CBSE Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet: Chapter-wise Summary (2025-2026)

For students preparing for the CBSE Class 10 English 2025-2026 board examination, mastering the supplementary reader Footprints Without Feet is crucial for scoring high in the Literature section. Worth significant weight in Section C, this textbook explores human psychology, moral dilemmas, scientific ethics, and personal transformation through nine distinct stories. This comprehensive chapter-wise guide provides detailed plot summaries, character analyses, central themes, and CBSE board exam questions to help you structure winning answers.

Key Concepts: Complete Chapter-wise Summaries and Themes

The NCERT supplementary reader covers diverse narrative genres including satire, detective fiction, biographical essays, and drama. Below are the structured summaries and critical takeaways for all prescribed chapters.

Chapter 1: A Triumph of Surgery (James Herriot)

Plot Overview: Mrs. Pumphrey, a wealthy and overindulgent woman, pampers her pet dog Tricki with cream cakes, chocolates, and wine, causing him to become dangerously obese and listless. Dr. James Herriot, a pragmatic veterinary surgeon, realizes the dog suffers from overfeeding rather than an illness. He admits Tricki to his surgery for a fortnight, cutting out rich food and providing plenty of water, physical exercise, and interaction with other dogs. Tricki recovers fully without any medication or surgery, which Mrs. Pumphrey gratefully calls "a triumph of surgery."

• Key Characters: Tricki (the overfed pet), Mrs. Pumphrey (affectionate but foolish mistress), Dr. Herriot (practical, observant vet).
• Core Themes: Detrimental effects of blind indulgence, the necessity of discipline, practical care vs. unnecessary medical intervention.
• Board Exam Focus: Contrast Mrs. Pumphrey's emotional anxiety with Dr. Herriot's pragmatic common sense.

Chapter 2: The Thief’s Story (Ruskin Bond)

Plot Overview: Fifteen-year-old experienced thief Hari Singh befriends Anil, a struggling, kind-hearted writer, intending to rob him. Anil teaches Hari how to cook, write sentences, and add numbers. When Anil earns 600 rupees from selling a book, Hari steals the cash while Anil sleeps and rushes to the train station. However, his conscience, fueled by the desire to become an educated and respected man, stops him. He returns the money under the mattress. The next morning, Anil gives him a damp 50-rupee note, subtly showing he knows about the theft but chooses forgiveness and reform over punishment.

• Key Characters: Hari Singh (conflicted young thief), Anil (generous, trusting mentor).
• Core Themes: Reformation through trust and empathy, the transformative power of literacy and education.
• Board Exam Focus: Value-based analysis of how unconditional trust reformed Hari Singh when legal punishment would have failed.

Chapter 3: The Midnight Visitor (Robert Arthur)

Plot Overview: Secret agent Ausable does not fit the romantic spy stereotype; he is fat, short, and speaks with a heavy American accent in a modest Parisian hotel room. Fowler, a young writer seeking thrill, feels disappointed until they find Max, an armed rival agent, waiting in the room to steal a critical missile report. Ausable calmly weaves a fictitious story about an annoying non-existent balcony beneath his window. When a waiter knocks to deliver drinks, Ausable claims it is the police. Panicked, Max jumps out the window onto the "balcony" and falls to his death, proving intellect surpasses physical appearance.

• Key Characters: Ausable (witty, unflappable spy), Max (cunning but gullible rival), Fowler (disillusioned writer).
• Core Themes: Presence of mind, appearance vs. reality, psychological manipulation in high-stakes situations.
• Board Exam Focus: Ausable's craft of using believable deception as a tactical weapon.

Chapter 4: A Question of Trust (Victor Canning)

Plot Overview: Horace Danby is a 50-year-old respectable bachelor and locksmith who secretly robs one rich safe every year to buy rare, expensive books. While burglarizing Shotover Grange, he encounters a charming young woman dressed in red who poses as the lady of the house. She tricks Horace into opening the safe without gloves by claiming she forgot the combination. Two days later, Horace is arrested based on his fingerprints at the scene. He ends up as an assistant librarian in prison, bitter about the phrase "honor among thieves."

• Key Characters: Horace Danby (meticulous yet naive burglar), The Lady in Red (cunning, professional swindler).
• Core Themes: Deception, vulnerability caused by overconfidence, the myth of honor among criminals.
• Board Exam Focus: Compare how the young woman capitalized on Horace's fear and hay fever to execute her theft.

Chapter 5: Footprints Without Feet (H.G. Wells)

Plot Overview: Griffin, a brilliant but lawless scientist, invents a formula using rare drugs to make the human body transparent like glass. Instead of using his discovery for public good, he uses it to seek revenge on his landlord by setting the house on fire. In London and the village of Iping, he commits thefts, robs an innkeeper, terrorizes the locals, and assaults Constable Jaffers while invisible. His journey shows the destructive nature of unchecked scientific ambition divorced from ethics.

• Key Characters: Griffin (amoral, short-tempered scientist), Mrs. Hall (inquisitive innkeeper), Mr. Jaffers (dutiful village constable).
• Core Themes: Misuse of scientific advancements, arrogance, lawlessness vs. societal order.
• Board Exam Focus: Character sketch of Griffin as an anti-hero whose brilliance is undermined by his lack of conscience.

Chapter 6: The Making of a Scientist (Robert W. Peterson)

Plot Overview: This biographical narrative outlines how Richard Ebright evolved into a world-renowned scientist. Beginning as a curious child in Pennsylvania collecting butterflies, rocks, and coins, his mother nurtured his interest with books like The Travels of Monarch X. Guided by Dr. Frederick Urquhart, Ebright conducted rigorous experiments on butterfly mimicry, discovered an unknown insect hormone, and eventually unlocked the chemical blueprint of DNA in cells. His success stemmed from first-rate curiosity, scientific discipline, and a drive to win for the right reasons.

• Key Characters: Richard Ebright (curious, dedicated researcher), His Mother (supportive guide), Dr. Urquhart (inspirational mentor).
• Core Themes: The scientific temper, persistence through failure, the role of parental encouragement.
• Board Exam Focus: The essential ingredients required to make a true scientist (curiosity, intellect, and competitive spirit).

Chapter 7: The Necklace (Guy de Maupassant)

Plot Overview: Matilda Loisel is born into a clerk's family but constantly daydreams of aristocratic luxury. When invited to a grand ministerial ball, her devoted husband spends his savings to buy her an elegant dress, and she borrows a stunning diamond necklace from her wealthy friend, Madame Forestier. Matilda is a sensation at the ball, but loses the necklace on the way home. To replace it, the couple borrows 36,000 francs at ruinous interest rates and endures ten years of crushing physical labor and poverty. Upon meeting Madame Forestier a decade later, Matilda learns the original necklace was a fake worth at most 500 francs.

• Key Characters: Matilda Loisel (vain, discontented protagonist), Monsieur Loisel (unselfish, devoted husband), Madame Forestier (affluent friend).
• Core Themes: Destructive nature of vanity and social pretensions, dramatic irony, consequences of hiding the truth.
• Board Exam Focus: Contrast Matilda's initial superficial desires with the harsh reality of her subsequent decade of sacrifice.

Chapter 8: Bholi (K.A. Abbas)

Plot Overview: Sulekha, nicknamed "Bholi" (the simpleton), is neglected by her family due to childhood brain damage, smallpox scars, and a severe stammer. Sent to the village school merely because her father needs to appease the Tehsildar, Bholi meets a kind and encouraging teacher who bolsters her self-confidence. Years later, during her wedding, the greedy groom Bishamber Nath demands a dowry of 5,000 rupees after seeing her pockmarked face. Bholi decisively rejects the marriage, refuses to marry a contemptible coward, and resolves to teach in the same school and care for her aging parents.

• Key Characters: Bholi / Sulekha (empowered protagonist), The Teacher (compassionate catalyst of change), Bishamber Nath (greedy bridegroom), Ramlal (status-conscious father).
• Core Themes: Female education as an agent of social emancipation, standing against dowry practices, human dignity.
• Board Exam Focus: Tracing Sulekha's psychological evolution from a timid child to an assertive, dignified woman.

Chapter 9: The Book That Saved the Earth (Claire Boiko)

Plot Overview: Set in the 25th century, the play depicts how a 20th-century book of nursery rhymes, Mother Goose, saved Earth from a Martian invasion. The pompous Martian commander, Think-Tank, and his crew land in a library and mistake books for sandwiches, communication devices, and mind-magnifying objects. Upon decoding rhymes like "Humpty Dumpty," Think-Tank misinterprets the egg's resemblance to his own head as an omen of Earth's impending assault on Mars. Terrified, he calls off the invasion and flees to Alpha Centauri.

• Key Characters: Think-Tank (egotistical, foolish ruler), Noodle (clever, tactful apprentice), Captain Omega, Lieutenant Iota, Sergeant Oop.
• Core Themes: Satire on arrogance and authoritarianism, dangers of superficial interpretation, intellect over military might.
• Board Exam Focus: Dramatic irony and humorous misinterpretation of children's nursery rhymes.

Core Thematic Analysis & Character Archetypes

To score high in the CBSE Class 10 English literature section, you must compare themes and character motivations across stories. The following comparison highlights key archetypes across the chapters:

Important CBSE Questions with Answers

The following representative questions reflect the latest CBSE Class 10 board exam pattern, including extract-based, short-answer, and analytical long-answer formats.

Short Answer Question (3 Marks / 40-50 Words)

Question: Why did Hari Singh decide to return to Anil instead of fleeing to another city by the 10:30 Express?

Answer / Marking Key: Hari Singh realized that stealing might offer him temporary cash, but Anil’s education would give him lasting respect, literacy, and a dependable livelihood. Furthermore, his conscience rebelled against breaking the unconditional trust Anil placed in him, leading him to choose self-respect over theft.

Short Answer Question (3 Marks / 40-50 Words)

Question: How did Ausable outsmart Max without drawing a weapon?

Answer / Marking Key: Ausable used psychological manipulation by fabricating a story about an intrusive balcony beneath the hotel window. When room service knocked, he convinced Max it was the police. Terrified of capture, Max jumped into the open shaft, proving that calmness and quick wit conquer brute force.

Long Answer Question / Value-Based (6 Marks / 100-120 Words)

Question: "Education is the greatest tool for social change and individual empowerment." Justify this statement with reference to the life of Bholi (Sulekha).

Answer / Marking Key:
In K.A. Abbas's story Bholi, education serves as the catalyst that turns an insecure, stammering, and neglected child into a confident, self-respecting woman.

1. Overcoming Emotional Trauma: Bholi was dismissed as a burden by her parents due to her pockmarked face and speech impediment. Her teacher’s patience and encouragement helped her overcome her stammer and find her voice.
2. Developing Moral Courage: When Bishamber Nath demanded a 5,000-rupee dowry, Bholi refused to marry a greedy man. She did not remain a silent victim, boldly speaking up in front of the entire village.
3. Self-Reliance: Instead of seeking validation through marriage, she chose financial and social independence by deciding to teach in her village school. Her journey shows how quality education restores human dignity and eliminates oppressive social practices.

How to Prepare for This Topic

To maximize your score in the CBSE Class 10 English supplementary reader section for 2025-2026, follow these preparation steps:

1. Master Character Motivations: Board questions frequently ask for comparative character sketches (e.g., Matilda Loisel vs. her husband, or Horace Danby vs. the Lady in Red). Focus on why characters make their choices.
2. Memorize Specific Terminology: Use keywords from the text such as "triumph of surgery", "unfathomable trust", "monarch butterflies", and "paste necklace" in your answers.
3. Practice 6-Mark Analytical Answers: Frame value-based answers with a strong introduction, two supported arguments from the plot, and a concluding moral insight.
4. Review Previous Years' Question Papers (PYQs): Focus on extract-based questions to build accuracy in identifying the speaker, context, and underlying tone.

Where to Practice More

Solidify your literature revision by solving full-length CBSE Class 10 sample papers and chapter-wise question banks. Visit qptool.theorify.in to access board-aligned mock tests, extract-based practice sets, and detailed model answer keys designed for top exam performance.