The Book That Saved the Earth 10

Chapter: The Book That Saved the Earth

Author: Claire Boiko

Word Meanings

Word	Meaning
Twentieth century	The years between 1901–2000
Historian	A person who studies or writes about history
Martians	Inhabitants of the planet Mars
Centennial	100th anniversary
Lunar Base	A space station on the Moon
Mars Central Control	The main command centre on Mars
Earthlings	People who live on Earth
Probe	To explore or investigate
Mighty	Very powerful or strong
Nimble	Quick and light in movement
Cautiously	Carefully; without taking risks
Erroneous	Wrong; incorrect
Superior	Higher in rank or position
Primitive	Simple or undeveloped
Suspicious	Doubtful; not trusting
Invasion	An attack by entering another place or country
Library	A place where books are kept and read
Rhyme	Words that have the same sound at the end (like cat-hat)
Confusing	Hard to understand
Command	Order or instruction
Surrender	To give up or admit defeat

Summary in Simple Words

The play is a funny science fiction story set in the 25th century.
It takes place in the Museum of Ancient History, where a Historian tells the story of how a book saved the Earth in the 20th century.

The story goes back to when Mars planned to invade Earth.
A Martian named Think-Tank, who was very proud and bossy, sent his team — Captain Omega, Lieutenant Iota, and Sergeant Oop — to Earth to gather information.

The team landed in a library but didn’t know what books were.
Think-Tank thought the books were sandwiches and ordered them to eat them!
Then he guessed they might be communication devices or tools of power.

When the Martians read a book of nursery rhymes like “Hey Diddle Diddle” and “Humpty Dumpty,” Think-Tank misunderstood them completely.
He thought Earthlings were planning powerful attacks — like teaching animals to fly and breaking walls (because of the “Humpty Dumpty” rhyme).

Frightened, Think-Tank cancelled the invasion and ordered all Martians to leave Earth immediately.
Thus, a simple book of nursery rhymes — a children’s storybook — saved the Earth from a Martian invasion!

Textbook Question and Answers

1. Who was Think-Tank?
Think-Tank was the ruler of Mars. He thought he was the most intelligent being in the universe, but in reality, he was foolish and made funny mistakes.

2. How did Noodle correct Think-Tank’s mistakes?
Noodle corrected Think-Tank’s mistakes very politely. He never told Think-Tank directly that he was wrong. Instead, he gave clever suggestions and made Think-Tank believe that the ideas were his own.

3. What message does “The Book That Saved the Earth” give us?
The story gives us the message that books are very powerful. They hold knowledge and wisdom that can save the world. It also teaches us not to be proud or overconfident like Think-Tank and to respect learning and intelligence.

I. Read and Find Out

1. Why was the twentieth century called the ‘Era of the Book’?
Answer: The twentieth century was called the Era of the Book because books were the main source of knowledge, education, and entertainment.
People wrote, read, and studied books on every subject — from science to stories.

2. Who tried to invade the Earth in the twenty-first century?
Answer: The Martians from Mars, led by their leader Think-Tank, tried to invade the Earth in the twenty-first century.

II. Read and Understand

1. What guesses are made by Think-Tank about the books found on Earth?
Answer: Think-Tank made several funny guesses about books:

• First, he thought they were sandwiches and ordered his crew to eat them.

• Then, he guessed they were communication devices.

• Finally, he thought they were weapons or secret codes that Earthlings used to plan attacks.

2. What made Think-Tank change his mind about invading the Earth?
Answer: When the crew read nursery rhymes from a book, Think-Tank misunderstood them as dangerous military plans.
He believed Earthlings were powerful and intelligent beings who could even make animals fly and build destructive weapons.
Scared of being defeated, Think-Tank cancelled the invasion and fled.

3. What saved the Earth from a Martian invasion?
Answer: A simple book of nursery rhymes saved the Earth.
Because of his silly misunderstanding of the rhymes, Think-Tank became afraid and stopped the invasion plan.

4. What do you think the play shows about human intelligence and imagination?
Answer: The play shows that human intelligence and creativity are very powerful.
Even something simple like a storybook can make others think deeply.
It also shows that imagination and knowledge are stronger than weapons or power.

Textual Questions and Answers

Q1. Why was the twentieth century called the ‘Era of the Book’?

Answer:
The twentieth century was called the ‘Era of the Book’ because books were the main source of knowledge, information, and entertainment.
People read books on every subject—science, literature, history, geography—and they were the most important means of spreading ideas all over the world.

Q2. Who tried to invade the Earth in the twenty-first century?

Answer:
The Martians from Mars, under the command of their boss Think-Tank, tried to invade the Earth in the twenty-first century.

Thinking About the Text

1. Noodle avoids offending Think-Tank but at the same time he corrects his mistakes. How does he manage to do that?

Answer: Noodle is wise and polite. He never corrects Think-Tank directly, because Think-Tank is proud and doesn’t like to be told he’s wrong.
Instead, Noodle uses respect and clever words to make Think-Tank believe that his (Noodle’s) ideas are actually Think-Tank’s own ideas.
This way, he helps Think-Tank understand things without hurting his ego or pride.

2. If you were in Noodle’s place, how would you handle Think-Tank’s mistakes?

Answer: If I were in Noodle’s place, I would also remain respectful and patient.
I would carefully explain the correct information in a polite and friendly way, so that Think-Tank does not feel insulted.
It’s better to guide people wisely than to argue or prove them wrong openly.

3. Do you think books are being replaced by the electronic media? Can we do away with books altogether?

Answer: Yes, books are being partly replaced by electronic media such as e-books, the internet, and online videos.
However, we cannot do away with books completely, because reading books gives a special joy, depth, and concentration that screens cannot.
Books are still valuable companions and help us think, imagine, and learn in a calm way.

4. Why are books referred to as a man’s best companion? Which is your favourite book and why? Write a paragraph about that book.

Answer: Books are called a man’s best companion because they never leave us alone. They teach, guide, and entertain us without expecting anything in return. Books help us grow wiser and keep our minds active.

My favourite book:
My favourite book is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.
It is full of fun, friendship, and adventure. I love the character of Tom, who is clever, mischievous, and brave. The story teaches us the value of honesty, courage, and creativity. Whenever I read it, I feel happy and learn something new.

Thinking About Language

1. In what ways does Think-Tank misinterpret innocent nursery rhymes as threats to the Martians? Can you think of any incidents where you misinterpreted a word or an action? How did you resolve the misunderstanding?

Answer: Think-Tank misinterprets simple nursery rhymes like “Hey Diddle Diddle” and “Humpty Dumpty” as dangerous plans made by the people of Earth.
He believes Earthlings are training animals to fly, breaking walls, and making powerful weapons.
These are only innocent children’s rhymes, but he takes them too seriously.

Once, I thought my friend was ignoring me, but later I found out she was just busy with her exams. I apologized, and we both laughed at the misunderstanding. It taught me not to jump to conclusions.

2. The aliens in this play speak English. Do you think this is their language? What could be the language of the aliens?

Answer: No, English cannot be the language of the aliens. It is used in the play so that the audience can understand what they are saying.
The aliens’ real language could be something completely different, with strange sounds, symbols, or signals that humans cannot understand—like beeps, vibrations, or light signals.

1. Great Think-Tank

Great Think-Tank is the ruler of Mars. He is a very proud and boastful person. He believes that he is the most intelligent being in the universe. He often gives orders to others and wants everyone to praise his brain. But in reality, he is not very smart — he only pretends to be wise.

When his team finds books on Earth, Think-Tank makes funny and wrong guesses about them. First, he thinks they are sandwiches, then communication devices, and finally something to watch with the eyes. His silly guesses make him look foolish and overconfident.

He becomes frightened when he misunderstands nursery rhymes and thinks that humans are planning to attack Mars. Out of fear, he orders his soldiers to return to Mars.

Though he is proud, Think-Tank’s character makes the story funny and entertaining. He teaches us that overconfidence and pride can make a person look foolish. Real intelligence is not about showing off — it’s about being open to learning.

2. Noodle

Noodle is Think-Tank’s assistant. He is intelligent, sensible, and humble. Unlike Think-Tank, Noodle never brags about his knowledge. He always thinks carefully before speaking and gives smart suggestions.

He respects Think-Tank and never corrects him rudely. Instead, he says, “I have a small suggestion, sir,” to make his ideas sound polite. This way, he corrects Think-Tank’s mistakes without making him angry.

Noodle is the real brain behind the success of the Martian team. He represents wisdom, patience, and respect. At the end, we learn that Noodle later becomes the ruler of Mars, showing that true intelligence always wins.

Noodle’s character teaches us that being kind, humble, and smart is better than being proud and loud.