Footprints without Feet

Footprints without Feet

Footprints without Feet Summary

‘Footprints without Feet’ Introduction

About the Author

• H.G. Wells was a writer of science-fiction works – including The Time Machine and War of the Worlds – who had a great influence on our vision of the future.
• H.G. Wells was bom in England in 1866. His parents were shopkeepers in Kent, England. His first novel, The Time Machine was an instant success and Wells produced a series of science fiction novels which pioneered our ideas of the future. His later work focused on satire and social criticism. Wells laid out his socialist views of human history in his Outline of History. He died in 1946.

Gist of the Story

This story is about a scientist, Griffin, who discovers a drug which makes a person invisible. He uses that drug for his personal gains. He was a brilliant but lawless scientist. He consumed the drug and a series of incidents ensued. Upon ejected by the landlord, he burned his house down. Then he became a wanderer with no clothes, money and home. It was mid-November and the winter was getting on its peak. To get rid of the cold, he stayed at a store where he was chased by the store assistants but he used his invisibility and got away. After this, he stole some items from a theatrical shop and went to Iping, a village where he took refuge in a hotel room. He convinced the landlord not to disturb him as he was there to feel a sense of solitary. As he ran out of money, he stole again from a clergyman’s house and scared the landlord and his husband with a show of his invisibility and short-temper. After reporting the incidence of theft at clergyman’s house to the police, a constable arrives at the hotel to arrest the invisible scientist but a scuffle takes place between the two and the scientist removes all his clothes to go unnoticed by the constable and the people. Thus he fled again.

‘Footprints without Feet’ Summary

Brief Introduction: Griffin was a great but eccentric scientist. He was a lawless person. He used to become invisible.

Muddy imprints of bare feet: There were two boys who were much surprised to see the muddy imprints of a pair of bare feet on the steps of a house in London. The boys got fascinated towards the muddy impressions but they became fainter and later on disappeared.

Obscurity of imprints: The obscurity of imprints was very simple. The bewildered boys had been following a scientist who had just discovered how to make the human body transparent.

Griffin-an eccentric scientist: Griffin was an eccentric scientist. He did numerous experiments to prove that human body too could become invisible. He galloped certain rare drugs and his body became as transparent as a sheet of glass. He was a lawless person also. His landlord disliked him. So, he set his house on fire in revenge.

Griffin-a homeless wanderer: After burning the house down, Griffin became a homeless wanderer. He had neither money nor clothes. If he wanted himself to be unseen by the people, he had to remove all his clothes.

Entry into a big store: In the mid-winter, the air was bitterly cold. It was not possible to live without clothes. Instead of walking around the streets, he decided to enter into a big London store for warmth. Griffin broke open boxes and wrappers. He fitted out himself with warm clothes. He wore shoes, an overcoat and a hat. Now, he became a fully dressed and visible person. He also took cold meat and coffee and also sweets and wine. Lastly, he slept on a pile of quilts. He did not get up until the assistants of the shop arrived next morning. When they started chasing him, he tried to escape and also became invisible quickly taking off his clothes. He became naked in chilled January once again.

Entry into Iping village: Griffin came out of the crowded London and took a train to the village Iping. He booked two rooms at the local inn. The entry of a stranger in the village was really an unusual event. The owner’s wife, Mrs Hall wanted to be friendly with him. But he was not interested in doing so. He wanted to live in solitude. She was paid in advance. So, she was prepared to excuse his strange habits and irritable temper. But the stolen money did not last long. Now, he was expecting his new cheque.

Curious episode occurred: All of a sudden, the curious episode occurred. In the early morning, a clergyman and his wife heard the chink of money being taken from the clergyman’s desk. Without making a noise, the clergyman opened the door. But to his utter surprise, he realised that the room was empty. They looked into the entire room but there was not a sign of anybody. The desk had been opened and the housekeeping money was missing.

A unique behaviour: The landlord and his wife were surprised to see the scientist’s door open. His door always remained shut. He even got irritated when someone entered his room. They looked out of the window but saw none. Suddenly Mrs Hall heard a sniff close to her ear. Within a moment, the hat on the bedpost leapt up and dashed itself into her face. The bedroom chair became alive. They were pushed out of the room. The door was slammed and locked after them. Suddenly Mrs Hall fell down the stairs in frenzy. She was convinced that the room was haunted by spirits. It was the thinking of people that the trouble was caused by witchcraft. When the news of the burglary at the clergyman’s house came into light, it was suspected that there was the hand of Griffin behind it. This suspicion even became stronger when he produced some ready cash.

The village constable arrives: The village constable arrived at the spot. Instead of waiting for the constable, Mrs Hall went to the scientist, who had somehow appeared mysteriously from his bedroom. The scientist became furious and threw off bandages, whiskers, spectacles, nose, etc.

Jaffers totally surprised: The village constable, Mr Jaffers was quite surprised to find that he had to arrest the man who was without head. But he had to do his duty. In the meanwhile, there occurred a new scene. The policeman who was trying to get hold of the man was becoming more and more invisible. He threw off one cloth after another. Ultimately, a shirt flew into the air. The policeman was struggling within himself. The people who tried to help him were hit by blows that came from nowhere. Ultimately, Jaffers got unconscious while he was making an attempt to hold on to the unseen scientist. Now Griffin was invisible and free.

Lesson at a Glance

• There were two boys who were surprised to see the muddy imprints of a pair of bare feet.
• The boys were fascinated to see the impressions until they became fainter and later disappeared.
• They were following the scientist who had just discovered how to make the human body transparent.
• Griffin, who was a great scientist, carried out a lot of experiments to prove that the human body could become invisible.
• In spite of being great, he was rather a lawless person.
• His landlord did not like him. So, Griffin set fire to the house in revenge.
• To become invisible, he had to remove his clothes.
• He became a homeless wanderer without clothes, money etc.
• He easily escaped enough from the boys who followed his footprints in London.
• In the mid-winter and bitterly cold season, Griffin could not live without clothes.
• Instead of wandering into the streets, he decided to slip into a big London store for warmth.
• So, Griffin entered the store and took the pleasure of clothing and feeding himself without any expenses.
• He broke open boxes and wrappers and also wore warm clothes.
• In no time, he became a fully dressed and visible person.
• He also enjoyed cold meat and coffee with sweets and wine. He slept on a pile of quilts.
• Next morning, the employees came and saw him dressed.
• When they approached Griffin, he panicked and started running.
• The employees started chasing him and he escaped only by taking-off his newly found clothes.
• Once more he became invisible but naked in January.
• He came to Drury Lane and wore bandages round his forehead, false nose, big bushy side- whiskers and a large hat.
• Leaving London, he reached the village of Iping and booked two rooms at the local inn.
• The landlord’s wife, Mrs Hall wanted to be friendly with Mr. Griffin but he did not show his inclination towards it.
• Mr. Griffin told her that he only wanted to live in solitude.
• Griffin was an eccentric scientist. So Mrs Hall excused his strange habits and irritable temper.
• Griffin had no cash. So, he burgled a clergyman’s house to get it.
• When the clergyman and his wife looked under the desk, money was missing.
• One day the landlord and his wife were surprised to see the scientist’s door wide open. It was usually kept shut and locked.
• When they came to the stranger’s room, they found that his hat was hitting into Mrs Hall’s face.
• Mrs Hall was now fully convinced that the room was haunted by spirits.
• All the people suspected that there was the hand of the scientist behind the burglary in the clergyman’s house.
• Suspicion grew even stronger when he produced some ready cash.
• The constable was called for when Mrs Hall went to the scientist’s room. He suddenly appeared from his empty bedroom.
• Mrs Hall asked Mr Griffin how he had entered the locked room.
• He was quick-tempered. So, he became furious.
• Griffin threw off bandages, whiskers, spectacles and even nose.
• When the constable Mr Jaffers arrived, he was quite surprised to see that the man whom he had to arrest was a headless man.
• As the policeman was trying to get hold of a man, he was becoming more and more invisible. He was throwing off one garment after another.
• Jaffers and the men who came to help him were hit by blows from nowhere.
• Ultimately, Jaffers was knocked unconscious when he made a last attempt to hold on to the invisible scientist.
• Now Griffin had shaken himself free and no one knew where to lay hands on him.

English Footprints without Feet Important Questions and Answers

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What made Mrs Hall angry with Griffin?
Answer:
In the hotel room, Griffin had attacked Mr and Mrs Hall and even hurled a chair on Mrs Hall. Moreover, he had not paid the rent for a long time. This made Mrs Hall angry.

Question 2.
What did Griffin do in the clergyman’s house?
Answer:
After living for a considerable amount of time at the hotel in Iping, Griffin ran out of money. He decided to steal it from the clergyman’s house. He entered the house invisibly and stole money from the desk.

Question 3.
Why did Griffin decide to slip into a big London store? [CBSE2011]
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 4.
What did Griffin do in the shop of a theatrical company? [CBSE2012]
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.
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 by blows and soon was knocked unconscious by Griffin.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Why did Mrs Hall, the landlady at Iping inn at first try to be friendly with Griffin?
Answer:
It was not usual for visitors to come to Iping in winters. So, when Mrs Hall noticed that a
visitor, Griffin, had come to stay there and moreover he had paid the rent in advance, she was obliged to welcome him and therefore tried to be friendly with him. She also excused Griffin’s irritable habits.

Question 2.
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. Further, more footprints followed. The boys got fascinated and followed them until they disappeared.

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.
How did Griffin find himself invisible but naked in the chilled January air for the second time?
Answer:
When the London store opened in the morning, Griffin panicked as he had overslept in the store and he was chased by store assistants. He had to take off his newly found clothes to become invisible and escape, so he found himself invisible but naked in the chilled January air for the second time.

Question 5.
What did the Halls see in the scientist’s room? [CBSE2013]
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 6.
How did the visible man become invisible? What did he do then? [CBSE 2014]
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 he knocked Jaffers unconscious and escaped.

Question 7.
What was the explanation of ‘mystery’ as discussed in the lesson 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.

Essay Type Questions

Question 1.
Why did Griffin set fire to his landlord’s house? What happened after that?
Answer:
Griffin was a genius but eccentric scientist. He made a number of experiments. He also discovered how to make human body transparent and invisible. He also misused his scientific knowledge to settle his personal gain. He was also a lawless person. Griffin’s landlord did not like him. So, he wanted to eject him. He was very furious. So, he decided to take revenge. In retaliation, he set the house of the landlord on fire. After setting the house on fire, to avoid arrest he had to remove his clothes. He removed his clothes and became invisible. But, he had to face the consequences for all the things which he had committed. Now, he was without clothes, money etc. He had now become a homeless wanderer. He also entered the London store to warm himself with clothes and also to feed himself.

Question 2.
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. All the incidences show that Griffin was not a true scientist. He did nothing that could give a new dimension to the world. He was a genius. But he did not apply his intelligence in the discovery of new things. This way he did nothing for the society.

Question 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 inside 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 4.
What impression do you form of Griffin after reading the lesson, “Footprints Without Feet”?
Answer:
Griffin was a brilliant but eccentric scientist, as he discovered a drug due to which his body became as 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. He was also fond of mysterious things. However, he was unscrupulous, he robbed various people to complete his work, besides he got angry very quickly, which caused him to become a fugitive. After reading the lesson, we come to the conclusion that Griffin was not a scientist in the real sense of the term. Had he been a true scientist, he would have given something new to the society through his inventions. He would not have committed such type of silly mistakes.

Question 5.
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.

English Footprints without Feet Textbook Questions and Answers

Think about It

Read and Find Out (Page – 26)

1. How did the invisible man first become visible?
Answer:
Griffin was completely invisible until he happened to step in some mud, which caused him to leave footprints as he walked. His footprints were seen by two boys, who followed him as long as the prints were visible. On getting rid of them, he went into a big London store to put on some warm clothes. After the store was shut, he got dressed by putting on shoes, an overcoat and a wide-brimmed hat. This made him visible to the people who came to work at the store the next day.

2. Why was he wandering into the streets?
Answer:
Griffin was a lawless person. His landlord disliked him and tried to get rid of him. In revenge, he set fire to the house. He had to remove his clothes to get away without being seen. That was why he had become a homeless wanderer – without clothes and money.

Read and Find Out (Page – 28)

1. Why does Mrs Hall find the scientist eccentric?
Answer:
The arrival of a stranger at an inn in winter was in itself a strange occurrence. In addition, the stranger had an uncommon appearance. In spite of Mrs Hall’s attempts to be friendly, he would respond in a cold manner. He told her that he had no desire to talk, and that all he wanted was solitude. He did not wish to be disturbed in his work. For all these reasons she regarded him as an eccentric scientist.

2. What curious episode occurs in the study?
Answer:
A clergyman and his wife were awakened very early in the morning by noises coming from the study. They crept downstairs and heard the chink of money being taken from the clergyman’s desk. With a poker grasped firmly in his hand, the clergyman hoped to surprise the thief. However, it was he who was surprised when he found the room to be empty. He and his wife looked under the desk, behind the curtains, and even up the chimney. There was nobody. Yet the desk had been opened and the housekeeping money was missing. It was a curious episode, and the clergyman kept saying the words “extraordinary affair” for the rest of the day.

3. What other extraordinary things happen at the inn?
Answer:
Apart from the study room incident, many other extraordinary things happened at the inn. When the landlord and his wife saw the scientist’s door open, they entered his room. They saw that the clothes and bandages that he always wore were lying about the room. Suddenly, Mrs Hall heard a sniff close to her ear. A moment later, the hat on the bedpost leapt up and dashed itself into her face. Then, the bedroom chair became alive and charged straight at her. As she and her husband turned away in terror, the chair pushed them out of the room, and then appeared to slam and lock the door after them. Mrs Hall, who almost fell down the stairs in hysterics, was convinced that the room was haunted by spirits, and that these spirits had something to do with the strange scientist.
Griffin was strongly suspected of having a hand in the burglary at the clergyman’s home. When Mrs Hall questioned him on the strange happenings in his room, he threw off his bandages, whiskers, spectacles and false nose. The people were horrified to see a headless man. When the police arrived, he threw off one garment after another, thereby becoming invisible and running away.

Think about It

1. “Griffin was rather a lawless person.” Comment.
Answer:
Griffin was a lawless person. His landlord disliked him and tried to get rid of him. In revenge, he set fire to the house and ran away. He had no money. Therefore, he stole and robbed people after becoming invisible. When he went into the London store, he gave himself the pleasure of clothing. He fed himself regardless of expenses. Later, he went to Drury Lane, which was the centre of the theatre world. He went to a suitable shop and came out wearing bandages round his forehead, dark glasses, false nose, big bushy side-whiskers, and a large hat. He was visible then. To escape without being seen, he callously attacked the shopkeeper from behind, and robbed him of all the money he could find. When he had exhausted all the money he had stolen, he robbed a clergyman. He even attacked the innkeeper and his wife when they tried to sneak into his room. Later, when the police came to arrest him, he threw off his clothes, thereby becoming invisible and running away.

2. How would you assess Griffin as a scientist?
Answer:
After repeated experiments, Griffin had discovered how to make the human body transparent. This was a big achievement. However, he misused his discovery for personal gains and for hurting others. Thus, though he can be termed as a brilliant scientist, he was not a noble one.

Talk about It

1. Would you like to become invisible? What advantages and disadvantages do you foresee, if you did?
Answer:
Do it yourself.

2. Are there forces around us that are invisible, for example, magnetism? Are there aspects of matter that are ‘invisible’ or not visible to the naked eye? What would the world be like if you could see such forces or such aspects of matter?
Answer:
Yes, there are forces which are present around us and are invisible. Like, gravitational force, magnetic force, electromagnetic force, etc.
Yes, there are aspects of matter that are invisible to us. If we could see these invisible forces and aspects, then we would have known some more things about the origin, pattern, propagation and behaviour of the various forces.

3. What makes glass or water transparent (what is the scientific explanation for this)? Do you think it would be scientifically possible for a man to become invisible, or transparent? (Keep in mind that writers of science fiction have often turned out to be prophetic in their imagination!)
Answer:
Glass or water is transparent to our eyes. This is because glass and water don’t absorb most of the light and majority of the photons pass through them.
Glass being an amorphous (not having a crystalline structure) will not reflect light and there is not enough energy in the photons to excite the electrons of the atoms to move them to a different energy level. So the light passes unabsorbed through the glass making it transparent.
Water will behave the same way for the same reason. This only happens in the visible region (380-700 nm). Scientifically it is possible for a man to become invisible, in the coming years. The vision is shown in the movies.