X Class - Revision Notes (Footprints Without Feet)

Saturday, September 2, 2023 3:16 PM

SUPPLEMENTARY READER
(FOOTPRINTS WITHOUT FEET)

Chapter 01 - A TRIUMPH OF SURGERY by James Harriot

CHAPTER SKETCH:

The story recounts (narrates) the episode where the narrator, a Veterinary surgeon, saves the life
of a listless (dull) dog, Tricki, by hospitalizing him to prevent him from being overfed by its wealthy
owner, Mrs. Pumphrey, which was only worsening Tricki's health condition.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

JAMES HARRIOT - a Veterinary surgeon, who proves to be a capable doctor and a wise individual.
He is an animal lover and a caring guardian.

Mrs. PUMPHREY - a wealthy single woman who is alarmingly attached to her dog, Tricki. She is
very loving and caring but weak at heart and feeble at mind.

TRICKI - a lazy and fat dog who loves to eat food. The dog is very fond of its owner and knows not
how to refuse the extra offerings and when to stop eating. Tricki turns out to be energetic and
lively in the surgery of the Veterinary surgeon after recovering from his illness.

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS:

1. James Harriot stops his car and sees the poor health of Mrs. Pumphrey's dog, Tricki.
2. He advises Mrs. Pumphrey to put Tricki on a strict diet and make him exercise daily.
3. Mrs. Pumphrey continues to overfeed Tricki out of her pampering attitude, which worsens his
condition.
4. She calls James Harriot for help on noticing Tricki's deteriorating health.
5. James Harriot decides to hospitalise Tricki for a fortnight to treat him.
6. Tricki's hospitalisation leaves Mrs. Pumphrey and the helpers in the home in tears.
7. Tricki was kept on a strict diet in the hospital. He was asked to earn his food and his diet was
increased only after he showed positive signs of activeness and improvement.
8. Mrs. Pumphrey anxiousness about Tricki's health rises further when she learns from the doctor
that Tricki was 'convalescing'. She misunderstands the word and starts sending additional food
items, wine and brandy for Tricki. This was not required and so the Vet. and his partner merrily
consumed these additional items themselves.
9. Tricki transforms from a weak fat dog to a hard-muscled and agile one.
10. James Harriot calls Mrs. Pumphrey to come and take Tricki home.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS: (2 marks each)

1. Justify the title of the chapter "The Triumph of Surgery".

2. Do you think Tricki was enjoying his stay at the hospital? Explain.
3. What made James Harriot expect a frantic call from Mrs. Pumphrey?
 LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS: (6 marks each)

1. Pen down incidents in support of values one should inculcate from Mr. James Harriot.
2. Do you think parents like Mrs. Pumphrey exist? If yes, is it a good thing to pamper children? Why
or why not?

Chapter 02 - THE THIEF'S STORY by Ruskin Bond

CHAPTER SKETCH:

The Thief's Story is about a 15 year old boy, Hari Singh, whose life changes when he meets Anil, a
25 year old writer. Anil's unspoken words and kind gestures leaves a very positive impact on Hari
Singh's life.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

HARI SINGH - is a 15 year old fair-handed thief. He is so experienced a robber that he knows how
different people react when they are robbed. He is keen on learning how to read and write.

ANIL - is a 25 year old, tall and lean man. He earns his living by writing for magazines. He is kind,
simple and an easy going person.

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS:

• A small-time 15 year old thief, who calls himself Hari Singh, befriends a struggling writer, Anil.
Hari's purpose is to steal Anil's money.
• Anil is a good fellow who wants to help Hari Singh and teach him how to cook and read and write.
• Gradually, Anil develops trust in Hari Singh but Hari Singh has been waiting for the right moment
to make a killing by doing what he is best at and that is stealing.
• After stealing the money which Anil had earned by selling the manuscript of a book written by him
to a publisher, Hari Singh tries to run away forever.
• At the railway station, on a rainy night, some inner voice stops him from running away. He returns
to Anil because he realises that he wants to get educated and live a life of respect.
• Anil does not show that he knows about the theft and accepts Hari Singh with open arms.
• Thus, a well-intentioned person tries to reform a teenager who has strayed from the correct path.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS: (2 marks each)

1. What encouraged Hari Singh to make Anil his next prey?

2. What did Anil and Hari agree upon to be the mode of payment?
3. Did Hari like working for Anil? Give reasons in support of your answer.
4. Had Anil really forgiven Hari Singh? Support your answer with evidence.
5. In which queer way did Anil make a living?
6. How do different kind of people react when they are robbed?

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS: (6 marks each)

1. State the events and thoughts that took place on the night of the theft.
2. 'Money can't make a man as much as education can'. Elucidate the statement with reference to
the chapter "The Thief's Story".

Chapter 03 - THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR by Robert Arthur

 CHAPTER SKETCH:

Ausable, a secret agent, is expecting to get a very important report. Another secret agent, Max,
threatens him with a pistol, demanding the report. This story tells how Ausable outwits (deceives)
Max by making up a convincing story.

MAIN CHARARCTERS:

AUSABLE - a secret agent who does not look like one we see in movies but shows presence of
mind to outwit another secret agent.

FOWLER - a young and romantic writer who is looking for some excitement in the company of a
secret agent.

MAX - a rival secret agent who is fooled by Ausable and falls to death.

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS:

• Ausable is a smart secret agent who does not look like the one we are habituated to watch in
popular movies. Ausable is short and quite fat. Fowler, as a young writer, wants to write about life
of secret agents and hence is spending an evening with Ausable.
• When both of them return to Ausable's sixth floor hotel room, another secret agent named Max
was waiting for them with a gun so that he could take the important report on new missiles from
Ausable.
• To ensure the report's and their own safety, Ausable invents a story about anybody entering his
room easily through a balcony just below the window in his room. Actually, there isn't any
balcony.
• Suddenly, there's a knocking on the door and Ausable pretends that it is the local police who he
had called to protect that special report.
• When the knocking continues, Max decides to wait in the balcony (which he thought existed) until
the police went away. He steps out of the window and falls to his death.
• When the door is opened, a waiter comes in with drinks which Ausable had ordered to be
delivered in his room when he returned to the hotel.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS: (2 marks each)

1. Describe Ausable's reaction after entering his hotel room.

2. What was the story of the balcony that Ausable framed?
3. Why did Ausable frame the story of the balcony?
4. Why did Max's face turn black with anger? What did he want Ausable to do?
5. Who actually had knocked at the door of Ausable's hotel room and why?

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS: (6 marks)

1. A calm mind can help you tackle direst stress. Explain by giving your own analogy.

Chapter 04 - A QUESTION OF TRUST by Victor Canning

CHAPTER SKETCH:

Horace Danby collects rare books, and finances his hobby by breaking safes. This year, however, he
is caught by a pretty young lady claiming to be the wife of the house owner. She tricks him into
 opening the safe and handing her the jewels. Horace is later arrested for the jewel robbery.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

HORACE DANBY - is a lock-opening expert who is caught for a jewellery robbery. He trusts a
woman who pretends to be a family member of the house owner.

THE PRETTY WOMAN - a young, pretty and smart lady thief who uses Horace's lock-opening skills
to rob the jewellery from the safe.

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS:

• Horace Danby runs a business of making locks, has a good reputation in the society but is not
totally honest.
• His hobby is to collect rare and expensive books. He robs one safe every year to finance his costly
hobby.
• Horace had been studying the country house at Shotover Grange, whose owner normally lived in
London. Horace wants to burgle the jewellery, worth about 15000 pounds, lying in the safe in this
house.
• Horace enters the house when the servants are away but starts sneezing because he had an
allergy to flowers called hay fever.
• Suddenly, Horace hears a young lady's voice saying that she could cure his hay fever. He then sees
her appearing in the doorway.
• His first thought is to run but the lady tells him that she would call the police. Horace pleads her
to let him go and forget that she ever saw him.
• The lady agrees on one condition - Horace should open the safe for her as she has to wear the
jewels, kept in the safe, for a party the same night, but she had forgotten the combination to open
the safe.
• Horace trusts the lady's dictum and opens the safe for her and hands her the jewels to get his
freedom.
• After two days, Horace gets arrested for the jewel robbery at Shotover Grange. Horace's
fingerprints were found, as he had opened the safe without using his gloves.
• When Horace tells the police that the lady of the house had asked him to open the safe, no one
believes his story. This is because the actual lady was a 60 year old, gray haired, sharp-tongued
woman who called his story a nonsense.
• Horace is surprised to learn the bitter truth that the pretty young lady was also a jewel thief who
used his skills to steal the jewels.
• Horace is now assistant librarian in the prison. He understands now that the charming young lady
had simply tricked him by making him trust her being and her story.
• He gets very angry when anyone talks about 'honour among thieves'.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS: (2 marks each)

1. Whom did Horace Danby see in the kitchen? How did they greet each other? What tact did Horace
apply here?
2. How did Horace Danby planned his robberies?
3. What was the passion of Horace Danby and how did he satiate it?
4. Where did Horace falter in his meticulous planning about robbing jewels from Shotover Grange?
5. What did Horace Danby wonder about for a moment during his visit to Shotover Grange? What
did he think and decide?

LONG ANSWER QUESTION: (6 marks)

 1. Would you do something wrong (i.e. commit a crime) if you thought that the end justify the
means? Do you think there are certain situations you can be excused for acting dishonestly?

Chapter 05 - FOOTPRINTS WITHOUT FEET by HG Wells

CHAPTER SKETCH:

This story is about a scientist who discovers how to make himself invisible. As he was afraid of
being discovered and arrested in London, where he had committed some crimes, he runs away to a
remote village. However, he runs out of money and once again resorts to robbery to pay his rent by
misusing his advantage of being able to get invisible.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

GRIFFIN - the talented but eccentric scientist who has a brilliant mind to make himself invisible but
does not have patience to complete his discovery. In haste of success and money, he does not
hesitate to resort to criminal activities.

Mrs. HALL - a curious, resolute, materialistic and superstitious owner of the inn at Iping village
where Griffin stays.

Mr. JAFFERS - a dutiful policeman who fails to arrest the 'invisible scientist'.

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS:

• Two boys on a London street were surprised to see fresh muddy footprints of bare feet without
finding who was making them.
• These footprints had been made by Griffin, an eccentric scientist who had discovered how to
make his body transparent.
• To get away after he had burnt his landlord's house down, he had to remove his clothes so that he
became invisible.
• Griffin entered unseen into a big store to get warm. When the store closed at night, he put on new
clothes, consumed meat and coffee from the restaurant and went to sleep on a pile of quilts.
• He overslept and was seen by the shop assistants in the morning and had to again take off his
clothes to escape from them.
• Then he entered a theatrical company, and wore bandages on his face, dark glasses, a false nose
and bushy side-whiskers. He robbed the shopkeeper of his money and escaped to Iping village to
avoid being caught.
• He rented two rooms at an inn in the village. He explained to Mrs. Hall, its owner, that he had an
accident and did not want to be disturbed. Soon, his advance payment and money finished and he
robbed a clergyman's house by using his invisibility.
• The same day, when Mrs. Hall entered his room, she and her husband were 'attacked' by the
furniture. This made Mrs. Hall think that the furniture was haunted by foul spirits.
• When the clergyman reported the burglary to the police, Griffin was suspected of having a hand in
it because of the payments he made immediately after the burglary. So, the village constable, Mr.
Jaffers came to arrest him on suspicion.
• Meanwhile, Mrs. Hall asked Griffin to explain all the unusual happenings. Griffin lost his temper
and took off all the clothes (thus becoming invisible), knocked Jaffers unconscious and ran away.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS; (2 marks each)

1. Why did Griffin decide to slip into a big London store?

2. What did Griffin do in the shop of a theatrical company?
 3. How did the visible man become invisible in the village? what did he do then?

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS: (6 marks)

1. What impression do you form of Griffin after reading the chapter, "Footprints Without Feet"?
2. If somehow you discovered how to become invisible, how would you use that opportunity?

Chapter 6 - THE MAKING OF A SCIENTIST by Robert W Peterson

CHAPTER SKETCH:

The story The Making of a Scientist’ is written by Robert W Peterson. It is about the great scientist
Richard H Ebright. He had a habit of collecting butterflies, rock fossils and coins since he was a kid.
He started scientific research on the study of butterflies. His curiosity and a will to win for the right
reasons made him successful.

About the Characters

• Richard H Ebright He is a brilliant scientist. He is noted for’ his work on cell and reading
of DNA.
• Richard’s Mother She is an encouraging mother who supported Richard in every way.
• Dr. Frederick A. Urquhart He is a prominent scientist. He did his research on monarch
butterflies. He provided valuable guidance to Richard for his projects.
• Richard A. Weiherer He is Richard’s social studies teacher. He helped Richard become a
good debater and a public speaker.
• James R. Wong He.is a fellow scholar who worked with him on a project.

Chapter Highlights

1. Richard’s article on how cells work published in a science journal at the age of twenty-two.
2. Richard was a single child and didn’t have friends to play with. So, he became interested in
collecting butterflies and various other items.
3. His mother bought him all the equipment he needed. She guided him and helped him to
learn.
4. He read a book ‘The Travels to Monarch X’ which created a love for science in him.
5. He raised thousands of monarch butterflies at home over a few years. He tagged them as
they grew and freed them to study their migration.
6. Richard put up a slide of frogs at the County science fair but did not win any award.
7. His defeat inspired him to experiment. He took help from Dr Urquhart to work on various
projects.
8. He won many awards at the County and International science fairs in subsequent years.
9. His work on viceroy butterflies got him the first position award in a fair.
10. Richard discovered a hormone necessary for the growth of, monarch butterfly.
11. He worked at the Army laboratory and the US Department of Agriculture laboratory.
12. Richard spent a year at Harvard as a freshman before going back to the laboratory to
discover the chemical structure of the hormone responsible for the gold spots on the
monarch pupa.
13. His findings motivated him to study cells and how they read their DNA.
14. His theory may help to prevent many kinds of cancers and other diseases.
15. He graduated from Harvard with second position among 1510 students.
16. His other interests include debating, public speakingand photography. ‘
 17. Richard’s social studies teacher praises him for his excellent mind, curiosity and a will to
win – the essential qualities of a scientist.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:

1. What lesson does Ebright learn when he does not win anything at a science fair?
2. What rare achievement did Richard Ebright manage to achieve at the age of twenty-two?
3. Which project did richard undertake in the eighth grade?
4. Mention any two of Ebright's contributions to the world of science.
5. What were the factors that contributed in making Ebright a scientist?

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS:

1. Discuss the role of Ebright's mother in making him a scientist.

2. Richard Ebright displays a well-rounded personality. Comment.

Chapter 7 - THE NECKLACE by Guy De Maupassant

CHAPTER SKETCH:

‘The Necklace’ is a story of a middle class lady named Matilda. She was born in a clerk family
and was married to a clerk named M Loisel. Matilda was a very pretty young lady but she
was dissatisfied with the poverty of her family. She wanted to have the luxuries in her life.
She hated her own humble surroundings and spent her time dreaming about a fancy and
luxurious life.

She borrowed a necklace from her friend, Mme Forestier and lost it in the ball (party). She
decided to replace it by a necklace that looked similar to it. It is costed her a fortune and
they had to live in a miserable condition to repay the loan they took to buy it. It is a tale of
how her desire to have more, lead to her ruin.

About the Characters

• Matilda Loisel She is a pretty young woman who is married to a i clerk. She is
dissatisfied with what she has. She is always lost in her dreams of wealth and
pleasure.
• M Loisel He is the husband of Matilda and is an ordinary clerk. He lives within his
means. He always tries to please his wife as he is a caring man.
• Madam Forestier She is a good friend of Matilda. She is helpful and considerate. She
lends Matilda a necklace that leads to her ruin.

Chapter Highlights

1. Matilda, an ordinary woman, unhappy with her monotonous simple life, dreams of grandeur
all the time.
2. M. Loisel, Matilda’s husband, is satisfied with what he has. He is also happy being a clerk.
3. Loisels get invited to a ball at the Minister of Public Instruction’s place.
4. Loisel thinks that his wife would be happy to know about the invitation to the ball.
5. Matilda is displeased and refused to go as she does not have a dress to wear to the ball.
6. Her husband offers to buy her a dress for four hundred francs.
 7. Matilda buy a good dress but is still unhappy as she has no jewell to complement the
beautiful dress.
8. Her husband suggests to borrow jewels from her friend, Mme Forestier.
9. Mme Forestier lends Matilda a diamond necklace.
10. Matilda becomes a celebrity at the ball party as everyone admires her beauty.
11. Unfortunately, the couple discovers the necklace is lost as they reach home.
12. M Loisel contacts the police, cab offices, advertises to award the finder of the necklace but
to no avail. They decide to buy a new necklace to replace it.
13. M Loisel collects 18000 francs and they borrow eighteen thousand more to pay for the
necklace.
14. The couple spend ten years to pay back the debt, working day and night and suffering from
dire poverty.
15. Ten years of poverty and misery render them old and weary.
16. M Loisel meets Mme Forestier one day and narrates the story of the necklace.
17. Mme Forestier informs her the necklace was worth just five hundred Francs

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:

1. Describe Mme Liosel's success at the ball.

2. How did Mme Liosel came to know about the life of necessity?
3. Why did Jeanne not recognise her friend?
4. Why did Matilda leave the ball in a hurry? What does it show about her character?

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS:

1. What similarities or differences do you observe in the dreamy worlds of Matilda and
Amanda?
2. Mme Liosel's disposition invites her doom. Comment.
3. Mme Forrestier proved to be a true friend. Justify.

Chapter 8 - THE HACK DRIVER by Sinclair Lewis

CHAPTER SKETCH:

The story The Hack Driver’ by Sinclair Lewis, is about a man whose name was Oliver Lutkins. He
was a cunning man who was a witness in a case, but he ignored all the requests for appearing. A
young lawyer was given the duty to find this man in New Mullion. There he meets a helpful and
cheerful hack driver. The driver takes him around the village in search of Lutkins but is unable to
find him.
Later on the lawyer came to know that the hack (cart) driver was Oliver Lutkins himself. The young
lawyer becomes the laughing stock of all.

About the Characters

• Narrator : A young lawyer who is gullible. The hack driver makes a fool out of him.
• Oliver Lutkins : A dishonest man who tricks others and receives summons from the court. He is a
great story teller. He takes up the name of Bill Magnuson to fool the lawyer.

Chapter Highlights

1. The narrator completed his graduation in law and joined a big firm as a junior assistant clerk.
 2. He was given the dirty and dangerous job of serving summons.
3. He gets an opportunity to go to a village to serve summons.
4. A helpful hack driver at the station offers to take him in his cart and find Lutkins.
5. The driver takes him to all the places where Lutkins could be found but fails to locate him.
6. He shows him the village and describes the country life.
7. They do not find Lutkins but, the lawyer is very happy to find such a friendly and helpful
man.
8. They visit Lutkin’s home and meet his mother who frightens them away.
9. The Lawyer ends up paying for six hours to the hack driver.
10. He returns to the city. His chief is angry at his failure to find Lutkins.
11. The chief sends the lawyer back the next day with a man who knows Lutkins.
12. The lawyer shows him the helpful hack driver.
13. His companion tells him that the hack driver was Oliver Lutkins.
14. The lawyer feels embarrassed and unhappy when he serves summons to a laughing Oliver
Lutkins.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:

1. What made the narrator think that his work is unpleasant?

2. Why does the hack driver offer to ask about Oliver Lutkins?
3. What did the hack driver tell the narrator about Lutkin's mother?
4. What impressed the narrator most about Bill?
5. "But he was no more dishonest than I." explain.

LONG ANSWER QUESTION:

1. Both the naïve narrator in 'The Hack Driver' and the experienced Horace Danby in 'A
Question of trust' were befooled by strangers. What made them look foolish? What
precautions should they have taken to avoid such a situation?

Chapter 9 - BHOLI by KA Abbas

CHAPTER SKETCH:

‘Bholi’ is the story of Sulekha. She is a young girl neglected by all. Education transforms her. It
inspires courage and confidence in her. She raises her voice for her rights.

About the Characters

• Bholi: Her real name is Sulekha and she is Numberdar Ramlal’s youngest daughter. School
education changes her outlook towards life.
• Ramlal (Bholi’s father) : He is a prosperous father of seven children who has a narrow
mindset. For him, daughters are born for marriage only.
• Bholi’s mother : She is a typical conservative mother. She does not take proper care of
Bholi.
• Bholi’s schoolteacher : She educates Bholi and encourages her.
• Bishamber : Bholi’s prospective husband who is a greedy man and a dowry-seeker.

Chapter Highlights
 1. Bholi, the fourth daughter of Numberdar Ramlal in a village, was a simple and pock-marked
girl. Her real name was Sulekha.
2. At ten months she fell off her cot, damaging her brain and making her a simpleton.
3. At two years she was a victim of small pox, which left her pock-marked.
4. She learnt to talk at five years, but used to stammer.
5. When a primary school was opened in the village, the Tehsildar told Ramlal to send his
daughters to school.
6. Though Ramlal’s wife felt that sending daughters to school affected their chances of
marriage, Bholi’s parents decided to send Bholi to school because they felt she would be
difficult to get married anyway as she is ugly.
7. Bholi was initially afraid of going to school, but due to the encouragement of her teacher,
she continued her studies.
8. After a few years the village became a small town and Bholi received an offer of marriage
from a widower who was lame but rich. He also did not ask for any dowry.
9. At the time of the wedding, the bridegroom saw Bholi’s pock-marked face and demanded ?
5000 as dowry, which Ramlal gave.
10. Bholi refused tp marry the greedy widower. She later on said that she will take care of her
parents and teach in the same school where she got her education.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:

1. Why did Sulekha start stammering?

2. Does Bholi find her teacher different from the people at home?
3. What filled Bholi with a new hope?
4. What objections does Ramlal have to Bishamber's proposal?
5. What kind of a mother was Ramlal's wife?
6. Why did Bholi's parents accept Bishamber's marriage proposal?

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS:

1. Explain the role of education in shaping the life of a child with respect to the lesson 'Bholi'.
2. Contrast the character of Bholi's mother with that of the hack driver's mother.
3. Hari Singh is the thief in 'The Thief's Story' while Sulekha is euphemistically called 'Bholi', the
simpleton. What should be done to help such children face the world bravely?

Chapter 10 - THE BOOK THAT SAVED THE EARTH by Claire Boiko

CHAPTER SKETCH:

The Book That Saved the Earth states how Mother Goose, which is a well-known English
nursery rhyme book, saves Planet Earth from a Martian invasion. It teaches students that a person
who thinks greatly of himself but has little knowledge can be dangerous.
The book that saved the earth is a story that revolves around a book of nursery rhyme titled 'The
Mother Goose’ that has been picturised as the book that saved the earth from an alien attack. The
story begins with a historian that describes to the audience that how one day in the twentieth
century Martians planned to attack the earth. A crew of their lands in a library on earth; they try
to find out the meaning of the content of the books which they mistook as a sandwich. There they
come across a rhyme on Humpty dumpty which resembles their master Think tank. They all get
terrified with the idea of their master’s losing control over Mars because of humans and cancel
their plan of invading earth.
The central idea of the play “The Book that Saved the Earth” is that
 incomplete information is always hazardous. It also describes how the world
was saved from a Martian invasion by an old book of rhymes called “Mother Goose.” The play
takes place in the year 2550. However, Historian activates the hysteroscope and transports us five
centuries, to the twentieth century. The personnel of Marks Central Control are in a powerful
Think-Tank at the start of the play.

About the Characters

• Historian : He is a member of the Museum of Ancient History and the Department of the
Twentieth Century.
• Think-Tank : He is the Commander-in-Chief of the Martian forces and prepares to invade
Earth.
• Noodle : He is an trainee under Think-Tank. He is a sensible and level headed figure.
• Captain Omega, Lieutenant lota, Sergeant Oop : They are the crew of probe one. They are
sent to Earth to know about Earth before invading it.

Chapter Highlights

1. The Historian welcomes visitors to the Museum of Ancient History in the twenty-fifth
century.
2. She informs them how a book saved the Earth from a Martian invasion in 2040.
3. In 2040, the ruler of Mars orders the invasion of Earth.
4. Think-Tank, the ruler, sends a probe to Earth.
5. The probe team reaches a library but are puzzled to see books. They make guesses. One of
them calls them hats.
6. Think-Tank very proudly calls them sandwiches and orders his crew to eat them.
7. The trainee under Think-Tank, Noodle, points out that they may be used for communication.
8. Think-Tank orders them to listen to the communication devices (books).
9. When they can’t hear anything, Noodle says that Earthlings watch them.
10. Think-Tank asks his crew to watch them. But they cannot understand the pictures or the
lines of writing.
11. They are ordered to eat vitamins that were given to them and decode the lines of writing.
12. After consuming vitamins, the crew is able to read nursery rhymes and words like ‘shell,
silver, dog-laughing, cow-jumped over the moon’ etc.
13. Think-Tank assumes that earthlings were a very advanced civilisation.
14. Think-Tank is further terrified when he sees the picture of Humpty Dumpty. He assumes that
earthlings were planning to capture him by invading Mars.
15. He orders the Martian fleet to evacuate Mars and he decides to flee to the stars Alpha
Centauri to escape from earthlings.
16. In the twenty fifth century, the Historian says that people of Earth and Martians are friends.
Earthlings have established a library in the Martian capital of Marsopolis.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:

1. Why was the twentieth century called the ‘era of books’ ?

2. Why do the space crew take vitamins?
3. What is the reason for Think-Tank to think that Earthlings are after him?
4. What is Think-Tank's interpretation of words like 'shells', 'silver bells' and 'garden' from the
nursery rhyme? What is its impact?
5. How did a book change Think-Tank's opinion about the Earthlings?

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS:

1. Compare and contrast the characters of 'Noodle' and 'Think-Tank'.
2. Misunderstanding of cultural differences between various races can cause confusion and
conflict. Based on your reading of the play, 'The Book That Saved The Earth', write how such
confusion and conflicts can be checked so that peace and harmony is maintained?