The Book That Saved the Earth Summary in English by Claire Boiko
The Book That Saved the Earth Summary in English
This play is set for four centuries in the future. A historian tells the audience how the Martians invaded the Earth in twenty-first century and how a well known book of nursery rhymes called ‘Mother Goose’ saved the planet Earth from their attack.
Think-Tank is an arrogant fool ruling the planet Mars. He decided to invade the planet Earth. Think-Tank disclosed his plan to his apprentice Noodle and instructed him to collect information about the position of his crew on the Earth. There are three members in the crew—Captain Omega, Lieutenant Iota and Sergeant Oop. Noodle contacted Omega and informed Think-Tank that the crew was in the Centerville Public Library. The crew members had books in their hands and were trying to identify the objects. They were unable to identify them.
Think-Tank succeeded in establishing communication with them. He offered his wisdom to help them in identifying the objects. He guessed that the books were sandwiches the Earthlings loved to eat. He asked his captain to eat one of them. Then he guessed that the books were about some communication device used by the earthlings. Finally, on the advice of Noodle he ordered them to eat vitamins to increase their knowledge so that they might understand the coded language of the books. After eating the vitamins they started reading the rhymes written in the book ‘Mother Goose’. They laughed and enjoyed them but Think- Tank interpreted the rhymes in his own way. He concluded that the people on the Earth were more powerful and advanced than he was.
He got scared and instructed the crew to come back. He decided to evacuate the entire planet of Mars also. He migrated to Alpha Centauri, one hundred million miles away from the Mars. He was replaced by Noodle who developed friendly relationship with the people on the Earth. Thus, an old dusty book of nursery rhymes saved the world from the Martian invasion.
The Book That Saved the Earth Summary Questions and Answers
Question 1.
What does Noodle tell Think-Tank about the books?
Answer:
Noodle tells Think-Tank that books are like sandwiches. They are means of communication. These sandwiches are not for ear communication but for eye communication. The Earthlings do not listen to the sandwiches. They open them and watch them. Noodle reads out the nursery rhymes to Think- Tank from Mother Goose.
Question 2.
How did one old book of nursery rhymes save the world from a Martian invasion?
Answer:
The Martians under the leadership of Think-Tank decided to invade the Earth. They found an old book of nursery rhymes Mother Goose. Think-Tank interpreted the rhymes in his own way. He got frightened. He concluded that the people on the Earth were more powerful and advanced than he was. He called his crew members back. Hence, the old book of nursery rhymes saved the world from a Martian invasion.
Question 3.
What is Think-Tank’s opinion about the Earth?
Answer:
Think-Tank was the mighty captain of Mars Space Control. He did not have good opinion about the Earth and its people. He considered the Earth a ridiculous little planet. He thought that it was an insignificant place where ugly earthlings, with their tiny heads dwell.
Question 4.
How did Think-Tank interpret the rhymes of the book ‘Mother Goose’?
Answer:
Think-Tank was an arrogant fool ruling the planet Mars. After taking the vitamins they were able to read the rhymes in the book Mother Goose. He interpreted the rhymes in his own way. He concluded that the people on the Earth were more powerful and more advanced than he was.
Question 5.
How did the people on the Earth help the Martian people?
Answer:
After the departure of Think-Tank from the Mars, Noodle was elected as the ruler of the Mars. He was an intelligent and wonderful person. The earthlings resumed contact with the Martians. They became friends and taught the Martians how to read. The people on both the planets exchanged their views and values. They established a model library in the capital city of Marsopolis.
Question 6.
How does Think-Tank compare the Martians with the people on the Earth? What does he call the Earth mockingly?
Answer:
Think-Tank compares the Martians with the people on the Earth. He calls Martians more handsome race than that of the people on the Earth. He calls the Earth ‘a ridiculous little planet’ and ‘a primitive ball of mud’.
Question 7.
What ‘high levels of civilisation’ have earthlings reached, according to Think-Tank?
Answer:
According to Think-Tank, the people of the Earth have made advancement in all the fields of life. They have reached the ‘high levels of civilisation’. They have taught their domesticated animals musical culture and space techniques.
Question 8.
What was Oop’s opinion about the ‘sandwiches’ he had eaten?
Answer:
Oop found a book in the library. He thought it to be a sandwich. He was ordered to eat it. He found it absolutely tasteless and useless. He could not understand how such things could be eaten by the earthlings without water. They were as dry as Martian dust.
Question 9.
What did Noodle suggest about the book?
Answer:
Noodle was an intelligent person but he did not want to offend Think-Tank. He suggested that the book was not a sandwich, it was some device used for communication. Later on, he suggested that the team should eat vitamins to increase their intelligence so that they would read them.
Question 10.
Which book saved the Earth from Martian invasion and how?
Answer:
Mother Goose, a nursery rhymes book, saved the Earth from the Martian invasion. Think-Tank interpreted the rhymes in his own way. He got frightened and decided to vacate the planet.