A Triumph of Surgery
Indulgence and good sense
Discuss the effects of over-indulgence and the narrator's good sense.
What kind of man is Herriot? Kind, funny, tactful and full of common sense. He doesn't scold Mrs Pumphrey or embarrass her. He quietly takes Tricki away and lets the 'treatment' speak for itself.
Real or made up? James Herriot was a real country vet in Yorkshire, England. His stories mix real cases with comic exaggeration, so this one is a bit of both.
Love without good sense. Mrs Pumphrey loves Tricki, but her love takes the form of overfeeding and pampering. Spoiling a pet, or a child, can harm the very one we love. Real care sometimes means saying 'no'.
Will it happen again? Tricki is clearly happy to go home. But unless Mrs Pumphrey changes her habits, he may soon be fat and ill again. What do you think will happen?
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