Griffin’s Invisible Experiment
Once upon a time, there was a scientist named Griff in. He figured out how to become invisible and touch things. Excited about his discovery, he decided to try it out.
Becoming Invisible:
Griff in drank a special potion and became invisible. But, oh no! He accidentally stepped in mud, leaving footprints that curious folks followed until they disappeared.
To stay warm, Griffin went to a shopping center after it closed. He wore some clothes and ate from a cafe. When night fell, he made a bed out of quilts in a store.
London Adventures:
People started noticing him, so Griff in stole clothes and money. To escape, he took off all his clothes, becoming invisible again. Life in busy London became a challenge.
Moving to Iping:
Griff in decided to move to a quiet village called Iping. People there were puzzled by his strange appearance.
As money ran out, Griffin turned to stealing and even hurt some people. People thought there were ghosts in the village. When the constable tried to find Griff in, he tricked them by appearing headless.
This story teaches us that sometimes discovering new things can be tricky. Griff in’s adventure shows us that we must be careful with what we discover and use it responsibly.
Extract Based Questions
1. As they gazed, a remarkable sight met their eyes. A fresh footmark appeared from nowhere. Further footprints followed one after another, descending the steps and progressing down the street.
1) Who are ‘they’ in the above extract?
Ans: ‘They’ in the above extract are two boys on a street in London.
2) Who is making these footprints?
Ans: The scientist Griffin, who has become invisible, is making these footprints.
3) Find the word from the extract that means the same as ‘continuing’.
Ans: The word is ‘progressing’.
4) What is the opposite of ‘remarkable’?
Ans: Its opposite is ‘ordinary:
2: The air was bitterly cold and he could not do without clothes. Instead of walking about the streets he decided to slip into a big London store for warmth.
1) Who is ‘he’ in the above extract?
Ans: ‘He’ in the above extract is Griffin, the invisible scientist.
2) Why was the air bitterly cold?
Ans: The air was bitterly cold because the season was mid-winter.
3) Find a word from the extract that means the same as ‘quietly enter’
Ans: The word is ‘slip’.
4) What is the opposite of ‘warmth?
Ans: Its opposite is ‘chill’
Top 10 PYQs:
Short Answer Questions (40-50 words each)
1. What did the Halls see in the scientist’s room? [CBSE 2013]
Answer: As the door of the room was open and nobody appeared to be inside, the Halls entered the scientist’s room. They saw that the bedclothes were cold, showing that the scientist must have been up for some time; and stranger still, the clothes and bandages that he always wore were lying about the room.
2. What challenges did Griffin face after becoming invisible?
Answer: Griffin faced challenges like surviving without shelter or clothes in cold weather, evading suspicion, and committing thefts for food and clothing, which made his life increasingly difficult and lonely.
3. Griffin was not a true scientist as he misused his scientific discovery. Illustrate this point by giving two incidents from the story.
Answer’· A true scientist is a law-abiding person. A scientist is also called a ‘natural philosopher. Griffin was not a true scientist as he did not use his discovery of how to make himself invisible for good uses. He lost control of himself and behaved like a criminal. First, he set fire to his landlord’s house and ran away. Then he stole food without paying for it in a London store. Besides, he robbed the owner of a theatrical company and stole money from a clergyman’s desk.
4. Describe the landlord’s and his wife’s experience with the strange scientist. [CBSE 2016]
Answer’· Both Mrs Hall and her husband were surprised to find the scientist’s room door open because normally it was always locked. So they peeped in but found nobody there. The clothes and bandages that he always wore were lying about the room. Suddenly Mrs Hall heard a sniff close to her ear and the hat on the bedpost leapt up and dashed itself into her face. Then the bedroom chair sprang into the air and pushed them both out of the room and then appeared to slam and lock the door after them. Mrs Hall became hysterical and almost fell down the stairs. She thought that her furniture was haunted. They decided to conf ront the scientist next time when they met him.
5. What impression do you form of Griffin after reading the lesson, “FootprintiWithout Feet”?
Answer: Griffin was a brilliant scientist, as he discovered a drug due to which his body became transparent as a sheet of glass after swallowing it. This made him invisible. But he was a lawless person. Because of his misdeeds, he became a homeless wanderer without clothes and money. He was an introvert with a desire for solitude. He was always seeking adventure, and being fond of mysterious things. However, he was unscrupulous, as he robbed various people to f inance his work, he got angry very quickly, which caused him to become a fugitive.
6. If, somehow you discovered how to become invisible, how would you use that opportunity? [CBSE 2015]
Answer: If I discovered how to become opportunity to punish all those people who their selfish motives. I would catch them invisible, I would use this cause trouble to others for and hand them over to the police without letting them know that I was behind them. I will also help law-enforcing agencies when they conduct raids on criminal hideouts, as I will be able to move in the open without fear of being seen. This will help the people of the country to become more law-abiding citizens.
7. ‘Brilliant scientist though he was, Griffin was a lawless person’. Does this statement approve the apprehension that science in wrong hands is Devil’s Pandora Box?
Answer: Griffin was a brilliant scientist. He had discovered a rare drug that could make a human body invisible. This made Griff in an arrogant lawless person. He broke the law more them once but never for a good reason. He could dedicate his discovery to his country but he didn’t do that. His lawlessness made the law helpless. All his actions prove that science in devil’s hand is disastrous.
8. “Scientific discoveries have made life easier but insecure/’ Explain with reference to the story ‘Footprints without Feet’ written by H.G. Wells.
Answer: There is no doubt that scientific discoveries have made life easier. Take any sphere of human activity, electricity, telecommunications, electronics, computers, etc, these have changed man’s life.
We can interact and walk on the moon. A trip to Mars is next on our agenda. We can fly like birds. Supersonic planes fly at more than the speed of sound. Wonderful drugs can overcome deadly diseases. Surgery can replace defective limbs. Despite all these discoveries, human life is becoming insecure. Weapons of mass destruction are a constant danger. The fear of chemical, or biological warfare looms large. Diseases like AIDS and SARS can destroy the human race.
9. “A lawless scientist is a curse to the society.” Discuss.
Answer: It is true, that a lawless scientist is a curse to society. A true scientist uses his discoveries for the good of the society and welfare of the people. It helps the nations to progress. A lawless scientist increases the misery and suffering of society. In this story, we find how Griffin misuses his discovery. He causes pain and suffering to others. He causes destruction. Suppose nuclear weapons fall in the hands of a lawless scientist, he can cause widespread destruction. He may ruin the achievements of other scientists. That’s why the leaders of the world are worried about chemical weapons falling into the hands of lawless heads of governments or terrorists. If this happens, all the scientists of the world will be doomed.
10. How did the invisible man first become visible?
Answer: Griffin was completely invisible until he happened to step in some mud, which caused him to leave footprints as he walked. Two boys noticed these footprints and followed him as long as the prints were visible. Griffin, after getting rid of them, went into a big London store to put on some warm clothes. After the store was shut, he got himself dressed in an overcoat and a wide-brimmed hat. He also put on a pair of shoes. This made him visible to the people who came to work at the store the next day
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