. Pumphrey to stop giving Tricki diet, but she
can't refuse him.
•Tricki soon falls sick and the doctor is called.
•Mrs. Pumphrey thinks Tricki's recovery is "a triumph of surgery"
because he recovers completely in two weeks and becomes a hard-
muscled animal.
•The story is a powerful example of the importance of saying "no".
•Mrs Pumphrey Mrs Pumphrey, a middle-aged woman, was quite rich and resourceful
with a large number of servants and maids. She treats all her visitors
•a middle-aged woman, was quite rich, resourceful with a
with warmth and generosity. She had a strong emotional bond with her
large number of servants and maids. little pet dog, Tricki. She was very concerned about Tricki’s miserable
condition. She pampered the dog by giving him chocolates, cakes,
•warmth and generosity.
juice, eggs and wine. Mrs. Pumphrey overindulged to the point of
•silly but tender-hearted. disregarding Dr. Herriot’s advice to give him exercise. When Tricki’s
health deteriorated and was taken to the hospital for treatment, she
•Over-doing
was very upset. She was silly but tender-hearted. She was happy when
her pet dog became alright. She was grateful to Dr. Herriot for making
Tricki healthy.
Q1. How would you describe Mrs Pumphrey’s personality?
Q2. How does Mrs Pumphrey feel about Tricki?
Q3. How does Mrs Pumphrey react when Tricki falls ill?
Q4. What is Mrs Pumphrey’s attitude towards money?
Q5. What is the lesson we can learn from Mrs Pumphrey’s character?
Q6. Compare and contrast the relationship of master and pet as shown
in Mijbil the otter and A Triumph of surgery.
 • Dr. Herriot is a committed veterinarian
• Tricki is a lovable and mischievous dog. • who has compassion and dedication for his profession.
• little overweight. • willing to make an extra effort for his patients.
• pampered • goes out of way to make sure they get the best treatment.
• loyal to his owner • willing to listen to his customers.
• loves to be around people.
2. THE THIEF’S STORY
Ruskin Bond
The Thief's Story is a short story about a thief who finds redemption.
The story's themes include friendship, betrayal, trust, guilt, change, kindness, loyalty, revenge, and
honesty. The story's moral is that there is always hope for redemption and transformation.
Here are some other details about the story:
•The story focuses on basic human values and relationships.
•The story's main character, Hari Singh, plans to rob the only person who cares for him.
•Hari Singh's conscience prevents him from robbing Anil.
•The story's conclusion is that relationships and human values are significant in life and have the power to
transform a person.

•The story's main character, Hari Singh, is a 15-year-old boy who befriends people to rob them.
•Hari meets Anil, a 25-year-old struggling writer, at a wrestling match.
•Anil takes Hari into his home and teaches him how to read, write, and cook.
•When Anil receives money for his writing, Hari steals it from under his mattress.
•Hari returns the money without being noticed and is successful in his objective.
•The story's moral is that kindness and compassion can change a person's life.
•The story also shows that sometimes people turn to crime out of desperation and poverty
Anil is also described as:
Hari Singh:
•Honest and humble
•Dishonest
•Frank
•Lazy
•Helps the needy
•Helpless
•Casual about money
•Experienced
•Not very rich
•Deceitful
•Not good at managing his money
•successful, responsible, honest, practical,
•Spends money on friends
positive, grateful
•Doesn't pay Hari Singh
•kind, simple, easy-going, trusting,
generous, forgiving, honest, simple,
struggling
3. THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR
Robert Arthur
•The story is about a retired detective named Ausable who uses his intelligence to get rid of his rival, Max.
•The story also features a mystery writer named Fowler.
•The story's moral is that people should not panic in situations, but instead face them with presence of
mind.
•Ausable is a chubby, clumsy, and lethargic man, while Max is slender and rugged.
•Ausable is a determined, observant, brave, intelligent, and resourceful character.

• A secret agent who is overweight and sloppy, but has a great presence of mind and is
quick-witted and persuasive. He is also intelligent and has a great sense of humor.

• A young and romantic writer who is surprised to see Ausable, who doesn't look like a
secret agent. Fowler and Ausable are friends.
4. A Question of Trust
“Victor Canning”
•The story is about a thief named Horace Danby who is a successful locksmith.
•Danby robs a safe once a year and uses the money to buy rare books.
•The story's theme is trust, honesty, and humanity. It explores the idea of cheats expecting honesty in their
profession.
•Danby meets a woman who tricks him into believing she is a family member living at Shotover
Grange. She convinces him to open the safe for her, and he is jailed for believing her.
•The story explores the value of trust in human relationships. Trust is a fundamental value that creates
security and strengthens relationships.

•He is well-liked, good-natured, and lives peacefully.

•Danby is a book lover who steals from wealthy people once a year
to buy expensive and rare books.
•Danby is never caught because he doesn't leave fingerprints at the
crime scenes.
•Danby lives with a housekeeper who worries about his health. He
is generally healthy, but sometimes has hay fever in the summer.
•Danby is allergic to flowers, which causes him to have hay fever
every summer
5. Footprints without Feet
H.G. Wells
•The chapter "Footprints without Feet" warns against misusing science and its discoveries.
• It tells the story of Griffin, a brilliant scientist who misuses his discovery to threaten and rob
innocent people.
•The chapter's message is that misuse of science can make even a brilliant scientist a monster
and a threatening lawless person.
•Brilliant
Griffin is a genius scientist who discovers a drug that makes his body transparent and
invisible.
•Arrogant
Griffin is a complex character with a range of characteristics, including arrogance and
selfishness.
•Selfish
Griffin is a selfish and careless man who uses his mind in a sinister way.
•Paranoid
Griffin becomes increasingly violent and suspicious of others as the novel progresses.
•Irritable
Griffin is very irritable and impatient, and loses his temper over small things.
•Impatient
Griffin is very irritable and impatient, and loses his temper over small things.
•Lawless
Griffin is a lawless person who sets fire to his landlord's house and becomes a homeless
wanderer.
•Revengeful
Griffin is a model of science without humanity and is revengeful.
The lesson "Footprints Without Feet" is a story by H. G. Wells. When the story opens, two boys watch
the muddy footprints suddenly appear out of nowhere. However, as they followed, the footprints
grew fainter and finally disappeared. The footprints belonged to Griffin, a scientist who had discovered a
way to make his boy invisible. Griffin, though intelligent, was a lawless person. He set fire to his
landlord's house just because the landlord wanted him to leave the house. Griffin roamed in London
without clothes. He entered the store to escape the cold winter night. When the store closed, Griffin
indulged himself by dressing himself in warm clothes. When the shop assistants saw him, he escaped
from there by removing his clothes. He then went to Drury Lane to find clothes to disguise his face and
body. He then attacked the shopkeeper from behind to escape and robbed all the money. After that,
Griffin left London and booked two rooms at the village inn. Once his money was over, he stole it from
the clergyman's room. The next day, Griffin paid the remaining amount in the inn. The people in the inn
felt suspicious about it. So they informed about the strange incident a constable. Then Mrs Hall
approached and asked Griffin a few questions; on seeing that, he became furious and took out
the bandages. Then the constable arrived at the scene; he removed his clothes and escaped from there
when he was trying to hold him. Finally, the poor constable became unconscious, and no one could
catch him.
6. The Making of a Scientist
•The story The Making of a Scientist’ is written by Robert W Peterson. It is about the great scientist Richard H
Ebright.
CHARACTERS
•Richard H Ebright He is a brilliant scientist. He is noted for’ his work on cell and reading of DNA. Richard’s
Mother She is an encouraging mother who supported Richard in every way.
•Dr. Frederick A. Urquhart He is a prominent scientist. He did his research on monarch butterflies. He provided
valuable guidance to Richard for his projects.
•Richard A. Weiherer He is Richard’s social studies teacher. He helped Richard become a good debater and a
public speaker.
•James R. Wong He.is a fellow scholar who worked with him on a project.
• Richard – A Collector from Childhood :
Richard was the only child of his parents. He grew up at reading in Pennsylvania, USA. He had no one to play
with. So, he started collecting things – rocks, fossils and coins. He even gazed at stars. Collecting butterflies
became his hobby.
• Richard Enters County Science Fair :
Richard displayed his slides of frogs at the county science fair, but did not win any award. He realised that
he needed to carry out real experiments to win an award. He took suggestions from Dr Urquhart. As a result
of his many experiments, he won many prizes at the county and international science fairs in the following
years.
• Richard’s Eighth Grade Project :
Ebright tried to find the cause of a viral fever that kills thousands of monarch butterflies. He thought that a
beetle may carry the virus that causes viral fever. Although this was not the case, he still won a prize for his
project.
• Richard’s Discovery of a Hormone :
Richard was curious to know the reason behind twelve gold spots on a monarch pupa. He and his friends
built a device to prove that the spots were producing a hormone necessary for its full development. The
project got him first prize in the county fair.
• Ebright Continues his Research on Monarch Pupa :
After his freshman year at Harvard, he returned to the laboratory of the Department of Agriculture to
identify the chemical structure of hormone. This gave him a new idea about cell life.
• Richard’s Study of Cell and DNA :
Richard’s research on the hormone gave him an idea. He believed that his study could tell how cells read
their DNA. He, along with his college room-mate, James R Wong, worked on the idea. Then, they wrote a
paper explaining their theory.
7. The Necklace
"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant:

•Theme
The story's central theme is that people should be content with what they have and not take it
for granted. The story also explores how greed and vanity can be corrosive.
The story is a satire that teaches the lesson that people should be content with what they have
and live within their means.

The short story "The Necklace" follows the life of Matilda Loisel, a discontented woman who
borrows a necklace for a high-society event, only to lose it. To replace the necklace, Matilda and
her husband endure years of hardship and poverty, only to discover that the original necklace
was a fake. This thought-provoking tale delves into themes of deception, the consequences of
pride, and the illusory nature of appearance.
The theme of deception in "The Necklace" is central to the story's narrative. It explores how
appearances can be deceiving, leading to unintended and often severe consequences.
Matilda's decision to borrow a diamond necklace from her friend, believing it to be a genuine
sign of wealth and status, sets off a chain of events rooted in deception. However, the necklace
turns out to be a fake, shattering her world of illusion and leading to years of suffering and
poverty for both Matild and her husband. The story highlights the deceptive nature of
appearances and the unforeseen repercussions of living a life based on false assumptions.
•Matilda
•A middle-class woman who dreams of a life above her station. She is greedy
and prideful, and wants luxuries and status her husband cannot provide.
•Madame Forestier
•A wealthy woman who represents the upper class and is part of the social
circle that Matilda aspires to join. She is trusting and friendly with Mathilde, but
later shows impatience at having to wait for the return of her necklace.
8. BHOLI
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
The main theme of Bholi is the impact of family on children. The story suggests
that family support and emotional security are essential for children's
development.
The story also teaches that people shouldn't be discriminated against based on
their appearance and disabilities. Instead, they should be encouraged and
motivated to overcome their weaknesses.
•Bholi is the story of a girl named Sulekha who suffered •Bholi agreed to marry an old man to protect her father's

from brain damage and smallpox. honor, but later refused because she saw how mean and

•At birth, Bholi was fair and pretty, but when she was two greedy he was.
years old, she contracted smallpox. The disease left her •Bholi refused to marry Bishamber because he demanded
with pockmarks on her face and permanently disfigured five thousand rupees from her father after seeing her
her body. pock-marked face.

•Bholi also stammered due to her brain damage.

•Bholi was sent to school when she was five years old.
•Bholi's parents didn't care for her.
• Bholi is a neglected, underconfident, and introverted child.
•She is also a little slow and has pockmarks on her face from a childhood
illness.

•Teacher
•Bholi's teacher is affectionate and encouraging. She helps Bholi overcome her
fear of speaking and transforms her into a confident girl who can read, write,
and speak properly.
9. The book that saved the Earth
Claire Bioko
The Book that Saved the Earth is a fictional, comedic drama written by Claire
Boiko. The play is set in the 25th century and is about how the world was saved
from a Martian invasion by an old book of rhymes called "Mother Goose".
The play's central idea is that incomplete information is always hazardous.
-ruler of the Martian planet.
-large egg-shaped head
-an unusual appearance that set him apart from humans.
-dumb leader,
- thought of himself as intelligent and never accepted any of his errors.
-lacked common sense, unlike Noodle, and only understood things superficially without
analysing or taking into account their actual purposes, which ultimately contributed to his failure.
-Noodle is the apprentice of Think-Tank.
-knowledgeable Martian alien
-used to offer Think-Tank ideas anytime a problem occurred in his crew.
-put a lot of effort into his work
The play's plot is set in the twentieth century, and it depicts an attempt by a Martian named Think-Tank and his crew to attack
Earth. When his crew arrived at an Earth library, they were perplexed as to what books were for. They were initially misled by Think-
Tank, which mistook those weird things (books) for 'sandwiches.' They eventually discovered that the books are intended for
'communication' with the help of Noodle's (Think-Tank's assistant's) advice. They took vitamins and were able to read the book
after that because it was tough for them to read stuff from the books.

The book they chose to read was "Mother Goose," a collection of nursery rhymes. Think-Tank felt terrified and disturbed after
hearing lines like "a cow jumped over the moon, and a little dog laughed to see the cow's act, and a dish ran away with a
spoon" transcribed by the crew. Think-Tank believed that Earthlings have advanced to the point where even pets are raised with
emotions and that Earthlings could invade Mars with millions of cows.

Furthermore, since the image of 'Humpty Dumpty' resembled Think-Tank, he was terrified of the lines 'Humpty Dumpty had a
great fall,' fearing that Earthlings would seize Mars and overthrow Think-Tank.

As Think-Tank was afraid of the poetry words from 'Mother Goose,' he ordered his crew to return to Mars rather than invade Earth.
The play concludes with the moral that things should be analysed rather than taken at face value.