Footprint without feet | NCERT Class 10 English Footprint without Feet
Summary – Footprint without feet
Two boys saw fresh footprints of an invisible man in the streets of London. These footprints were of a lawless scientist named Griffin. He discovered a rare drug, which could make him invisible. His landlord disliked him and tried to reject him. In revenge Griffin set fire to the house. He swallowed drug and removed his clothes to become invisible. He was a homeless wanderer- until he happened to step in some mud, and left footprints as he walked! He escaped easily enough from the boys who followed the footprints.
He wandered in the streets of London. He faced cold weather and felt the need of clothes and food. He slipped inside a big London store for warmth. He fitted himself out with warm clothes. soon, with shoes, an overcoat and a wide hat, he became a fully dressed and visible person. In the kitchen of the restaurant he enjoyed the meal. He fell asleep on the pile of quilts. He woke up late in the morning. The store attendants gave him a chase but he made himself free by removing his clothes. Then he entered a theatrical company where he dressed up again and looted some money from the shopkeeper.
He wanted to live freely without any disturbance. So he caught a train to Iping village and hired a room at the inn. The money of the loot did not last long and he again had to rob a clergyman of his money. After some time Mr. and Mrs. Hall visited his room when they found the door of the room opened. They found nobody inside. But the chair and other things in the room become alive. The hat lying on the bedpost leapt up and dashed itself into the face of the landlady. Then the bedroom chair became alive and it pushed the inn keeper and his wife out of the room.
Mrs. Hall almost fell down the stairs. She thought that it was matter of witchcraft*. She was convinced that the room was haunted by sprits and the stranger had somehow caused these to enter into her furniture. By the time the news of robbery spread and everybody suspected the scientist. The suspicion grew stronger when he produced ready cash whereas he had accepted some time before that he had no money. The village constable was sent for. Instead of waiting for the constable Mrs. Hall went to the scientist and asked how he came out of an empty room and how he entered a locked room. The eccentric* scientist lost his temper when he faced questions from Mrs. Hall.
He threw off the bandages, spectacles and false nose. This made his head invisible. When the constable, Mr. Jaffers reached there, he saw that he had to arrest a headless man. He tried to get hold of him but Griffin outsmarted him by throwing away his clothes again. He became invisible and knocked down the constable out of senses. The people who tried to help the constable received the blows nowhere. Thus he again escaped from the scene unnoticed.
Words:
witchcraft – practice of magic;
eccentric – unusual character;
Q.1. How did the invisible man first become invisible?
Answer. The invisible man swallowed certain rare drugs and his body became as transparent as a sheet of glass. The invisible man was a scientist. He carried out numerous experiments to prove that the human body could become invisible.
Q.2. Why was he wandering in the streets?
Answer. Griffin was a brilliant scientist but a lawless person. His landlord disliked him and tried to eject him. In revenge Griffin set fire to the house. To get away without being seen he had to remove his clothes. Thus he became a homeless wanderer.
Q.3. Why does Mrs. Hall find the scientist eccentric?
Answer. Mrs. Hall tried her level best to befriend Griffin. But he had no desire to talk. He told her that he came to Iping for solitude. He did not wish to be disturbed in his work.
Q.4. What curious episode occurs in the study?
Answer. A clergyman and his wife were awakened by noises in the study very early in the morning. Creeping downstairs, they heard the chink of money being taken from the clergyman’s desk. He and his wife looked under the desk and behind the curtains, and even up the chimney. There wasn’t a sign of anybody. Yet the desk had been opened and the housekeeping money was missing.
Q.5. What other extraordinary things happen at the inn?
Answer. The landlord and his wife surprised to see the scientist’s door open. Usually it is shut and locked and he becomes furious if anyone enters his room. The opportunity seems too good to be missed. They peep round the door, see nobody and decide to investigate. The bedclothes were cold, showing that the scientist must have been up for some time. All of a sudden Mrs. Hall heard a sniff close to her ear. A moment later the hat on the bed post leapt up and dashed itself into her face. Then the bedroom chair became alive. As she and her husband turned away in terror, the extraordinary chair pushed them both out of the room and then appeared to slam and lock the door after them. Mrs. Hall almost fell down the stairs. She was convinced that the room was haunted by sprits and the stranger had somehow caused these to enter into the furniture.
Q.6. “Griffin was rather a lawless person.” Comment.
Answer. It is rightly said that Griffin was a lawless person. He was not a law abiding citizen. A person who follows law and order of the country can not think of damaging other’s property. But Griffin set fire to the house and became a homeless wanderer. He also robbed a shopkeeper of all the money he could find. He stole the housekeeping money from the clergyman’s desk. Griffin also attacked Mrs. Hall when she entered his room. All these activities and instances prove that he was really a lawless person.
Q.7. How would you assess Griffin as a scientist?
Answer. Griffin had carried out experiment after experiment to prove that the human body could become invisible. He did not want it to do it for the welfare of society but to satisfy his own ego and carry out satanic deeds. He was a brilliant scientist but not a law abiding citizen. A scientist’s work is to invent those gadgets and devices which can make the earthly existence comfortable. But Griffin swallowed certain rare drugs and became invisible to torment the innocent people. He was a criminal scientist who had no respect for the humanity.
Long answers to questions (100-120 words) – Footprint without feet
Q.1 How would you assess Griffin as Scientist?
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“Griffin ……. law less per son” comment.
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Who was Griffin? How did he make himself invisible?
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Do you think Griffin a law less per son? Enumerate it.
Answer. Griffin was a skillful scientist. He recently invented a drug that can make people invisible. He swallowed a few drops of the drug and he became invisible. He was an stupendous scientist but a lawless person also. Griffin never thought twice before harming anybody. He put his landlord’s house on fire. By becoming invisible, he stole in a shop in London and another in Drury Lane.
He seems to enjoy the feeling of power, which he got out of his invisibility. He misused his power to hurt other people. He put people in trouble in the village of Iping also. He hurt the landlady. He stole from Clergyman’s house. He was occupied with the thought of self-interest. He cannot be assessed as a good scientist. A good scientist offers his discovery for the wellbeing of society.
Q.2 Briefly describe the extraordinary behavior of Mrs. Hall’s furniture.
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What extraordinary things happen in the inn?
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What curious episode occurred in the story?
Answer: After Griffin occupied a room in the inn of Iping, many extraordinary things happened. One morning the landlord and his wife of the inn found that the door of the room of Griffin was open. They peeped around the room and found none in the room. They saw that the clothes and bandages of griffin were lying about in the room. Mrs. Hall heard a sniff close to her ears but she found nobody. A moment later, the hat on the bedpost kept up and dashed itself into her face. The bad room chair started moving and attacked them. As they turned away in terror, the chair pushed them out of the room. Mrs. Hall almost fell down the stairs. She was convinced that the room as hunted by the spirit and that the spirit had some link with the strange scientist, Griffin.
Griffen was suspected of having a hand in the burglary at the clergy man’s home. Mrs. Hall questioned him on the stage happenings in his room. He then threw off his bandage, black glass, and false nose. The people were horrified to see a headless man. When the police came he threw all the garments and became invisible and ran away.
Q.3 Describe the landlord’s and his wife’s experience with the strange scientist.
Answer: Both Mrs Hall and her husband were surprised to find the scientist’s room door open because normally it was always locked. So they peeped in, but found nobody there. The clothes and bandages that he always wore were lying about the room. Suddenly Mrs Hall heard a sniff close to her ear and the hat on the bedpost leapt up and dashed itself into her face. Then the bedroom chair sprang into the air and pushed them both out of the room and then appeared to slam and lock the door after them. Mrs Hall became hysterical and almost fell down the stairs. She thought that her furniture was haunted. They decided to confront the scientist next time when they met him.
Q.4 If, somehow you discovered how to become invisible, how would you use that opportunity?
Answer: If I discovered how to become invisible, I would use this opportunity to punish all those people who cause trouble to others for their own selfish motives. I would catch them and hand them over to the police without letting them know that I was behind them. I will also help the law-enforcing agencies when they conduct raids on criminal hideouts, as I will be able to move in the open without fear of being seen. This will help the people of the country to become more law-abiding citizens. Griffin however got this opportunity but instead of helping society he used it for his own ego and benefits which was lawless. He was a great scientist, but he used his invention for harming people.