Footprints Without Feet

Summary

This story is about a scientist who discovers a potion to make a man invisible. After swallowing the potion, the scientist turns to various mischiefs. He steals clothes from a supermarket and then steals lots of cash. To avoid getting noticed, the scientist moves from London to a small village. He stays at a local inn in the village. When he is out of money, he steals from a clergyman’s house. The local people suspect him and police is called. He escapes the police because of his ability to become invisible.

Comprehension Questions 

Answer the following questions in 30-40 words: 

1. How did Griffin first become visible? 

Griffin first became visible after he slipped into a big London store for keeping warm and overslept there while wearing some clothes taken from the store. The clothes made him visible to the shop assistants when the shop opened in the morning. To escape from them, he had to shed all his clothes to become invisible again.

2. Why was Griffin wandering the streets? 

Though Griffin was a brilliant scientist, he was a lawless person. His landlord disliked him and wanted to evict him. In revenge, he set fire to the house. To escape, he removed his clothes, becoming invisible. Thus, he became homeless and was wandering the streets of London.

3. Why does Mrs. Hall find the scientist eccentric? 

Mrs. Hall found the scientist eccentric because of his strange appearance and also, when she tried to be friendly with him, he rebuffed her by saying that he had come there for solitude and did not wish to be disturbed in his work.

4. What extraordinary things happened at the inn? 

At the inn, Mrs. Hall and her husband went into the scientist’s room on finding its door open. However, he was not seen in the room, but Mrs. Hall heard a sniff and the hat on the bedpost leapt up and dashed into her face. Then the bedroom chair sprang into the air and pushed them both out of the room. This made Mrs. Hall think that her furniture was haunted.

5. Why was Mrs. Hall angry with Griffin, the strange scientist? 

Griffin had attacked Mr. and Mrs. Hall and even threw her mother’s chair at her. Moreover, Griffin had not paid the rent for a long time. This made Mrs. Hall angry.

6. Why did Griffin set the landlord’s house on fire? 

Griffin was not liked by his landlord. He decided to take revenge on him, so one day he set his house on fire. Moreover, he did not want anyone to know about his secret discovery.

7. How did Griffin escape from the London store? 

When two attendants of the store discovered Griffin, they chased him. Hence, in order to protect himself, he threw away his clothes and became invisible and escaped from the London store.

8. What did Griffin do to hide the empty space above his shoulders? 

Griffin went into a shop in Drury Lane, the heart of the theatre world, with the aim of finding something to wear, and becoming visible. He emerged from the shop wearing bandages around his forehead, dark glasses, a false nose, bushy sideburns and a large hat.

9. Why was Mrs. Hall hysterical and fell down the stairs? 

When Mrs. Hall went to see the invisible man in his room, she found the bedroom chair became alive, sprung into the air and charged straight into her. Then the chair pushed both husband and wife out of the room. She felt that spirits had entered into her furniture and she became hysterical.

10. What happened to the constable? 

The policeman tried to catch Griffin. But he looked like a headless man. Griffin hit the constable and took off his clothes, becoming totally invisible. The constable was hit by unseen blows. Griffin knocked him unconscious.

Answer the following questions in 100-120 words: 

1. What was the curious episode that took place in the clergyman’s study? 

One day, early in the morning some sounds came from the study. The clergyman and his wife were awakened. They came downstairs and heard the chink of money from the study. It was clear that someone was robbing money from the clergyman’s desk. The clergyman took a poker in his hand. He carefully opened the door. He expected to find a thief in the room. So he shouted and asked the man to give in. But he found the room empty. They were surprised. He and his wife looked under the desk and behind the curtains. They even checked the chimney. But they did not find anybody. However, the desk had been opened. They found that money was missing from the desk. This was really a curious episode.

2. Describe Griffin’s adventures in a London store. 

Griffin set fire to his landlord’s house. Then he took a drug and became invisible by removing his clothes. It was the middle of winter. The air was very cold. He reached a London store. Before the closing time, he entered the store. After some time, the store was closed. Now he was free. He broke open boxes and wrappers. He took out some clothes and wore them. He was feeling hungry. So he went into the kitchen. He ate cold meat and drank coffee. Then he lay on a pile of quilts. The next morning, he did not get up in time. The shop assistants found Griffin sleeping on quilts. He woke up and tried to run away. The servants ran after him. Griffin again took off his clothes one by one. He became invisible once again. Thus, he was able to save himself.

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

Griffin was a scientist. He reached the village inn in winter. He was a stranger in that village. It was not a proper time to visit the village as people did not come here in winter. Secondly, Griffin looked very strange. He was wearing dark glasses, a false nose and a big hat. His forehead was covered with bandages. He did not talk to anyone in the village. He said that he wanted to live alone. He asked Mrs. Hall not to disturb him. The people of the village were attracted towards his strange appearance and habits. Thus, his coming to the village was an unusual event.

Think About It 

1. “Griffin was rather a lawless person.” Comment. 

Griffin was not bothered if he had harmed anybody in the fulfillment of what he wanted. He set his landlord’s house on fire because the landlord tried to make him leave. Then his robberies at shops and later in the village indicate that he was a lawless person. When he encountered the landlady of the inn, he threw a chair at her and her husband. Lawless persons like Griffin never think about the safety and well-being of others. They are only concerned about themselves.

2. How would you assess Griffin as a scientist? 

Griffin is a brilliant scientist, as he discovered how to make himself invisible. But he seems to enjoy the feeling of power which he gets out of his invisibility. The power to hurt anybody without getting noticed can give sadistic pleasure to some people. A true scientist should make discoveries for the larger benefit of society, not just for his own benefit.

Practice question

Q1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow. 

(a)Brilliant scientist though he was, Griffin was rather a lawless person. His landlord disliked him and tried to eject him. In revenge Griffin set fire to the house. 

i. What did Griffin’s experiment prove?
a. Human body can become invisible.
b. Human body cannot become invisible.
c. Only Griffin can become invisible.
d. Only Griffin can become visible. 

ii. Why did Griffin set fire to the house?
a. because he wanted the house to become invisible b. because the landlord wanted the rare drugs to become invisible
c. because his landlord tried to eject him
d. because the landlord called the constable 

iii. Why did Griffin remove his clothes? 

a. to give to the poor 

b. because he wanted to try new clothes at the London store 

c. to become invisible 

d. because they had become old and dirty 

iv. Find a word from the extract which means ‘to force somebody to leave a house.’
a. brilliant
b. lawless
c. eject
d. landlord

(b) Mrs. Halls almost fell down the stairs in hysterics. She was convinced that the room was haunted by spirits, and that the stranger had somehow caused these to enter into her furniture. 

i. Who is the ‘stranger’ referred to in the above extract?
a. H. G. Wells
b. Mr. Halls
c. the clergyman
d. Griffin 

ii. According to Mrs. Halls, what had the stranger done to her furniture?
a. caused spirits to enter it
b. sold her furniture
c. made the furniture invisible
d. hid the furniture 

iii. Why did Mrs. Halls fall down the stairs in hysterics? 

a. the scientist’s door was wide open 

b. the extraordinary chair pushed her and Mr. Halls out of the room 

c. the stranger’s clothes were lying about the room 

d. she saw her late mother sitting on the chair 

iv. Find a word from the extract which means ‘fits of crying.’
a. hysterics
b. haunted
c. convinced
d. spirits

Q2.Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each. 

(a) Why were the two boys surprised when they saw the imprints of a pair of bare feet? 

The two boys could see muddy footprints on the steps of a house in central London, descending towards the street. It was surprising to see the footprints without seeing anybody making them. 

(b) What curious episode occurs in the study? 

Very early one morning, a clergyman and his wife were awakened by noises coming from their study. Then they heard the sound of coins being taken from the desk there. However, when they entered the study, they did not find anybody there, which was curious. 

(c) How did Griffin try to get rid of Mrs. Hall’s accusations? 

Griffin got furious with Mrs. Hall’s accusation of stealing money and of not paying her rent. He threw off his bandages, spectacles and became invisible. He hit everyone and escaped from there. 

(d) What did Griffin do inside the London store? 

Inside the London store, Griffin wore woollen clothes. He wore shoes, an overcoat and a hat. He ate cold meat and drank coffee. He enjoyed sweets and wine also. Then he slept on a pile of quilts.

Q3. Answer the following questions in in 100 -120 words. 

(a) How would you assess Griffin as a scientist and a human being? What qualities or values would you suggest will make him a better person? 

Griffin was an eccentric scientist who had discovered a rare drug which could make him invisible. Griffin became invisible not for the welfare of the society but to satisfy his own ego and carry out evil deeds. He was a brilliant scientist but not a law abiding person. He was a criminal scientist who had no respect for humanity. He stole money from the clergyman’s house and set the landlord’s house on fire. He was not a good human being. He was rude to everyone. When everyone asked about his secret, he hit them and escaped becoming invisible. It would be better if he would imbibe empathy, kindness, helpfulness, honesty, generosity, social responsibility, etc. These values will make him a better person. He should have used his discovery for the benefit of society and his country.

(b) Describe the policeman’s fight with the invisible man. 

One day Griffin stole money from the clergyman’s house. The people of the village suspected Griffin. Hence, Mrs. Hall called a policeman. When the policeman reached there, he was surprised. Griffin had removed his spectacles, false nose and side whiskers. Now, he looked headless. The policeman was surprised as he had to arrest a headless man. He tried to catch Griffin. But Griffin started taking off his clothes one by one. He was becoming more and more invisible. In the end, he became totally invisible. The constable tried to fight with him. Some villagers also tried to help the policeman. But they received blows from nowhere. Then Griffin hit the policeman who fell unconscious. Then Griffin became free and walked out.