'A Triumph of Surgery' is the very first chapter in the Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet supplementary reader. It is a humorous story by the famous British veterinarian and writer James Herriot.
Author: James Herriot (famous British vet and writer).
Patient: Tricki (Mrs. Pumphrey's pampered Pekingese dog).
Disease: Obesity and over-indulgence.
Cure: No food for 2 days + exercise with other dogs.
Irony: No surgery happened; only diet and exercise.
Tricki was a small, pampered dog owned by the wealthy Mrs. Pumphrey. She overfed him constantly — chocolates, cream, malt, cod-liver oil, and special diets — until poor Tricki became dangerously obese, listless, and ill.
The narrator (James Herriot, the vet) warned Mrs. Pumphrey repeatedly, but she refused to reduce Tricki's food. When Tricki finally collapsed and could barely move, a terrified Mrs. Pumphrey called Herriot to the house.
Herriot took Tricki to his surgery and simply stopped feeding him for the first two days. He gave him only water. After that, he mixed Tricki with the other clinic dogs. Competition for food, play, and exercise transformed Tricki completely. Within two weeks, Tricki was full of energy, lean, and healthy.
No surgical operation was ever performed. Herriot jokingly called this a 'triumph of surgery' — the real cure was just exercise and diet control. He also enjoyed the rich food Mrs. Pumphrey sent for Tricki, which the staff ate themselves.
Tricki was dangerously overweight and listless because Mrs. Pumphrey overfed him with chocolates, cream, and special foods.
He took Tricki to his clinic, stopped feeding him for two days, and then let him mix with other dogs for exercise. Tricki recovered completely through diet and activity.
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