Short Summary: Footprints without Feet - English Class 10

Griffin was a brilliant scientist. He conducted many experiments. One day he discovered a wonderful drug. It could make him invisible. He took that drug and became invisible. He could see everybody but nobody could see him.
Griffin’s landlord did not like him. He tried to get his house vacated. Griffin became angry. He set the house on fire. Then he took the drug. He took off his clothes. He became invisible and went out.
It was winter. It was not easy to walk without clothes. Griffin had no money. So, he went into a big London store. He stole clothes from there. When he walked with those clothes, it seemed as if a headless man was walking. He took meat, coffee, sweets and wine from the kitchen of the store. Then he slept on a pile of quilts there.
The next morning he did not wake up in time. The shop assistants arrived and saw him. Griffin ran out of fear. The assistants ran after him. Griffin took off his clothes one by one. He became invisible again. But now he was shivering with cold. He entered the shop of a theatrical company. He wore bandages around his forehead. He also wore dark glasses, a false nose and whiskers. Griffin robbed some money of the shopkeeper. Then he took a train and reached Iping village.
At Iping, Griffin booked two rooms at an inn. He paid the rent in advance. The name of the landlady was Mrs. Hall. She tolerated the strange behavior of Griffin. Soon Griffin spent the stolen money. He told the landlady that he had no cash. He said that he was expecting a cheque. The next day, he stole money from the house of the clergyman. The clergyman and his wife were surprised. They had not seen anybody coming. The room was empty. Even then the money was stolen.
After some time, the landlord and his wife found that Griffin’s room was open. They entered the room but there was nobody. Griffin’s clothes and bandages were lying on the floor. Suddenly, the hat jumped and struck Mrs. Hall’s face. Then the chair jumped and charged at her. The couple was afraid. They thought that there were ghosts in the room. They cried and ran downstairs.
The neighbors gathered there. They thought that Griffin was responsible for all that. A policeman was called. Before that Griffin and Mrs. Hall had a quarrel. Griffin became angry. He threw off his bandages, spectacles and a false nose. Now he was wearing clothes but his body was not visible above the neck. The people were horrified when they saw a headless man.
Just then the policeman came. He was also surprised when he saw a headless man. He tried to catch Griffin. But Griffin started taking off his clothes. He became invisible. Those who tried to catch him got blows out of the air. Soon Griffin became free. Nobody knew where to lay a hand on him. Griffin came out of the inn and started walking on the road. Now he was again a free man.

SHORT SUMMARY

1. Muddy Imprints: Two boys were highly surprised. They saw muddy impressions on the steps of a house in London. They were the fresh footmarks of a barefooted man. The boys followed them. The impressions got fainter and finally disappeared.
2. The mystery of Footmarks: The mystery of footmarks was quite simple. The boys were following a scientist. He had just discovered how to make the human body transparent.
3. Griffin—Great but Eccentric Scientist: Griffin was a great scientist. He carried out many experiments to prove that the human body could become invisible. In the end, he swallowed some rare drugs and his body became transparent. He was a lawless person. talift landlord disliked him and tried to eject him. In revenge, Griffin set his house on fire.
4. Unseen when Naked: Griffin had to remove all his clothes if “‘, wanted to be unseen by the people. He belies a homeless wanderer without clothes. He had no money. He left footmarks as ticked.
5. In a Big London store: The air was bitterly cold. Griffin was naked. Instead of walking around the streets, he entered a London store for warmth. He enjoyed the pleasure of clothes and food freely. He fitted himself out with warm clothes there. He became fully dressed up with shoes, an overcoat and a hat. After putting on clothes, he became visible. He had cold meat and coffee, sweets and wine from the grocery store. He slept on a pile of quilts. He didn’t wake up until the assistants arrived the next morning. When they came near, he panicked and began to run. But he could become invisible only he was totally naked. So he took off his newly found clothes. Once more he became naked in the cold January air.
6. In Drury Lane: He hurried to Drury Lane, the center of the theatre world. He found. a shop he was searching shop upstairs invisible. He came out Of the wearing bandages around his forehead, do k glasses, false nose, side-whiskers and a large hat. Th. en, he attacked a shopkeeper and him of all the money he could find. robbed
7. Arrival in Iping Village: Griffin wanted to get away from the crowded London. He came to the village of Iping. He booked two rooms in a local inn. The arrival of a stranger of such strange appearance became the talk of the people. Mrs. Hall tried to be friendly with her guest Griffin. He said that he didn’t want to be disturbed. He wanted to be alone. She thought that her guest was an eccentric scientist. She didn’t mind his strange habits and irritable temper. Griffin’s cash finished. He told a lie that he was expecting a cheque at any moment.
8. Clergyman Burgled: A strange episode occurred. A clergyman and his wife were awakened by the noises in the study very early in the morning. They came downstairs and heard the chink of money being taken from the desk. With poker in his hand, the clergyman flung open the door. He shouted, “surrender!” He was surprised to see the room empty. They looked under the desk, behind the curtains and even up the chimney. one was there. They found the desk open. and the money was missing. They were highly surprised, couldn’t understand anything.
9. Mrs. Hall’s Furniture Shows Strange Behaviour: The landlord and his wife (Mrs. Hall) woke up very early. They found Griffin’s door wide open. Usually, it was shut and locked. They peeked around but found nobody. They found Griffin’s clothes and bandages were lying about. All of a sudden Mrs. Hall heard a sniff close to her ear. A hat leaped up and dashed itself into her face. Then the chair became alive. They turned away in fear. Then the chair pushed them both out of the room. Then the door slammed and locked after them. Mrs. Hall almost fell down the stairs and started crying. The was sure that the room was haunted by spirits. The villagers suspected that the trouble was caused by witchcraft. When the news of burglary at the clergyman’s home became known, everyone doubted Griffin’s hand in it. This suspicion grew stronger when Griffin suddenly showed some ready cash. He had no cash before a few days.
10. Invisible Man Shows Himself: Mrs. Hall went to Griffin’s room. He was there. She asked what he was doing to her chairs upstairs. She also asked how he entered a locked room. The scientist lost his temper. He became furious and cried “I’ll show you.” Suddenly he threw away all bandages, whiskers, spectacles and even nose. The horrified men in the bar were staring at aheadless man!
11. Encounter with Constable Jaffers: The police constable who had been informed, arrived now. He was totally surprised to find that he was to arrest a man without ahead. There followed a wonderful scene. The scientist (Griffin) started throwing his clothes one by one. He was becoming more and more invisible as he threw off one garment after another. Finally, the man became invisible. Some people who tried to hold him were beaten by the unseen blows that came from nowhere. In the end, Jailers was knocked unconscious. Nervous and excited people were crying “Hold him!” Griffin was invisible and free now. No one knew where to lay hands on him.

Main Points of the Story

1. Two boys were surprised at the muddy footprints of a pair of bare feet.
2. The boys followed those footmarks until they became fainter and finally completely disappeared.
3. Griffin was a brilliant scientist who discovered that the human body could become invisible and transparent.
4. Griffin became a lawless person.
5. His landlord disliked him and wanted to eject him.
6. In revenge, he set his house on fire.
7. Griffin became a homeless wanderer without clothes and money.
8. The air was bitterly cold in mid-winter and Griffin could not do without clothes.
9. So, he entered a big London store to warm and feed himself
10. The invisible man pleased himself with wine and sweets and fitted himself with warm clothes. He slept on a pile of quilts.
11. Griffin could be invisible only when he was naked.
12. Next morning, the employees came and saw him because he was dressed up.
13. Griffin ran away and became invisible by throwing off his clothes one by one.
14. He came to Drury Lane where he bandaged himself around the head, dark glasses, false nose, big bushy side-whiskers and a large hat in a shop.
15. Griffin left crowded London and came to the village of Iping.
16. Mrs. Hall was pleased to have a guest in winter and tried to be friendly with her guest.
17. The stranger snubbed Mrs. Hall and told her not to disturb her anymore.
18. Griffin had no cash and he burgled a clergyman’s house to get it.
19. The surprised clergyman and his wife found their desks open and the money missing.
20. They searched for the thief but were surprised not to find him anywhere.
21. One day the landlord and his wife Mrs. Hall, found their guest’s room widely open which was usually kept shut and locked.
22. They came to the stranger’s room and found his hat hitting into Mrs. Hall’s face.
23. The chair started moving and pushed Mr and Mrs. Hall out of the room.
24. Mrs. Hall felt that the house was haunted by spirits and ghosts. Even the villagers thought so.
25. One day Mrs. Hall asked her guests what he had been doing to her chair and how he entered a locked room.
26. The scientist became furious and shouted, “I’ll show you.”
27. Suddenly, he threw off bandages, whiskers, spectacles and even nose.
28. Mrs. Hall and the people in the bar were horrified staring at aheadless man.
29. The constable Jaffers was informed and he came to arrest the stranger.
30. The policeman tried to get a hold of a man who started throwing his garments one by one and became invisible.
31. Jaffers and the people who came to help him were hit by blows from nowhere.
32. Jaffers was knocked unconscious when he tried to hold on to the unseen scientist.