The National Curriculum Framework (NCF), 2005, recommendsthat children's life at school must be linked to their life outsidethe school. This principle marks a departure from the legacy ofbookish learning which continues to shape our system andcauses a gap between the school, home and community. Thesyllabi and textbooks developed on the basis of NCF signify anattempt to implement this basic idea. They also attempt todiscourage rote learning and the maintenance of sharpboundaries between different subject areas. We hope thesemeasures will take us significantly further in the direction of achild-centred system of education outlined in the National Policyof Education (1986).

The success of this effort depends on the steps that schoolprincipals and teachers will take to encourage children to reflecton their own learning and to pursue imaginative activities andquestions. We must recognise that, given space, time and freedom,children generate new knowledge by engaging with theinformation passed on to them by adults. Treating the prescribedtextbook as the sole basis of examination is one of the key reasonswhy other resources and sites of learning are ignored. Inculcatingcreativity and initiative is possible if we perceive and treat childrenas participants in learning, not as receivers of a fixed bodyof knowledge.

These aims imply considerable change in school routinesand mode of functioning. Flexibility in the daily time-table is asnecessary as rigour in implementing the annual calendar sothat the required number of teaching days are actually devotedto teaching. The methods used for teaching and evaluation willalso determine how effective this book proves for makingchildren’s life at school a happy experience, rather than a sourceof stress or boredom. Syllabus designers have tried to addressthe problem of curricular burden by restructuring andreorienting knowledge at different stages with greaterconsideration for child psychology and the time available for

i

teaching. The supplementary reader attempts to enhance thisendeavour by giving higher priority and space to opportunitiesfor contemplation and wondering, discussion in small groups,and activities requiring hands-on experience.

The National Council of Educational Research and Training(NCERT) appreciates the hard work done by the textbookdevelopment committee responsible for this book. We wish tothank the Chairperson of the advisory committeefor textbooks in languages for the secondary stage,Professor Namwar Singh, and the Chief Advisor for this book,Professor R. Amritavalli for guiding the work of this committee.Several teachers contributed to the development of thissupplementary reader; we are grateful to their principals formaking this possible. We are indebted to the institutions andorganisations which have generously permitted us to draw upontheir resources, materials and personnel. We are especiallygrateful to the members of the National Monitoring Committee,appointed by the Department of Secondary and HigherEducation, Ministry of Human Resource Developmentunder the Chairpersonship of Professor Mrinal Miri andProfessor G.P. Deshpande for their valuable time andcontribution. As an organisation committed to systemic reformand continuous improvement in the quality of its products,NCERT welcomes comments and suggestions which will enableus to undertake further revision and refinements.

DirectorNew Delhi National Council of Educational20 November 2006 Research and Training

iv

Footprints without Feet, a supplementary reader in English forClass X, is based on the new syllabus prepared as a follow-up tothe National Curriculum Framework, 2005. The curriculumenvisages language learning opportunities that are rich incomprehensible input, and adopts a language-across-the-curriculum, multilingual perspective on English in the school.Input-rich communicational environments are a prerequisitefor language learning. Therefore, learners must be exposed to avariety of texts.

The supplementary reader is meant for students to read ontheir own; it aims at developing their reading skills. Learnersneed to develop the habit of reading for information andpleasure, drawing inferences from what they read, and relatingtexts to their previous knowledge. They need to learn toread critically and to develop the confidence to ask andanswer questions.

The selections in the supplementary reader take intoaccount the interests of young learners while making themaware of issues that they need to reflect on: personalrelationships, the neighbourhood, and the community. Thematicvariety has been taken care of and there is a good representationof a variety of genres as well as of writers from across the world—Indian, British, French, American and Japanese. Thissupplementary reader has ten pieces including a play and afactual prose piece, as well as science fiction.

Each piece begins with questions under the head ‘Read andFind Out’ to guide learners in their reading and comprehensionof the text, which is divided into two to three sections, eachsection prefaced with relevant questions. Thus the texts donot need to be read out or explained by the teacher in class.Word glosses have similarly been kept to the minimum so asto encourage inferences about meaning from sententialand discourse contexts. The teacher, after a quick oralcomprehension check, if necessary, can progress to the questions

v

under the head ‘Think About It’ at the end of each unit. Theseare meant to take the learner beyond factual comprehension tocontemplate on the issues that the texts raise; the questions areopen ended and thought provoking.

The questions given under ‘Talk About It’ are intended toencourage the learners to express their own ideas in a creativeand coherent way. It is hoped that the topics suggested fordiscussion will encourage learners to develop a constructiveanalysis of the relevant issues, involving critical thinking,reasoning, and previous knowledge as well as new knowledge.

The list of suggested readings given at the end of each storyis meant to encourage learners to read further on their own.The idea is to promote the habit of self-learning and reducedependence on the teacher.

Language learning is essentially a matter of acquiring in anintegrated way the skills of listening, speaking, reading andwriting; and of honing these skills for effective communicationin the classroom, and later in real life. This book offers anopportunity for taking learners in that direction.

vi

CHAIRPERSON, ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR TEXTBOOKS IN

LANGUAGES FOR THE SECONDARY STAGE

Professor Namwar Singh, formerly Chairman, School ofLanguages, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

CHIEF ADVISOR

R. Amritavalli, Professor, English and Foreign LanguagesUniversity (EFLU), Hyderabad

CHIEF COORDINATOR

Ram Janma Sharma, Former Professor and Head, Departmentof Education in Languages, NCERT, New Delhi

MEMBERS

Kalyani Samantray, Reader in English, S B W College, Cuttak,OdishaLakshmi Rawat, TGT (English), BRD Sarvodaya KanyaVidyalaya, Prasad Nagar, Karol Bagh, New DelhiNasiruddin Khan, Former Reader in English, Department ofEducation in Languages, NCERT, New DelhiPadmini Baruah, Associate Professor in English, Departmentof ELT, Guwahati University, Guwahati, AssamR. Meganathan, Assistant Professor in English, Department ofEducation in Languages, NCERT, New DelhiSadhana Agarwal, TGT (English), Rajkiya Pratibha Vidyalaya,Link Road, Karol Bagh, New DelhiSadhana Parashar, Education Officer (ELT), CBSE, CommunityCentre, Preet Vihar, DelhiSandhya Sahoo, Professor in English, Regional Institute ofEducation, BhubaneswarShruti Sircar, Associate Professor in English, Centre for ESLStudies, EFLU, Hyberabad

MEMBER–COORDINATOR

Kirti Kapur, Associate Professor in English, Department ofEducation in Languages, NCERT, New Delhi

v

v

The National Council of Educational Research and Training isgrateful to Professor M.L.Tickoo, formerly of the CIEFL,Hyderabad, and the Regional Language Centre, Singapore forhis valuable suggestions and advice in the development ofthis book.

For permission to use copyright material, NCERT would liketo thank Scott, Foreman and Company, Glenview, Illinois forthe pieces ‘The Making of a Scientist’ by Robert W. Peterson and‘The Book that Saved the Earth’ by Claire Boiko. Special thanksare due to Professor Yash Pal and Dr Rahul Pal from whoseDiscovered Questions (NCERT, 2006) we have taken threequestions along with their answers.

We also thank the Publication Department, NCERT, fortheir support. We gratefully acknowledge the services ofParash Ram Kaushik, Incharge, Computer Resource Centre,NCERT; Razi Ahmad and Arvind Sharma, DTP Operators;G.C. Chandrakar, Copy Editor; and Mathew John, Proof Reader.

Foreword iii

A Note to the Teacher v

1. A Triumph of Surgery 1

JAMES HERRIOT

2. The Thief’s Story 8

RUSKIN BOND

3. The Midnight Visitor 14

ROBERT ARTHUR

4. A Question of Trust 20

VICTOR CANNING

5. Footprints without Feet 26

H.G. WELLS

6. The Making of a Scientist 32

ROBERT W. PETERSON

7. The Necklace 39

GUY DE MAUPASSANT

8. The Hack Driver 47

SINCLAIR LEWIS

9. Bholi 54

K.A. ABBAS

10. The Book That Saved the Earth 63

CLAIRE BOIKO

1 . 5