NCERT Class 10 English The Book That Saved the Earth

The Book That Saved the Earth

SCENE 1

READ AND FIND OUT

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

• Who tried to invade the earth in the twenty-first century?

TIME               : The twenty-fifth century

PLACE            : The Museum of Ancient History: Department of the Twentieth Century on the Planet Earth

BEFORE RISE : Spotlight shines on Historian, who is sitting at a table down right, on which is a movie projector. A sign on an easel beside her reads: Museum of Ancient History: Department of the Twentieth Century. She stands and bows to audience.

HISTORIAN     : Good afternoon. Welcome to our Museum of Ancient History, and to my department — curiosities of the good old, far-off twentieth century. The twentieth century was often called the Era of the Book. 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. But the strangest thing a book ever did was to save the Earth.

You haven’t heard about the Martian invasion of 2040? Tsk, tsk. What do they teach children nowadays? Well, you know, the invasion never really happened, because a single book stopped it. What was the book, you ask? A noble encyclopedia? A tome about rockets and missiles? A secret file from outer space? No, it was none of those. It was — but here, let me turn on the historiscope and show you what happened many centuries ago, in 2040. (She turns on projector, and points it left. Spotlight on Historian goes out, and comes up down left on Think-Tank, who is seated on a raised box, arms folded. He has a huge, egg-shaped head, and he wears a long robe decorated with stars and circles. Apprentice Noodle stands beside him at an elaborate switchboard. A sign on an easel reads:

MARS SPACE CONTROL

GREAT AND MIGHTY THINK-TANK, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

Bow low before entering).

NOODLE       : (bowing) O Great and Mighty Think-Tank, most powerful and intelligent creature in the whole universe, what are your orders? 

THINK-TANK  : (peevishly) You left out part of my salutation, Apprentice Noodle. Go over the whole thing again.

NOODLE      : It shall be done, sir. (in a singsong) O Great and Mighty  Think-Tank, Ruler of Mars and her two moons, most powerful and intelligent creature in the whole universe — (out of breath) what-are-your-          orders?

THINK-TANK  : That’s better, Noodle. I wish to be placed in communication with our manned space probe to that ridiculous little planet we are going to put under our generous rulership. What do they call it, again? NOODLE : Earth, your Intelligence.

THINK-TANK  : Earth — of course. You see how insignificant the place is? But first, something important. My mirror. I wish to consult my mirror.

Think about it

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

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

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

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.

Please refer to attached file for NCERT Class 10 English The Book That Saved the Earth