Class 10 English Footprints without Feet Chapter 9 (formerly Chapter 10), The Book That Saved the Earth by Claire Boiko, concludes the supplementary reader with a humorous science-fiction play set in the twenty-fifth century looking back at how a dusty volume of Mother Goose nursery rhymes stopped the pompous Martian Commander-in-Chief Think-Tank from invading Earth in 2040.
What Class 10 English (Footprints without Feet) Chapter 9 Covers
Two-Scene Play: The Book That Saved the Earth (Claire Boiko) In the twenty-fifth century at the Museum of Ancient History (Department of the Twentieth Century), the Historian uses a ‘historiscope’ to show how the Twentieth Century—called the ‘Era of the Book’—saved Earth from a Martian invasion in 2040. Arrogant Martian ruler Great and Mighty Think-Tank (who has a huge balloon brain and demands a long salute) communicates via space probe with Mars Space Control and the crew of Probe One (Captain Omega, Lieutenant Iota and Sergeant Oop), who have landed inside the Centerville Public Library containing two thousand ‘peculiar items’ they have never seen before: books. Think-Tank first declares the books are ‘sandwiches’ (Ordering Sergeant Oop to eat one!), then after his clever apprentice Noodle tactfully suggests they are for communication, Think-Tank declares they are ‘eye-communication’ devices once the crew swallows vitamin pills to decipher the code inside a large, colourful volume of *Mother Goose* nursery rhymes. Taking every rhyme literally, Think-Tank is alarmed that Earthlings grow silver bells and cockle shells and explosives (Mistress Mary), horrified that Earth cows jump over the moon and dogs laugh at the sport (Hey Diddle Diddle), and finally terrified upon seeing the picture of Humpty Dumpty—which looks exactly like Think-Tank’s own giant egg-shaped head—with the line ‘Had a great fall!’. Convinced the Earthlings are after him and planning to capture Mars Central Control, Think-Tank cancels the invasion, orders Probe One to evacuate immediately, and flees in a space capsule to Alpha Centauri a hundred million miles away—leaving wise and wonderful Noodle to succeed him and establish friendly relations and libraries with Earth.
Exercises in Chapter 9
- Read and Find Out & Think about It ask why the twentieth century was called the ‘Era of the Book’, who tried to invade the earth in the twenty-first century, what guesses Think-Tank makes about books (sandwiches, ear-communication, eye-communication), how Noodle manages to suggest ideas without offending Think-Tank, and how the three nursery rhymes in Mother Goose frighten Think-Tank into fleeing to Alpha Centauri.
Read Class 10 English (Footprints without Feet) Chapter 9 Online
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FAQ
Why was the twentieth century called the ‘Era of the Book’ in the play?
In those days there were books about everything, from anteaters to Zulus. Books taught people how to, and when to, and where to, and why to; they illustrated, educated, punctuated, and even decorated.
How did the three nursery rhymes in ‘Mother Goose’ frighten Think-Tank into calling off the Martian invasion of Earth?
Because Think-Tank interpreted every nursery rhyme literally as a secret military code, he believed: (1) from ‘Mistress Mary, quite contrary’, that Earthlings had combined agriculture and mining to grow high-explosive ‘cockle shells’ and silver; (2) from ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’, that Earthlings had trained their domesticated animals in spaceflight (‘the cow jumped over the moon’) and might be launching an interplanetary attack of millions of cows; and (3) from ‘Humpty Dumpty’ (whose illustration looked just like Think-Tank’s own balloon head), that Earthlings had spotted him and were planning to capture Mars Central Control and him (‘Had a great fall’).