Short Answer Questions: Footprints without Feet | English Class 10 PDF Download

Q1. What discovery did Griffin make? What was the result of his discovery?
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How did Griffin succeed in becoming invisible? What was the result of his experiments?

Ans: Griffin, a brilliant scientist, discovered rare drugs that made the human body invisible while staying solid. Despite his success, he lacked morals. After a fight with his landlord, he set his house on fire and ran away. Now homeless and invisible, he wandered around, but his muddy footprints exposed his presence and shocked people.

Q2. How was Griffin a lawless man?
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How and why did a brilliant scientist like Griffin degenerate into a lawless and homeless wanderer?
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How did Griffin become a homeless wanderer without clothes and money?

Ans: Griffin, a brilliant scientist, discovered how to make the human body invisible but used it for selfish purposes. He committed thefts, assaults, and broke into shops for food and clothes. When his landlord tried to evict him, Griffin set the house on fire and escaped by turning invisible. This made him a homeless and lawless wanderer.

Q3. What was the explanation of the mystery of the footmarks? Who was responsible for them?

Ans: The mystery of the footmarks was quite simple. They belonged to Griffin, a scientist who had discovered how to make the human body invisible. After conducting numerous experiments, he succeeded in proving that a person could become transparent. To escape being seen, Griffin had to remove his clothes, which led to him becoming a homeless wanderer. However, when he stepped in mud, he left behind visible footprints.

Q4. Why was the time bad for Griffin, the scientist, to become invisible?

Ans: Griffin became invisible after removing his clothes in January, a particularly cold month. As he stripped away his garments, the chilly air caused him to shiver uncontrollably. Therefore, the timing was unfortunate for Griffin to undergo such a transformation.

Q5. How did Griffin save himself from the cold of January?

Ans: Griffin was shivering from the cold in January when he entered a large store for warmth. After the store closed, he took advantage of the situation by putting on warm clothes he found. He then enjoyed a meal of cold meat and coffee, followed by sweets and wine. Finally, he settled down to sleep on a pile of quilts, effectively saving himself from the bitter cold.

Q6. Why did Griffin hurry to Drury Lane, the center of the theatre world?
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What did Griffin do when he returned to the theatrical company’s shop for the second time?

Ans: The second time, Griffin raided a theatrical company’s stock to find clothes and items like side whiskers, glasses, a false nose, bandages, and a hat to cover his invisible head. He emerged wearing bandages, dark glasses, a false nose, thick whiskers, and a large hat.

Q7. Why did Griffin decide to leave London and come to the village of Iping?

Ans: Griffin left crowded London to seek solitude in the village of Iping. He desired to live in isolation, away from the prying eyes of others. To achieve this, he took a train to Iping and booked two rooms at the local inn. His aim was to enjoy a peaceful and undisturbed life in the village.

Q8. Why did the landlady, Mrs. Hall, try to be friendly and prepared to excuse Griffin’s irritable habits?

Ans: During winter, it is quite unusual for a stranger to visit Iping, so Mrs Hall, the landlady, felt it was important to be friendly to her guest. Although Griffin was irritable and told her not to disturb him, Mrs Hall tolerated his behaviour because he had paid in advance. She believed he was an eccentric scientist, which made her more understanding of his strange habits and temper.

Q9. Describe the strange behavior of Mrs. Hall’s furniture. How did the chair start moving and push Mr. and Mrs. Hall out of the room?

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​Why did Mrs. Hall think that the room was haunted by ghosts? What did the neighbors think about the strange incident, the movement of furniture in the stranger’s room?

Ans: Suddenly, Mrs Hall heard a sniff near her ear, and Griffin’s hat hit her face. Then, a chair sprang up, charged at them, and pushed both her and her husband out of the room, slamming the door behind them. Terrified, Mrs Hall nearly fell down the stairs, believing the room was haunted and the stranger had filled it with spirits. The neighbours, on the other hand, speculated that the strange occurrences were due to witchcraft.

Q10. Why were the landlord and his wife surprised to see the scientist’s door wide open?

Ans: The landlord and his wife were surprised to find the scientist's door widely open. He usually kept it locked and was very angry if anyone entered. This unusual sight prompted them to investigate. They noticed the bedclothes were cold, indicating he had been up for a while, and his clothes and bandages were scattered around the room.

Q11. What did the Halls see in the scientist’s room?
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What did Mrs. Hall and her husband find when they investigated Griffin’s room?

Ans: The Halls were shocked to find Griffin’s room open and the bedclothes cold, showing he had been up for a while. His clothes and bandages were lying around, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Q13. Describe the burglary committed very early in the morning at a clergyman’s house in Iping.

Ans: Early one morning, a clergyman and his wife heard strange sounds from the study and the clink of money being taken. Armed with a poker, the clergyman burst in and shouted, “Surrender!” But to their shock, the room was empty. Despite searching everywhere, they found no one—only an open desk and missing housekeeping money.

Q14. What and why did Griffin show himself to Mrs. Hall and why were the people in the bar horrified?

Ans: Mrs. Hall was curious how the stranger came from an empty room and what he did to her chair. Angered by her questions, Griffin shouted, “Very well—I’ll show you,” and removed his bandages, whiskers, spectacles, and even his nose. Mrs. Hall was shocked, and the bar patrons were horrified to see a headless man.

Q15. What happened to Jaffers when he tried to catch the invisible scientist?
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What happens to the constable when he encounters Griffin?

Ans: When Constable Jaffers came to arrest Griffin, he was stunned to see him headless. As Griffin undressed and turned invisible, a struggle began. Jaffers tried to fight back but was overpowered by unseen blows and knocked unconscious. Griffin escaped, leaving behind confusion and chaos.

Q16. How did the invisible man first become visible?
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How did Griffin accidentally reveal himself to the public?

Ans: Griffin first became visible when he stepped in mud, leaving footprints that could be seen by others, revealing his presence. His invisibility was again compromised when he entered a London store, fell asleep, and then had to run from the store employees, leaving behind his clothing and becoming visible as a result.