UP Board Class 10 English Chapter 9 – The Book that Saved the Earth (Supplementary Reader)

The play “The Book That Saved the Earth’ is set in the twenty-fifth century. This is a fantasy. It is based on the theme that half-fed knowledge is always dangerous.

The first scene of the play belongs to the twenty-fifth century in the Museum of Ancient History on the planet Earth. The Historian introduces the audience to the era of the twentieth century, known as the Era of the Book. He explains that books played a significant role in society during that time, educating and entertaining. One of the strongest things a book did was that it saved the Earth. The historian then tells them that a book saved the Earth from the Martian invasion of 2040.

The scene then shifts to Mars Space Control, where the great and mighty Think-Tank, along with his Apprentice Noodle, commands the Martian invasion of Earth. Think-Tank, proud of his intelligence, orders communication with the manned space probe heading to Earth.

नाटक ‘The Book That Saved the Earth’ पच्चीसवीं सदी में लिखा गया था। यह काल्पनिक है। यह इस विषय पर आधारित है कि आधा-अधूरा ज्ञान हमेशा खतरनाक होता है।

नाटक का पहला दृश्य पृथ्वी ग्रह पर प्राचीन इतिहास के संग्रहालय में पच्चीसवीं सदी का है। इतिहासकार दर्शकों को बीसवीं सदी के युग से परिचित कराता है, जिसे पुस्तक युग के नाम से जाना जाता है। वह बताता है कि पुस्तकों ने उस समय समाज को शिक्षा देने व मनोरंजन करने में महत्त्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाई थी। किसी पुस्तक द्वारा किया गया सबसे अजीब कार्य यह था कि उसने पृथ्वी को बचाया। इतिहासकार उन्हें बताता है कि एक पुस्तक ने पृथ्वी को वर्ष 2040 के मंगल ग्रह के आक्रमण से बचाया था।

फिर दृश्य मंगल ग्रह अन्तरिक्ष नियन्त्रण में स्थानान्तरित हो जाता है, जहाँ महान और शक्तिशाली थिंक टैंक अपने प्रशिक्षु नूडल के साथ पृथ्वी पर मंगल ग्रहवासियों द्वारा आक्रमण का आदेश देता है। थिंक टैंक अपनी बुद्धिमत्ता पर गर्व करते हुए पृथ्वी की ओर जाने वाले मानव युक्त अन्तरिक्ष अनुसन्धान से जाँच के साथ संचार का आदेश देता है।

दृश्य सेण्टरविले सार्वजनिक पुस्तकालय में मंगल ग्रह के अन्तरिक्ष नियन्त्रण में स्थानान्तरित हो जाता है । अन्तरिक्ष अनुसन्धान में मौजूद लोग (मंगल ग्रहवासी) कैप्टन ओमेगा, सार्जेण्ट ऊप और लेफ्टिनेण्ट आयोटा हैं। वे परेशान और भ्रमित हैं। वे पुस्तकों से परिचित नहीं हैं और उन्हें समझते नहीं हैं। थिंक टैंक उन्हें सैण्डविच बताता है और दल के सदस्यों को उन्हें खाने का आदेश देता है। बुद्धिमान नूडल ने धीरे से सलाह दी कि सम्भवतः वे संचार के उपकरण हो सकते हैं। इसलिए थिंक टैंक अनुसन्धान दल से उन्हें सुनने के लिए कहता है। उन्हें कुछ सुनाई नहीं देता । पुनः नूडल बहुत विनम्रता सलाह देता है कि पृथ्वीवासी उन्हें देखते हैं। वे उन्हें पढ़ नहीं पाते और इस निष्कर्ष पर पहुँचते हैं कि छपे हुए वाक्य और तस्वीरें अवश्य ही किसी प्रकार का कोड हैं।

इसके बाद थिंक टैंक ने अनुसन्धान दल को कोड पढ़ने के लिए विटामिन खाने के लिए कहा। वे उसका अनुसरण करते हैं और पुस्तक पढ़ने में सक्षम हो जाते हैं। पंक्तियाँ मालकिन मैरी और उसके बलखाते हुए शंख और चाँदी की घण्टियों के बगीचे के बारे में हैं।

जैसे ही कैप्टन ओमेगा ने कविता पढ़ी थिंक टैंक सोचता है कि पृथ्वीवासी बहुत उन्नत हैं। उन्होंने कृषि और खनन को एकसाथ करने की खोज की है, जब वह गिरी हुई हम्टी-डम्टी की तस्वीर देखता है, तो वह और अधिक भयभीत हो जाता है।

वह उसे अपनी तस्वीर समझता है। वह घोषणा करता है कि पृथ्वीवासियों ने उसे देख लिया है और वे मंगल केन्द्रीय नियन्त्रण के साथ-साथ उसे भी नियन्त्रण में करने की योजना बना रहे हैं।

थिंक टैंक आक्रमण रद्द करता है। वह नूडल को उसके भागने हेतु एक अन्तरिक्ष कैप्सूल (यान) तैयार करने का आदेश देता है। वह अपने अनुसन्धान दल को भी निकलने के लिए कहता है। वह अपने दल के लोगों को अल्फा सेण्टोरी तारे की ओर भागने और पूरे मंगल ग्रह को खाली करने का आदेश देता है।

इतिहासकार ने खुलासा किया कि यह कविताओं की पुस्तक ‘मदर गूज’ थी, जिसने पृथ्वी को बचाया। मंगल और पृथ्वी अब मित्र हैं। नूडल थिंक टैंक का उत्तराधिकारी बना और मंगल ग्रह का प्रमुख बन गया। पृथ्वीवासियों ने उनकी ** राजधानी मार्सोपोलिस में एक पुस्तकालय भी स्थापित किया है, हालाँकि मंगल ग्रहवासी कभी भी ‘मदर गूज’ पुस्तक पढ़ने का साहस नहीं जुटा पाए।

(a) Zulus

(b) America

(c) Science

(d) Math

Ans. (a) Zulus

(a) books

(b) bombs

(c) atoms

(d) expeditions

Ans. (a) books

(a) Omega

(b) Oop

(c) Noodle

(d) Iota

Ans. (a) Omega

(a) library

(b) barn store

(c) refreshment stand

(d) haberdashery

Ans. (a) library

(a) Sweets

(b) Pizza

(c) Burger

(d) Sandwiches

Ans. (d) Sandwiches

(a) rupees

(b) carbon

(c) filling

(d) vegetables

Ans. (c) filling

(a) Oop

(b) Omega

(c) Think-Tank

(d) Noodle

Ans. (a) Oop

(a) music

(b) commentary

(c) chirping

(d) books

Ans. (d) books

Ans. Think-Tank is the Commander-in-Chief and the ruler of Mars and its two moons. He is considered as the most powerful and intelligent person in the universe. He himself thinks so. He wants to invade Earth and put it under his rulership.

Ans. Noodle bows low before Think-Tank. He calls Think-Tank “Great and Mighty”. He praises him by calling him the most powerful and intelligent creature in the whole universe. Think-Tank asks him to go over the whole thing again because he has left a part of his salutation. Noodle forgot to add that Think-Tank is the new ruler of Mars and its two Moons.

Ans. There are five people who are in the Mars Space Control. First and most important of them all is great and mighty Think-Tank. He is commander-in-chief and the ruler of Mars. Noodle is an apprentice who is always praising Think-Tank but also giving subtle suggestions very respectfully. Then there are Captain Omega, Sergeant Oop and Lieutenant Iota.

Ans. Think-Tank was proud of his intelligence and might. His comments on the Earth and the Earthlings are very sarcastic and ridiculous. He calls Earth a ridiculous tiny planet and a ball of mud. He considers Martians a handsome race. He says that Martians are much more attractive than ugly Earthlings with their tiny heads. He even plans to invade Earth and put it under his generous rulership.

Ans. The space probe landed in a public library. The crew in the probe was shocked because the place looked very trange to them as they had no idea of books. They thought of the library to be some kind of storage area. They were confused as they were not familiar with books.

Ans. Think-Tank told his crew that the books were sandwiches. He even ordered his crew to eat them. Then, he called them communication devices and asked the probe crew to listen to them. Later, he said that they were meant for watching.

Ans. Think-Tank’s crew read about Humpty-Dumpty’s fall in the rhyme and showed the picture to Think-Tank. Think-Tank’s head resembled the head of Humpty Dumpty. This makes Think-Tank feel that Earthlings are planning to invade Mars and capture him.

Ans. The twentieth century was called the ‘Era of the Book’ because there were books for everything, from ant-eaters to Zulus. Books taught people what to do, how to do, when to do and why to do.

Ans. The Martians tried to invade the Earth in the twenty-first century.

Ans. Think-Tank guessed that the books were sandwiches that the Earthlings loved to eat. He made another guess that the books were some communication device used by Earthlings. Later on he thought that the books were meant for watching.

Ans. Noodle avoids offending Think-Tank while correcting his mistakes by presenting his own thoughts, but referring to them as being of no particular importance. Whenever he had to say something contrary to what Think-Tank said, he would do this. In this way, he would correct Think-Tank’s errors without making Think-Tank feel that he was being corrected.

Ans. The Great and Mighty Think-Tank had different character traits which are described below

Powerful Think-Tank has been presented as the most powerful and the most intelligent creature in the whole universe. At least, Noodle and other associates think so. He was indeed powerful because he was the commander-in-chief and the ruler of Mars and its two moons. He was feared, pampered, flattered and obeyed.

Couldn’t accept Criticism Think-Tank did not have the capacity to handle criticism. He could not go into deep understanding of things and was vain and haughty. His views about books were totally ridiculous. He presented other’s views as his own and Noodle had to be very polite while correcting his mistakes or giving any suggestions to him.

Misinterpreted Everything The Great and Mighty Think-Tank excelled at misinterpreting things and his half-baked knowledge made him interpret the nursery rhyme “Humpty Dumpty” as the plan of Earthlings to capture Mars Central Control and him.

Fearful/Coward When Think-Tank misinterprets the nursery rhymes and thinks that Earthlings plan to capture him, he immediately orders to stop the invasion and orders the invasion fleet to evacuate the entire planet of Mars. He prepared himself to escape in a space-shuttle immediately.

Ans. The old, dusty book of nursery rhymes was called ‘Mother Goose’. Think-Tank, the commander-in-chief of Mars wanted to invade Earth and had sent Probe One to get more information about Earthlings. The crew entered a library and could not understand anything about the place. Thereafter, taking vitamins, they take out ‘Mother Goose’ and decipher the rhymes.

The rhymes are misinterpreted as threats by Think-Tank. After listening to the first rhyme, ‘Mistress Mary’, Think-Tank concluded that the Earthlings had discovered how to combine agriculture and mining. The second rhyme, ‘Hey, Diddle Diddle’ seemed to suggest to him that the Earthlings might be launching an interplanetary attack of millions of cows. The third rhyme. ‘Humpty Dumpty’ where Humpty Dumpty had a great fall threatened Think-Tank and his planet Mars as the head of Humpty Dumpty resembled the head of Think-Tank and he thought that the Earthlings know about him and his mission. He becomes so afraid that he dropped the idea of invading Earth and escaped to Alpha Centauri. Hence, a book of Nursery rhymes saved the Earth from Martian invasion.