A Triumph of Surgery - Long Answers

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A Triumph of Surgery - Long Answer Questions

1. What reasons did Mrs. Pumphrey give for not listening to Dr. Herriot's advice? What happened when she ignored the advice?

Mrs. Pumphrey enjoyed pampering Tricki with treats like malt and cod-liver oil, even though Dr. Herriot suggested reducing sweets and increasing exercise. She struggled to stick to the recommended diet. Disregarding the advice caused Tricki to lose interest in food and suffer severe sickness, repeatedly vomiting.

2. Dr. Herriot believed Tricki's main problem was his greed for food. Did Tricki lack self-control? What qualities should Tricki have instead?

Dr. Herriot thought Tricki ate too much, and Mrs. Pumphrey giving him lots of rich food made it worse. Herriot wasn't being mean, he was just saying what he saw. Tricki got sick, so Dr. Herriot took him to the vet. Tricki needed to learn to control his eating. It would've been better if he didn't eat everything in sight. Mrs. Pumphrey said Tricki loved cream cakes and chocolates, so he should've eaten less and acted more like a normal dog, not wanting too much fancy stuff.

3. Describe Mrs. Pumphrey's love for her dog with examples from the story.

Mrs. Pumphrey adored her dog, Tricki, and treated him like royalty. She fed him delicious food, sometimes even giving him extra treats between meals. When Tricki fell ill and had to go to the hospital, she felt very sad and sent him special treats like eggs and wine. She was overjoyed when Tricki recovered.

4. How can you tell that Mrs. Pumphrey was wealthy?

Mrs. Pumphrey was a rich lady who had a small dog, named Tricki. She had pampered the dog by providing him things like a raincoat for wet days, a whole wardrobe, full of tweed coats. There were separate bowls like breakfast bowl, lunch bowl, supper bowl etc. or his different meals. She had a lot of servants and maids to take care of him and to serve Tricki s favourite cushions, toys and rubber rings. Besides, she owned a chauffer driven long, black car. All these things suggest that she was a rich lady.

5. Compare Mrs. Pumphrey's and Dr. Herriot's ways of caring for the dog. Which method seems better and why?

Mrs. Pumphrey showed her love for Tricki by giving him rich foods and treats, but she didn't give him enough exercise. Dr. Herriot, on the other hand, realized that Tricki's illness was caused by overeating and lack of activity. He prescribed a controlled diet and plenty of exercise. Dr. Herriot's method seems better because he addressed the root cause of Tricki's problems and helped him become healthier.

6. Why was Tricki happy at the doctor's house?

In the doctor’s house, Tricki was placed in a warm box next to the other dogs. He was given only water and no food. On the second day, he met the other dogs but showed no interest. By the fourth day he ran towards his food and joined the other dogs in their friendly, energetic struggles. He discovered the joys of being squashed and being an accepted member of the gang. He fought for his share at meals and hunted rats at night.

7. What treatment did Dr. Herriot provide for Tricki?

Tricki fell ill. Dr. Harriot was called upon. When he looked at the dog, he immediately made out that Tricki did not need any medicine. He was sick because he had taken excess food. So, he gave little food and stressed on lots of water and exercise which Tricki was not used to. He was served food with other dogs and was made to run imd play also with them. He joined them in their friendly scrimmages. Gradually he learnt the art of hunting rats in the old hen, horse, fighting like a tiger for his share at mealtimes. In other words, he was leading a normal life which he never had done with Mrs. Pumhrey. Soon Tricki became normal without taking any medicine.