The Book that Saved the Earth Important Questions Class 10 Footprints without Feet English
Very Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1. What did Think-Tank ask Omega to do with the book?
Answer
Think-Tank thought that it was a sandwich. He said that there were two slices of what was called bread with some sort of filling. He asked Omega to eat the book.
Question 2. Who is Think-Tank? How did Noodle address him?
Answer
Think-Tank is the ruler of Mars. Noodle addressed him, “O Great and Mighty Think-Tank, Ruler of Mars and her two moons, most powerful and intelligent creature in the whole universe.
Question 3. What did Think-Tank intend to do?
Answer
Think-Tank intended to invade the earth. He wanted to control the earth and put it under his rulership.
Question 4. Who tried to invade the earth in the twenty-first century?
Answer
The Martians tried to invade the earth in the twenty-first century.
Question 5. What guesses are made by Think-Tank about the books found on earth?
Answer
Think-Tank’s guess about the books found on earth is that they are some devices meant for communication.
Question 6. How did the children’s book transform his life?
Answer
The children’s book transformed his life as he had to leave his kin and evacuate the entire planet. He had to go to Alpha Centauri, a hundred million miles away to save his life.
Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1. What is the time and place of the story at the beginning?
Answer
This is a science fantasy. This imaginary story is set in the twenty-fifth century. The place is the Museum of Ancient History. Department of the Twentieth Century. There is a historian sitting at a table. There is a movie projector on the table.
Question 2. Who was Omega? Why did he try to oat the book?
Answer
Omega was the captain of the space control Probe One, on Earth. Think-Tank asked him to pick up the most colourful sandwich (book) and report him about his observation on it.
Question 3. Why did Think-Tank send his crew on the earth?
Answer
Think-Tank, the ruler of Mars regarded the Earth as a mass of mud, and Earthlings as ugly, tiny-headed creatures. He planned to invade Earth and expand his domain. He sent Probe One to Earth to get more information about the Earthlings.
Question 4. What was Oop’s opinion about the ‘sandwiches’ he had eaten?
Answer
Oop was forced to eat ‘sandwiches’ and he made terrible faces while chewing. He said that it was not delicious; rather as dry as Martian dust. He remarked that he could not understand how the Earthlings could get those ‘sandwiches’ down without water.
Question 5. What does Think-Tank, first of all, guess about the books? Why does he order to eat them?
Answer
Think-Tank views a book closely. He declares that the item (book) is called a sandwich. He tells them that sandwiches are the main staple diet of the people of the Earth. There are two slices of bread and between them is some sort of filling. He asks Omega to eat a sandwich to confirm his opinion.
Question 6. When was the contact resumed with Mars? What did the Earthlings teach the Martians?
Answer
In the twenty-fifth century, they resumed contact with Mars. They became friends. Think-Tank was replaced by Noodles. They taught the Martians the difference between books and sandwiches. They established a model library on Mars.
Question 7. What was Noodle’s version to describe the so-called ‘sandwich’?
Answer
Noodle hesitantly told Think-Tank that he had ‘insignificant’ information about those ‘sandwiches’. He informed him that he had seen surveyor films of those sandwiches. He had noticed that the Earthlings did not eat them. They used them as some sort of communication devices.
Question 8. What happens when the Historian turns on the hysteroscopy?
Answer
As the Historian turn on the hysteroscope, suddenly, the scene changes from the present twenty-fifth century to many centuries ago in 2040. Spotlight on Historian goes out. Think-Tank appears. He is seated on a raised box, arms folded. He has a huge, egg-shaped head. He wears a long robe decorated with stars and circles. Apprentice Noodles stands beside him.
Question 9. How Does Think-Tank compare the Martians with the people on Earth? What does he call the Earth mockingly?
Answer
Think-Tank considers earth ‘ a ridiculous little planet’s ariel intends to put it under his generous rulership. He feels the earth is actually an unimportant place where ugly earthlings, with their tiny heads, reside. He believes the Martians to be a superior race. He mockingly calls the earth ‘Primitive ball of mud’.
Question 10. What different guesses were made by the Martians about what books are?
Answer
In the process of Martian invasion on earth, they landed in a library. They took the books as sandwiches and tried to understand the meaning of the code. And for that, they had to take vitamins given by the chemical department. They thought it would increase their intelligence.
Question 11. What guesses are made by Think-Tank about the books found on Earth?
Answer
Think Tank first of all announced that the books found on the Earth were sandwiches and to confirm it he forced Oop to eat them. Later on Noodle shared his observation and he declared that he was about to say the same thing. Now he announced that those books were a sort of communication devices.
Question 12. Who is shown when the projector starts?
Answer
The projector shows the Mas Space Control room. We see Think-Tank who is the Commander-in-Chief. He has a huge, egg-shaped head. He wears a long robe decorated with stars and circles. His deputy, Noodles stands beside him at a switchboard.
Question 13. How does Think-Tank describe the people on Earth? Why does he command Noodles to contact the Space probe?
Answer
Think-Tank thought Earthlings were weak, ignorant, uncivilized persons and hence planned to invade Earth. He sent his commander Noodles to make contact with the crew of the manned space probe, now on Earth to seek more information about the Earth.
Question 14. How did the book change Think-Tank’s opinion about the Earthlings?
Answer
Think-Tank used to believe that the Martian was a superior race to the Earthlings. But after cracking the so-called code of an old nursery rhyme book, he changed his view about the Earthlings. He now thought that the Earthlings has reached a high level of civilization and planning to invade the Mars. It made him call off his mission.
Question 15. What was the book about? How did Think-Tank interpret the rhymes?
Answer
They were reading the rhymes book named Mother Goose. When captain Omega and her team were reading and enjoying the rhymes, Think-Tank interpreted them in a different way. He concluded that he was being attacked. He at once asked his people to come back. He decided to evacuate the entire planet of Mars.
Question 16. How does Think-Tank compare the Earth and Earthlings, with Mars and Martians?
Answer
Think-Tank’s comments on the Earth and the Earthlings are very sarcastic, ridiculous and insulting. He considers Martians a handsome race. They are much more attractive than those ugly Earthlings with their tiny heads. He calls the Earth as a primitive ball of mud. He even threatens to invade it.
Question 17. Why was the twentieth century called the ‘Era of the Book’?
Answer
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, when to, where to, and why to. They illustrated, educated, punctuated, and even decorated.
Question 18. Why does Think-Tank declare that these sandwiches are not for ear communication but for eye communication?
Answer
They don’t hear any sound coming from the sandwiches. Noodles say that a cloudy piece of information is twirling around in his head. Think-Tank asks to twirl it out. Noodles clarify that the Earthlings don’t listen to the sandwiches but open and watches them. Think-Tank finds it correct and declares that those sandwiches are not for ear-communication but they are for eye communication.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1. Justify the title of the play ‘The Book that Saved the Earth’.
Answer
A good title should reflect the theme, idea or the traits of a character. It should revolve around any of the above. The story or the play should be woven around any one of them.
In the play, ‘The Book that Saved The Earth’, a book of nursery rhymes of ‘Mother Goose’ is responsible for stopping the Martian invasion of Earth. Think-Tank, the ruler of Mars plans to invade Earth before lunch and sends Probe One to get more information about the Earthlings. They enter a library but can’t figure out what items books are. They take vitamins, increase their intelligence then read the rhymes from ‘Mother Goose’. Think-Tank misinterprets the rhymes, takes them as threats to him and Mars. Scared, he calls back Probe One, drops the idea of invading and escapes with his subjects to Alpha Centauri, a hundred million miles away from Mars.
Thus, the book ‘Mother Goose’ was responsible for stopping the Martian invasion of Earth. The title The Book That Saved the Earth’, reflects the theme of the play, so it is an appropriate title.
Question 2. Who tried to invade the earth in the twenty first century and what saved it?
Answer
The Martians sent a mission to invade the earth. The crew landed in a library and could not make out what the books actually were. It was believed that the books were a sort of communication device. Think-Tank asked the members to decipher the code of the ‘sandwiches’. The nursery rhymes were totally misinterpreted and it was believed that the Earthlings had developed an advance civilization and mission was called off and the Martians escaped to a remote place to save their lives. Thus the books saved the Earth.
Question 3. What does Historian say about the importance of books in the twentieth century? Why does he point out that particular dusty old rhymes saved the world from a Martian invasion?
Answer
Historian terms the twentieth century as the Era of the Book. It was the period when all kinds of books were published. There were books almost on all subjects. And each subject had many books. One could find books from anteaters to Zulus. Books taught people how to, and when to, and where to, and why. They illustrated, punctuated, and even decorated. But the strangest thing a book ever did was to save the Earth. The invasion never really happened.
A single book-`Mother Goose’ saved the Earth. Just one dusty old book of nursery rhymes changed the very course of the world. It happened in 2040. The invasion of the Earth was saved because the Martian Commander-in-Chief misinterpreted the rhyme “Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.” He misinterpreted that the Earthlings wanted to capture Mars Central Control and him. He ordered the invasion fleet to evacuate the entire planet of Mars. He prepared to escape at once in a space capsule.
Question 4. How do the three nursery rhymes frighten Think-Tank in the play, ‘The Book That Saved the Earth’?
Answer
The rhyme ‘Mistress Mary, quite contrary makes Think-Tank believe that the Earthlings have discovered how to combine agriculture and mining. He thinks that they can grow explosives. The rhyme ‘Hey diddle diddle’, makes him conclude that the Earthlings have reached a high level of civilization: even their animals have musical culture and know space techniques.
He fears that at that very moment, the Earthlings might be launching an interplanetary attack of millions of cows. Oop reads the rhyme. ‘Humpty Dumpty’ and shows him a picture of Humpty Dumpty. Think-Tank concludes that it is his picture and the Earthlings are planning to invade Mars.
Question 5. Attempt a character-sketch of Noodles highlighting the values projected by him.
Answer
Noodles are one of the crew members of the invasion team that came to invade earth. He is known as Apprentice Noodles. He is the co-coordinator between Think-Tank and the invasion team. He echoes Think-Tank in every manner. He is a very clever creature. He knows that Think-Tank being commander-in-chief has to be obeyed. So he keeps on praising Think-Tank and also passing sarcastic remarks. It is only Noodles who think practically and differently about the books which were considered as sandwiches to eat. But Think-Tank took over the idea as his own. But Noodles is not sad at all. He is a blind and true follower of Think-Tank.
Question 6. Why are books referred to as a man’s best companion? Which is your favorite book and why? Write a paragraph about that book.
Answer
Books are known to be as man’s best companion. They can make us mentally strong, improve our vocabulary and enhance the horizon of our knowledge. Books can be our guide and best friend. I love to read books, especially the ones that have children as their main characters and the story highlights their psychology and how innocent the children could be.
One such book in Malgudi Days written by a very renowned author R K Narayan. I love this book because the story revolves around the children. The way child’s psychology has been depicted in this book is what gives me pleasure while reading this book.
Question 7. Who is Think-Tank? Why has he sent a manned spacecraft to Earth?
Answer
Think-Tank is the Commander-in-Chief of the Mars Space Control Room. He has a huge, egg-shaped head. He wears a long robe decorated with stars and circles. His deputy, Noodles stands beside him at a switchboard. Think-Tank has already sent a manned spacecraft to the Earth. Their purpose is to collect information about the earth’s defense system and send it back to the other spacecraft from Mars who are ready to attack the earth before lunch. The incident described in the story is about the Martian invasion of 2040. In fact, the invasion never took place. A single book stopped it. It was a book of nursery rhymes. Then the historian shows the audience the happenings that actually took place. These have been recorded in a film. She turns on the projector. It shows the Mars Space Control room. We see Think-Tank who is the commander-in-chief.
Question 8. 'Pride has a fall’. Justify this statement giving relevant points from how Think-Tank reacted to the readings from Mother Goose.
Answer
Martians invaded the earth and reached in a library. Think-Tank was their boss. He was very proud of his wisdom, as he was having a big balloon-like head. He thought that he was the wisest person on Mars. Nobody could disobey him, or even dare to speak against him. He claimed that he had a quick mind. He had no respect for anyone and regarded other views as trifling. He was also fickle-minded.
He misinterpreted the rhymes in a complete verbal manner. The rhyme mistress Mar made him ponder over the discovery of the earth. From the poem diddle-diddle he was more alarmed and from the poem Humpty-Dumpty, he was so frightened that he decided to leave his kingdom and run away to Alpha Centauri. Thus his great wisdom was defeated and had a great fall.
Question 9. Why does Think-Tank decide to run away from Mars? What does the historian say after she has narrated the incident?
Answer
Oop reads the nursery rhyme ‘Humpty Dumpty … again’. He shows the picture of Humpty Dumpty also. The picture resembles Think-Tank. He is scared. He says that the Earthlings have seen him. They are planning to capture Mars Central Control and him. He decides to run away from Mars. He orders Noodles to prepare a space capsule for him. He must escape without delay. Noodles ask Think-Tank where they shall go. Think-Tank replies they will go to the planet Alpha-Centauri, a hundred million miles away. After narrating the incident to his audience, the historian says that one old book of nursery rhymes saved the earth from a Martian invasion. Then in the twenty-fifth century, they resumed contact with Mars. They became friends. They taught the Martians the difference between books and sandwiches. They established a model library on Mars.