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

"Footprints without Feet" is a captivating tale from the  Class 10 English curriculum that follows the story of Griffin, a scientist who invented a formula for invisibility. Although he was invisible, people could still sense him. Regrettably, Griffin misused his power to steal items such as money, clothes, and food. Below are some Long Answer Questions related to this chapter. 

Q1. Why did Griffin have to resort to a burglary at the house of a clergyman in the village of Iping?

Ans: Griffin had booked two rooms at the local inn in Iping, where the landlady, Mrs. Hall, tolerated his strange behaviour and bad temper because he paid in advance. However, when he ran out of money, he pretended to be waiting for a cheque.

To obtain cash, he resorted to burglary at a clergyman’s house:

• Early one morning, the clergyman and his wife were disturbed by noises from their study.
• They heard money being taken from the desk.
• The clergyman shouted “Surrender!” but found the room empty.
• Despite searching under the desk, behind the curtains, and up the chimney, they found no one.
• The desk was open, and the money was gone.
• The clergyman exclaimed, “Extraordinary affair!”

Meanwhile, Griffin had already escaped invisibly with the cash.

Q2. Why did Griffin leave London and came to live in the village of Iping? How was he received there?

Ans: Griffin left the crowded city of London to find peace in the village of Iping, taking a train there.

Upon arrival, he was received by Mrs. Hall, the landlady, who welcomed him warmly. However, Griffin:

• Maintained a distant attitude and preferred solitude.
• Explained that an accident had affected his face.
• Was perceived by Mrs. Hall as an eccentric scientist, who tolerated his behaviour due to his advance payment.

As time passed, odd events raised suspicions among the villagers:

• A burglary occurred at the clergyman’s house.
• Strange incidents involving Mrs. Hall’s furniture happened.

These occurrences led to:

• Mrs. Hall believing her room was haunted and blaming Griffin.
• Neighbours suspecting witchcraft due to Griffin’s sudden cash flow.

Q3. When and how did the landlady Mrs. Hall and her husband see their furniture moving and behaving strangely in the stranger’s room? What was the result? 

Ans: The landlord and his wife woke up early to find the scientist's room wide open, which was unusual as it was typically locked. They decided to investigate but discovered no one inside.

• The bedclothes were cold, indicating that Griffin had been up for a while.
• His clothes and bandages were scattered around the room.

Suddenly, Mrs. Hall heard a sniffing sound near her ear. Then:

• Griffin's hat jumped from the bedpost and hit her face.
• The bedroom chair started moving on its own.

Terrified, Mrs. Hall and her husband were pushed out of the room by the chair, which then closed and locked the door behind them. Mrs. Hall, shaken and nearly falling down the stairs, believed the room was haunted. The neighbours suspected witchcraft was involved.

Q4. How did invisibility help Griffin in escaping on different occasions in the story? When did invisibility become a curse for Griffin?

Ans: Griffin, a once-brilliant scientist, discovered how to make himself invisible. Instead of using this power for good, he turned to crime. His ability to become invisible helped him escape from danger on several occasions:

• In a London store, he panicked and shed his clothes to escape employees who noticed him.
• After robbing a clergyman’s house, he created chaos by hitting Mrs. Hall with a hat and pushing her and her husband out of the room, making them believe their house was haunted.
• He set his landlord’s house on fire and escaped without being caught.
• When constable Jaffers attempted to arrest him, Griffin knocked him out and fled.

However, invisibility also became a curse for Griffin:

• He faced the harsh cold without clothes.
• This left him homeless and living as a lawless wanderer.

Q5. Describe Griffin’s adventures or misadventures in the village of Iping. Why did he come there?

Ans: Griffin left busy London for the quiet village of Iping to avoid attention. He booked two rooms at the local inn, but dismissed Mrs. Hall’s friendly attempts to connect.

• Short on money, Griffin decided to rob the clergyman’s house.
• The clergyman and his wife heard noises but saw no one, only an open desk and missing cash.
• Griffin’s situation worsened when he threatened Mrs. Hall and her husband by hitting them with his hat and moving a chair.
• This led Mrs. Hall to believe the house was haunted.
• When she confronted him about entering a locked room, Griffin revealed himself as a headless man in anger.
• Later, constable Jaffers attempted to arrest him, but Griffin shed his clothes, turned invisible, and knocked Jaffers out before escaping into the night.

Q6. Give a character-sketch of Mrs. Hall.

Ans: Mrs. Hall was a welcoming and friendly landlady at the local inn in Iping. She was delighted to have a strange guest in winter, which was quite unusual. Her main goal was to make her guest comfortable, showing her hospitality:

• She made efforts to engage with her guest, Griffin, despite his preference for solitude.
• Mrs. Hall believed Griffin was an eccentric scientist and excused his odd behaviour, especially since he had paid in advance.
• In the off-season, having a guest like Griffin was a blessing for her business.

However, Mrs. Hall became increasingly concerned when she noticed strange occurrences in Griffin's room, such as:

• A hat flying around.
• A chair moving on its own.

Initially, she thought the room might be haunted. When she dared to question Griffin about the strange happenings, he became infuriated. In a shocking moment, he revealed himself as a headless man by removing his bandages and false features, startling her and the other patrons in the bar.

Q7. What was the curious episode that took place in the clergyman’s study?

Ans: One morning, the clergyman and his wife heard strange noises coming from the study. They woke up and went downstairs, where they heard the sound of money being moved, indicating that someone was taking cash from the clergyman’s desk.

The clergyman grabbed a poker and cautiously opened the door, expecting to confront a thief. However, when he looked inside, the room was empty.

Puzzled, they searched:

• Under the desk
• Behind the curtains
• In the chimney

Despite their efforts, they found no one. The desk was open, and money was missing, leaving them with a very strange situation.

Q8. Why did Griffin enter the big London store? What did he do there? How he was finally obliged to leave it?

Ans: Griffin entered the big London store after setting fire to his landlord’s house and using a drug to become invisible. Facing the cold and needing to remove his clothes, he sought shelter in the store before it closed.

Inside the store, Griffin:

• Opened boxes and tried on various clothes.
• Ate cold meat and drank coffee in the kitchen.
• Lay down on a pile of quilts to sleep.

The next morning, store workers found him asleep. When he realised they were there, he attempted to escape but was chased by the workers. Griffin quickly removed his clothes, became invisible again, and managed to flee.

Q9. Why was the arrival of the stranger in a village in an unusual event? Give two reasons.

Ans: Griffin was a scientist who arrived at the village inn during winter, which made his visit unusual for two main reasons:

• Seasonal Timing: It was winter, a time when few people visited the village.
• Strange Appearance: Griffin wore dark glasses, a false nose, a large hat, and had bandaged foreheads. He avoided talking to others and requested privacy from Mrs. Hall, which intrigued the villagers.

His peculiar looks and behaviour contributed to the unusual nature of his arrival.

Q10. Describe the scene when Mr. Jaffers tries to arrest “a man without ahead”?

Ans: One day, Griffin stole money from a clergyman's house, leading the villagers to suspect him. They believed he was the thief.

Mrs. Hall called a policeman, who was shocked when he arrived. Griffin had removed his spectacles, false nose, and side whiskers, making him appear headless.

The constable faced the unusual task of arresting a headless man. As he attempted to catch Griffin, the latter began removing his clothes, eventually becoming completely invisible.

Despite the constable's efforts to fight back, he and some villagers who tried to assist him received blows from thin air. Eventually, Griffin struck the policeman, causing him to fall unconscious.

With the constable incapacitated, Griffin escaped and walked away freely.

Q11. Give a character sketch of Griffin. Why did his discovery of invisibility make the brilliant scientist a lawless person who brought sufferings to himself and the people around him?

Or
Was Griffin a true scientist in spite of his great discovery? Didn’t he misuse his discovery for his petty gains and thefts rather than for the welfare of humanity?

Ans: Griffin was a brilliant scientist known for his groundbreaking discovery of invisibility. However, instead of using his achievement for good, he chose a path of selfishness and crime:

• Griffin engaged in thefts and burglaries, attacking innocent people.
• He could have gained fame and respect by helping others, but his actions made him a lawless troublemaker.
• His reckless behaviour turned him into a wandering outcast, forced to live without clothes in the cold.
• He committed crimes in various places, including a clergyman’s house and a shop on Drury Lane.

Ultimately, Griffin's misuse of his discovery led to disgrace rather than honour, demonstrating how the misuse of science can result in dire consequences.

Q12. Why were the two boys surprised and fascinated when they saw fresh muddy imprints of a pair of bare feet? What was the explanation of this mystery and who was causing it and why?

Ans: The two boys were amazed to see fresh muddy footprints and wondered who had made them. Their surprise grew as they searched for the person behind the footprints, which eventually faded away.

The explanation for this mystery was straightforward: the footprints belonged to Griffin, a brilliant but eccentric scientist. Griffin had discovered how to make himself invisible by using special drugs. However, he had to be naked for the invisibility to work; wearing clothes would make him visible again.

• This condition turned his invisibility into a curse.
• He had to wander without clothes in the cold winter.
• To survive, he resorted to theft and burglary to obtain clothes and food.

Q13. How did Griffin become a homeless wanderer, without clothes and without money? What did he do in revenge and what was the result? 

Ans:

Griffin was a brilliant scientist who discovered how to make the human body invisible through extensive research and experiments. However, his success turned to tragedy when he misused this discovery.

Angered by his landlord's eviction notice, Griffin sought revenge by:

• Setting the landlord’s house on fire.
• Removing his clothes to escape arrest, turning invisible in the process.

This act of revenge had serious consequences:

• Griffin found himself without clothes or money during a cold winter.
• He became a homeless wanderer.
• To survive, he resorted to illegal activities, such as burglary in a London store.

Ultimately, Griffin's misuse of his discovery led to his downfall and complete ruin.

Attempt the test of this chapter through this link. 

You can get a detailed explanation of Footprints without Feet through this video.