The Book That Saved the Earth by Claire Boiko 10

The Book That Saved the Earth by Claire Boiko 

Word Meanings

• Twentieth Century – the years 1901–2000

• Historian – a person who studies or writes about history

• Invasion – entering a place by force

• Martians – people from Mars

• Think-Tank – the leader of the Martians

• Captain Omega, Lieutenant Iota, Sergeant Oop – helpers of Think-Tank

• Primitive – old-fashioned, not advanced

• Suspicious – doubtful, not trusting

• Commanding – ordering

• Surrender – giving up

• Nursery Rhyme – simple children’s poem or song

• Ridiculous – silly, laughable

• Confused – not able to understand

• Threat – danger or warning

• Victory – success, winning

• Escape – run away from danger

Questions and Answers

Q1. Who tried to invade the Earth in the twenty-first century?
In the twenty-first century, the Martians, led by their commander Think-Tank, tried to invade the Earth. Think-Tank was proud and considered himself the most intelligent being in the universe. He ordered his crew to study Earth’s books before attacking, but he misunderstood their meaning and got frightened.

Q2. The aliens in this play speak English. Do you think this is their language? What could be the language of the aliens?
No, English is not their real language. It is used in the play so that readers and audience can understand the conversation easily. The Martians must have their own unique language, completely different from human languages, which might use strange symbols, sounds, or signals from space for communication.

Q3. In what way does Think-Tank misinterpret innocent nursery rhymes as threats to Martians?
Think-Tank misunderstands Earth’s nursery rhymes as dangerous war secrets. For example, he thinks “Hey Diddle Diddle” means Earth has trained animals to fight in space. He fears “Humpty Dumpty” is about his own destruction. These silly mistakes make him believe Earth is very powerful, so he cancels the invasion.

Q4. Why is the play called “The Book That Saved the Earth”?
The play is titled so because a simple book of nursery rhymes confused the Martians. Think-Tank believed the rhymes were secret codes for dangerous weapons. He became scared and quickly ordered his troops to run away from Earth. Thus, a small children’s book actually saved the Earth from attack.

Q5. Describe Think-Tank’s character in short.
Think-Tank is proud, foolish, and overconfident. He calls himself the “Great and Mighty Think-Tank” and loves giving orders. However, he misunderstands simple nursery rhymes and takes them as threats. His lack of real intelligence makes him act cowardly. In reality, he is a comic and silly leader, not powerful.

1. Why the twentieth century was called the ‘Era of the Book’?
The twentieth century was called the ‘Era of the Book’ because books were very important during that time. People read books to get knowledge, entertainment, and wisdom. Books were used in every field like science, art, history, and literature. They helped in spreading education and preserving culture. Books guided people’s thoughts, improved their understanding, and developed their imagination. At that time, there were no advanced computers or internet to store knowledge. Books were the best source of information and communication. They became a symbol of power and progress for mankind. That is why historians remember the twentieth century as the ‘Era of the Book’ when books had the highest importance in human life.

2. What guesses are made by Think-Tank about the books found on the earth?
When Think-Tank saw books on Earth, he made funny and wrong guesses. At first, he thought books were sandwiches because they looked flat and square. He ordered his crew to eat them. Later, he believed books were used as communication devices. He asked his crew to listen to the books. Finally, he guessed books were used for eye communication and ordered them to read. Think-Tank failed to understand the real purpose of books because he had no true knowledge. His silly guesses show his foolishness and overconfidence. Instead of learning from the books, he got scared when he saw nursery rhymes and thought they were secret war plans.

3. Noodle avoids offending Think-Tank but at the same time he corrects his mistakes. How does he manage to do that?
Noodle is very wise, polite, and clever. He knows Think-Tank is proud and easily gets angry. So, Noodle never says directly that his boss is wrong. He uses respectful words and careful suggestions. For example, whenever Think-Tank makes a silly guess, Noodle softly says, “Might I suggest, sir…” or “Perhaps you are right, sir, but maybe…” In this way, he corrects Think-Tank without hurting his ego. He makes his boss feel respected but still guides him towards the right answer. Noodle’s polite behavior saves the crew from mistakes and keeps peace in the group. His smart handling shows that intelligence with respect is more powerful than pride and false knowledge.

1. Who tried to invade the earth in the twenty-first century?
In the twenty-first century, the Martians, under the leadership of their commander Think-Tank, tried to invade the Earth. They sent a team to study human life, but their leader misunderstood simple nursery rhymes. Out of fear, he cancelled the invasion, and Earth was saved from Martian attack.

2. The aliens in this play speak English. Do you think this is their language? What could be the language of the aliens?
No, English is not their real language. It is only used in the play so that readers and audience can understand. The Martians must have their own space language, which could be signals, symbols, or sounds unknown to humans, very different from any Earth language.

3. In what way does Think-Tank misinterpret innocent nursery rhymes as threats to Martians?
Think-Tank misunderstands nursery rhymes as war secrets. He thinks “cow jumping over the moon” shows Earth’s space power, and “Humpty Dumpty” is about his own fall. Believing Earth to be dangerous, he panics and withdraws the invasion, proving his foolishness and cowardly nature in front of his crew.