A Triumph of Surgery.
A Triumph of Surgery.
Chapter 1: A Triumph of Surgery
Introductory Questions (Page 15)
Q: Does he perform an operation?
A: No, the veterinary surgeon, Mr. Herriot, does not perform any actual operation.
Q: Does the dog recover?
A: Yes, the dog recovers completely. He is transformed from a “hugely fat” dog into a “lithe, hard-muscled animal”.
Read and Find Out (Page 15)
Q: Why is Mrs Pumphrey worried about Tricki?
A: Mrs. Pumphrey is worried because Tricki has become “so listless” and “seemed to have no energy”. He has also stopped eating, refused his favorite dishes, and had bouts of vomiting.
Q: What does she do to help him? Is she wise in this?
A:
* What she does: Believing he is suffering from malnutrition, she gives him extra food between meals, such as “malt and cod-liver oil and a bowl of Horlicks”. She also admits she couldn’t “bear to refuse him” his favorite cream cakes and chocolates.
* Is she wise: No, she is not wise. The narrator notes that Tricki’s “only fault was greed”. Her overfeeding is the cause of his illness, not the cure.
Q: Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?
A: ‘I’ refers to the narrator, Mr. Herriot, who is a veterinary surgeon.
Read and Find Out (Page 17)
Q: Is the narrator as rich as Tricki’s mistress?
A: No, the narrator does not appear to be as rich. Mrs. Pumphrey has a large staff, including maids and a chauffeur, and a large, gleaming car. The narrator and his partners, on the other hand, are thrilled by the arrival of fresh eggs, wine, and brandy sent by Mrs. Pumphrey, treating them as a luxury.
Q: How does he treat the dog?
A: The narrator treats the dog with practical common sense. He puts Tricki on a strict diet, giving him “no food but plenty of water” for the first two days. After that, he allows Tricki to eat with the other dogs, having to “jostle” for his food. He gives Tricki “no medicinal treatment” but ensures he gets plenty of exercise by running and playing with the other dogs.
Q: Why is he tempted to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest?
A: He is tempted to keep Tricki permanently because Mrs. Pumphrey starts sending large quantities of luxuries to “build up Tricki’s strength”. These include “fresh eggs,” “bottles of wine,” and “brandy”. The narrator and his partners enjoy these items thoroughly, describing it as “days of deep content”.
Q: Why does Mrs Pumphrey think the dog’s recovery is “a triumph of surgery”?
A: Mrs. Pumphrey calls the recovery “a triumph of surgery” because Tricki’s transformation was so dramatic and quick. In just a “fortnight”, he changed from a fat, listless, panting dog into a “lithe, hard-muscled animal”. She is unaware that the “cure” was simply diet and exercise, not actual surgery, and sees the rapid recovery as a medical miracle performed by the veterinary surgeon.
Think about it (Page 20)
Q: What kind of a person do you think the narrator, a veterinary surgeon, is? Would you say he is tactful as well as full of common sense?
A: The narrator is clearly a person of common sense. He immediately diagnoses Tricki’s problem as overfeeding and knows the cure is not medicine but a controlled diet and exercise.
He is also very tactful. He tries to warn Mrs. Pumphrey gently at first. When he hospitalizes Tricki, he “dodged” her anxious questions about cushions and coats, instead focusing on reassuring her that Tricki was “convalescing rapidly”. He handles her kindly without compromising the dog’s treatment.
Q: Do you think Tricki was happy to go home? What do you think will happen now?
A:
* Was he happy: Yes, Tricki was very happy to go home. The moment he saw his mistress, he “took off from [the narrator’s] arms in a tremendous leap and sailed into Mrs Pumphrey’s lap,” where he “swarmed over her, licking her face and barking”.
* What will happen: The story suggests Mrs. Pumphrey hasn’t changed her indulgent nature. It’s likely she will resume overfeeding and pampering Tricki, which could cause him to become ill again.
Q: Do you think this is a real-life episode, or mere fiction? Or is it a mixture of both?
A: The story feels like a mixture of both. The author, James Herriot, was a real-life veterinary surgeon, and his stories are famous for being based on his actual experiences. The characters—the indulgent, wealthy owner and the practical vet—are very believable. The events are likely based on a real-life episode, perhaps with some details exaggerated for humor and storytelling (fiction).
Talk about it (Page 21)
(These questions ask for your opinion, but here are answers based on the text.)
Q: This episode describes the silly behaviour of a rich woman who is foolishly indulgent… Do you think such people are merely silly, or can their actions cause harm to others?
A: While the behavior seems “silly”, it can and does cause harm. Mrs. Pumphrey’s “foolishly indulgent” behavior, driven by her affection, directly caused Tricki’s illness. She overfed him to the point where he was “hugely fat”, “listless”, vomiting, and “very ill”. Her actions, though well-intentioned, were harmful to the dog’s health.
Q: Do you think there are also parents like Mrs Pumphrey?
A: Yes, it is very possible to find parents like Mrs. Pumphrey. Some parents might equate love with giving their children everything they want, such as too much junk food or expensive toys, even when it’s not good for them. Like Mrs. Pumphrey, who found it “so very difficult” to be strict, these parents may struggle to set healthy boundaries, believing they are being kind when they are actually being indulgent.
Q: What would you have done if you were: (i) a member of the staff in Mrs Pumphrey’s household, (ii) a neighbour?
A:
* (i) Staff member: It would be very difficult, as my job would be to follow orders. However, seeing the dog suffer, I might have tried to gently tell Mrs. Pumphrey that Tricki had already eaten, or perhaps “forget” to give him the extra treats, like the gardener, Hodgkin, was unable to do the ring-throwing.
* (ii) Neighbour: As a neighbour, I might have tried to talk to Mrs. Pumphrey kindly, perhaps suggesting we take the dogs for a walk together to give Tricki more exercise. I could also have strongly recommended Mr. Herriot as a vet who gives excellent, practical advice.
Q: What would you have done if you were in the narrator’s place?
A: I would have done exactly what the narrator did. His approach was professional and effective.
* First, he gave clear, severe advice to “cut his food right down and give him more exercise”.
* When that failed and the situation became an emergency, he “took a firm line”. He realized the only solution was to “get Tricki out of the house” and suggested hospitalization.
* His “cure” of a simple diet and exercise was the perfect, common-sense solution to the problem.