Footprints without Feet

 

Footprints without Feet

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Question 1.
As they gazed, a remarkable sight met their eyes. A fresh footmark appeared from nowhere! Further footprints followed, one after another, descending the steps and progressing down the street.
(a) Who are ‘they’ in the above extract?
(b) Who is making these footprints?
(c) Find the word from the extract that means the same as ‘continuing’.
(d) What is the opposite of ‘remarkable’?
Answer:
(a) ‘They’ in the above extract are two boys on a street in London.
(b) The scientist Griffin, who has become invisible, is making these footprints.
(c) The word is ‘progressing’.
(d) Its opposite is ‘ordinary’.

Question 2.
The air was bitterly cold and he could not do without clothes. Instead of walking about the streets he decided to slip into a big London store for warmth.
(a) Who is ‘he’ in the above extract?
(b) Why was the air bitterly cold?
(c) Find a word from the extract that means the same as ‘quietly enter’
(d) What is the opposite of ‘warmth’?
Answer:
(a) ‘He’ in the above extract is Griffin, the invisible scientist.
(b) The air was bitterly cold because the season was mid-winter.
(c) The word is ‘slip’.
(d) Its opposite is ‘chill’.

Question 3.
They naturally gave chase. In the end he was able to escape only by quickly taking off his newly found clothes. So once more he found himself invisible but naked in the chill January air.
(a) Who are ‘they’ and ‘he’ referred to in the above extract?
(b) Why has the author used the phrase ‘once more’?
(c) Find a word from the extract that means the same as ‘run away’.
(d) What is the opposite of ‘invisible’?
Answer:
(a) ‘They’ are the shop assistants and ‘he’ is the invisible scientist, Griffin.
(b) The author has used the phrase ‘once more’ because Griffin was naked before he had entered the large store, from where he had taken the ‘newly found’ clothes.
(c) The word is ‘escape’.
(d) Its opposite is ‘visible’.

Question 4.
Suspicion grew even stronger when he suddenly produced some ready cash, though he had admitted not long before that he had no money. 
(a) Who is ‘he’ in the above extract?
(b) What was ‘he’ suspected for?
(c) Find a word / phrase from the extract that means the same as ‘money’.
(d) Give a synonym of ‘suddenly’.
Answer:
(a) ‘He’ in the above extract is Griffin, the invisible scientist.
(b) ‘He’ was suspected for having a role in the burglary at the clergyman’s home.
(c) The phrase is ‘ready cash’.
(d) Its synonym is ‘immediately’.

Short Answer Type Questions 

Question 1.
Why were the two boys in London surprised and fascinated?
Answer:
The two boys in London were surprised and fascinated when they saw fresh muddy footprints of a human being on the steps of a house, but no man was there making them! As they looked, a fresh footprint appeared from nowhere.

Question 2.
Why did Griffin decide to slip into a big London store? 
Answer:
Griffin decided to slip into a big London store, because the season was mid-winter, due to which it became difficult to wander around without clothes in London.

Question 3.
How was Griffin a lawless man?
Answer:
Griffin was lawless because he had committed many anti-social deeds for which he never felt guilty. He set fire to his landlord’s house and ran away, he stole ‘ foodstuffs and clothes from a London store, stole other goods from a theatrical company and also stole money from a clergyman’s house to pay his bills.

Question 4.
What did Griffin do in the shop of a theatrical company? 
Answer:
The second time Griffin tried the stock of a theatrical company in the hope of finding not only clothes but also something like side whiskers, glasses, false nose, bandages, hat etc that would hide the empty space above his shoulders.

Question 5.
How did Griffin find himself invisible but naked in the chill January air for the second time?
Answer:
As he had overslept in the big London store, when the store opened in the morning the store assistants came in. Griffin panicked and ran, chased by the assistants. He had to take off his newly found clothes to become invisible and escape, so that he found himself invisible but naked in the chill January air for the second time.

Question 6.
What did the Halls see in the scientist’s room? 
Answer:
As the door of the room was open and nobody appeared to be inside, the Halls entered the scientist’s room. They saw that the bedclothes were cold, showing that the scientist must have been up for some time; and stranger still, the clothes and bandages that he always wore were lying about the room.

Question 7.
How did the visible man become invisible? What did he do then? 
Answer:
The invisible man got angry with Mrs Hall for asking an explanation for the mysterious happenings and threw off all he was wearing on his head so that he became a man without a head. Soon the constable Jaffers arrived to arrest him, but the invisible man threw off all his clothes to become invisible and, in the ensuing scuffle, knocked Jaffers unconscious and escaped.

Question 8.
What happened to Jaffers when he tried to catch the invisible scientist?
Answer:
When constable Jaffers tried to catch Griffin, he became invisible by removing his clothes. Jaffers found himself struggling with someone who couldn’t be seen. He was hit blows by Griffin and soon was knocked unconscious.

Question 9.
What was the explanation of ‘mystery’? (Footprints Without Feet)
Answer:
The two boys followed muddy footprints being made fresh without seeing anybody making the prints, which was a ‘mystery’ for them. The explanation was that the bewildered boys had been following a scientist who had just discovered how to make the human body transparent, and thus invisible, by swallowing certain drugs.

Long Answer (Value Based) Type Questions 

Question 1.
Griffin was not a true scientist as he misused his scientific discovery. Illustrate this point by giving two incidents from the story.
Answer:
A true scientist is a law-abiding person. A scientist is also called a ‘natural philosopher’. Griffin was not a true scientist as he did not use his discovery of how to make himself invisible for good uses. He lost control of himself and behaved like a criminal. First, he set fire to his landlord’s house and ran away. Then he stole food without paying for it in a London store. Besides, he robbed the owner of a theatrical company and stole money from a clergyman’s desk.

Question 2.
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.

Question 3.
What impression do you form of Griffin after reading the lesson, “Footprint,without Feet”?
Answer:
Griffin was a brilliant scientist, as he discovered a drug due to which his body became transparent as a sheet of glass after swallowing it. This made him invisible. But he was a lawless person. Because of his misdeeds, he became a homeless wanderer without clothes and money. He was an introvert with a desire for solitude. He was always seeking adventure, being fond of mysterious things. However, he was unscrupulous, as he robbed various people to finance his work, besides he got angry very quickly, which caused him to become a fugitive.

Question 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.

Question 5. What did Griffin finally do when people held him responsible for all the strange occurrences?

Answer:Griffin became furious when he saw people holding him responsible for all the strange occurrences. He started taking off his bandages, whiskers, spectacles and even false nose. The people around him got horrified as they were looking at a headless man. The space above his shoulders became empty. Then, he started to remove his clothes and became absolutely invisible. The situation became funny when the constable was struggling with someone whom no one could see at all. The man kept on throwing one garment after another and finally no one could see him. He was invisible.

Question 6. Describe Jaffers fight with Griffin at the village of Iping.

Answer:Griffin entered the clergymans house with an intention to steal money. He opened the desk and stole the money. When people came to know about the burglary, they suspected the strange. They sent for the village constable. The scientist became furious and threw off his bandages, whiskers, spectacles and false nose. Mr. Jaffers was surprised that he had to arrest a headless man. He tried to get hold of the man who was becoming more and more invisible. The constable was struggling with someone who could not be seen at all. Some people tried to assist him but received blows. The constable was knocked unconscious and Griffin escaped.

Question 7. Name three extraordinary things that took place in the room where Griffin was staying.

Answer: Griffin was a scientist. He carried out an experiment which made human body invisible. He tried it on himself and became invisible. Then he started doing things which were, extraordinary. The first extraordinary thing that took place was that there was no one in the room yet Mrs. Hall heard a sniff close to her ear. The hat that was kept on the bedpost, went up and dashed into her face. After that, suddenly the chair rose up in the air and pushed both Mrs. Hall and her husband out of the room.


Question 8. Griffin is a talented scientist but he misused his invention. The lesson we learn from his example is that the misuse of a scientific discovery can play havoc with humanity. Explain.

Answer: A true scientist works for the good of humanity. He wants to make mans life easier, more comfortable and enjoyable. He doesnt misuse his discoveries for personal gains or selfish ends. But Griffin, though a brilliant scientist, misuses his discovery. By his experiments, he has been able to make his body transparent and invisible. He uses his discovery to puzzle people enters store and shops unseen, robs people of their money or things and escapes. He sets fire to the house of his landlord. He steals food, sweets, wine. It shows that the misuse of a scientific discovery can disturb the peace of society. Such a scientist will use his invention for self-interest and for taking revenge upon the people around him, he wont honor the law and thus will become a lawless person.