An Excellent Father

Footprints without Feet Class 10 English Extra (/JKBOSE) Question and Answers

Q1). How would you assess Griffin as a scientist?

Ans. Griffin was a brilliant scientist because after several experiments he was able to discover a drug that could make a human body invisible. But he misused the discover. Instead of using his marvellous potion for the betterment of the society, he used it for personal gains an advantage, and for hurting others. Thus, though he was a brilliant scientist he was not a true scientist in the real sense of the word. He was ignoble.

OR

Ans. As a scientist, Griffin seems to be appreciable. He is a brilliant scientist who is very determined about his experimental skill. He strives very much to make his experiment, of making a human body invisible, a success. Ultimately, when he is not able to get his desired results from his experiments, he ingests several unusual and rare drugs and makes his efforts a success by becoming invisible.

Q2). The two boys in London were surprised and fascinated. Why?

Ans. The two boys were surprised and fascinated because they witnessed fresh muddy footprints of someone who could not be seen. They wondered who was leaving the footprints and what was the man doing in the middle of the London.

OR

Ans. The two boys got surprised on observing the fresh muddy imprints of a pair of bare feet on the steps of a house in the middle of London. They were fascinated when they saw some new footmarks appearing one after the other without the feet being visible at all.

Q3). What did he do inside the shop?

And. Inside the shop, he gave himself the pleasure of clothing and feeding without any regard to expense. He had been naked and hungry. Now, he put on shoes, an overcoat, and a wide-brimmed hat. Then he ate meat and had some sweats and wine. Finally, he sat down on a pile of quilts for warmth.

OR

Ans. Griffin slipped into a big London store and as soon as the shop was closed, he put on warm clothes, shoes, an overcoat and a wide-brimmed hat. Then he ate cold meat with coffee followed by sweets and wine. Finally, he settled down to sleep on a pile of quilts.

Q4). How did Griffin escape from the London Store?

Ans. When the assistants arrive the next morning, they saw Griffin there. On seeing them Griffin began to run out of the store. The attendants naturally chased him. Finally, he was able to escape only by throwing his clothes away as he became invisible once again.

OR

Ans. In London store, Griffin took rest on a pile of quilts after feeding himself at night. He was fast asleep and was not able to wake up before the store was opened by the assistants in the morning.

On seeing them, the scientist got into a panic and began to run. The assistants gave him a chase. He quickly took off his clothes and escaped out of the store invisibly.

Q5). Griffin entered the shop of a theatrical company. What did he do there?

Ans. Griffin entered the shop of a theatrical company by making his way, invisible, upstairs. Inside there, he dressed up himself fully. He put on bandages around his forehead, dark glasses, false nose and a large hat. Subsequently, he cowardly attached the shopkeeper from behind and looted all the money from him.

OR

Ans. After escaping from the London store, Griffin entered the shop of a theatrical company. He wore bandages around his forehead, put on dark glasses, false nose, big bushy side-whiskers and a large hat. Then he attacked the shopkeeper from behind and robbed him of all the money he had.

Q6). Why was the arrival of a stranger in the village in an unusual event? Give two reasons.

Ans. The arrival of a stranger was, in any case, an unusual event because of the following two reasons:

a. It was mid-winter and no one usually visited the inn in that season to stay there.

b. The stranger had an uncommon appearance due to the costumes that he had put on. Such an appearance made all the people there, gossip about him.

OR

Ans. The arrival of this stranger in village inn was an unusual event because it was mid-winter and the atmosphere was very chilly and deserted. Moreover, Griffin had disguised himself in a strange way. So, his strange appearance and arrival surprised everyone.

Q7). How did the scientist look when he came to the inn?

Ans. When he came to the inn, the scientist looked queer and unnatural because of his uncommon appearance. His appearance was uncommon due to the costumes that he had put on for preventing himself from being invisible.

OR

Ans. The scientist looked very strange when he came to the inn. He had his forehead covered with bandages, big bushy side-whiskers, dark glasses and talked to everyone in an irritable manner. He preferred solitude and thus appeared to be an eccentric person to everyone at the inn.

Q8). The landlord’s wife was convinced that Griffin was an eccentric scientist. What made her think of Griffin in these terms?

Ans. The landlord’s wife was convinced that Griffin was an eccentric scientist because of the reason that his arrival in the inn in winter was itself a strange occurrence. Besides this, his uncommon appearance also made him suspicious. Above all, in spite of Mrs Hall’s to be friendly with him, he responded in a cold manner. He uttered that he had no desire to talk with her and he didn’t wish to be disturbed in his work.

OR

Ans. Griffin had an uncommon and a very strange appearance. Mrs Hall tried to be friendly with him but he avoided her and asked her not to disturb him. Besides this, his strange habits and irritable temper made her believe that he was an eccentric scientist.

Q9). What was the curious episode that took place in the clergyman’s desk?

Ans. The clergyman and his wife were awakened by the noises in the study very early in the morning. While creeping downstairs, they heard the chink of money being taken from the clergyman’s desk. They opened the room to find the robber but to their surprise, nobody was seen. They searched under the desk and behind the curtains, and even for the chimney. There was not a sign of anyone yet the house-keeping money was missing.

OR

Ans. Very early in the morning, the clergyman and his wife heard some noises which revealed that someone was stealing money from the clergyman’s desk in the study. On entering the room, they were surprised to see it empty and the money was missing from the desk.

Q10). The landlord and his wife were surprised to see the scientist’s door wide open. Why were they surprised? What three extraordinary things happened in the room?

Ans. The landlord and his wife were surprised to see the scientist’s door wide open because the scientist usually kept his door shut and locked and he would get furious if somebody opened his door.

The three extraordinary things that happened in the room were:

a. The hat on the bed Post leap up and dashed at her face

b. The bedroom chair rose up in the air and pushed Mrs Hall and her husband out of the room.

c. The scientist mysteriously appeared from his empty bedroom.

OR

Ans. The landlord and his wife were surprised to see the scientist’s door wide open because it was shut and locked all the time and the scientist used to get furious if anyone entered his room, as he preferred solitude. On finding the door open, Mr and Mrs Hall entered the room and started to investigate it. All of a sudden, Mrs Hall heard a sniñ close to her ear. After a while, Griffin’s hat jumped on its own and hit her in the face. Then the bedroom chair moved, jumped and pushed them out of the room.

Q11). Mrs Hall fell down the stairs in hysterics. Pick out an example of humour from what follows this incident.

Ans. Mrs Hall almost fell down the stairs in hysterics. The best example of humour from what follows this incident is when the bedroom chair rose up and pushed her and her husband out of the room. Mrs Hall uttered that her mother used to sit on that chair and to think now the same chair rose against her.

OR

Ans. Mrs Hall was terrified by the strange incident. She believed that Griffin had made her mother’s spirit enter the chair which attacked her and she felt quite disturbed on thinking that her mother’s spirit rose up against her. This is a humorous incident.

Q12). The scientist was furious. What did he do in anger? Why were the people in the bar horrified?

Ans. The scientist was furious. In anger, he threw off bandages, whiskers, spectacles and all other worn costumes over the shoulders. with the result, he became a headless man. The people in the bar were horrified because they found themselves staring at a headless man.

OR

Ans. Mrs Hall questioned Griffin and enquired about the incident that had happened in his room. He became furious. He shouted at her and told her that he would show her his real identity. Within just a minute, he threw off his bandages, whiskers, spectacles and false nose, due to which his head disappeared. All the people present in the bar were greatly horrified to see a headless man in front of them.

Q13). What happened to the constable?

Ans. The constable tried to arrest the scientist. He threw off his clothes one by one in order to become invisible. After some time he could not be seen at all. Then the constable was trying to get hold of the unseen scientist but he was getting back blows which seemed to come from nowhere. In the end, the constable was knocked down unconscious by the scientist.

OR

Ans. The constable was called to capture Griffin. The scientist was putting off his clothes one by one and ultimately became totally invisible. The brave constable still tried to get hold of the invisible scientist, but he was hit by him and he fell unconscious.

Q14). The scientist was a man of irritable temper. Give an example to prove this.

Ans. It is clear from the lesson that the scientist was a man of irritable temper. Here are some examples:

When Mrs tried to be friendly with him, he neglected her and said that he had no desire to talk.

When Mrs Hall wanted to know from him how he entered the locked room, the scientist lost his temper and became violent and warned her.

OR

Ans. The scientist was a man of irritable temper. It has been clearly shown in many incidents. One such incident is when Mrs Hall Interrogates him about the abnormal behaviour of her furniture; he loses his temper and discloses his identity. Moreover, he dislikes friendly atmosphere and prefers loneliness which depicts that he was unsociable and a man irritable temper.