CBSE Class 9 English Beehive Prose Chapter 1 The Fun They Had Summary
Introduction
This story is written by Isaac Asimov. It takes us to the future when computers will play a major role. Books and schools as we now know them now, will perhaps not exist then. The children will perhaps be taught by computers and robots in a virtual classroom.
Summary
The story begins with a diary entry dated 17 May, 2157 by Margie, an eleven-year-old girl. She wrote, ‘Today Tommy found a real book!’
Tommy was a thirteen year old boy who has found an old book in his attic. When they turned the yellow and crinkly pages of the book, they were surprised to read words which were static instead of moving words which they were habitual of seeing on the screens of their computers.
The book was about a school. Margie is skeptical, as according to her nothing can be written about schools. For her school was the room next to her bedroom where a robotic teacher taught her. She hated going in that room. Recently, her mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography and she had been doing worse and worse. The reason was that it was geared a little too high for an eleven year old. This made her hate the school more than ever. The County Inspector was sent for. He came and set the teacher at an average ten-year level.
But, Tommy tells her that this was the school that they had centuries ago, where children went and were taught through written books by humans.
As they were having this discussion, Margie’s mother called, “Margie! School!” Tommy went home with the book and Margie went into the school room. The mechanical teacher was on and waiting for her.
The screen was lit up and it said, “Today’s arithmetic lesson is on the addition of proper fractions. Please insert yesterday’s homework in the proper slot.” Margie did so with a sigh. However, she was thinking about the old schools. All the kids from the whole neighbourhood came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the schoolroom and going home together at the end of the day. They learned the same things, so they could help one another with the homework.
And the teachers were humans.
Margie was thinking about how the kids must have loved it in the old days. She was thinking about the fun they had.
Message
The author wants to convey the message that human interaction has it’s own importance and technology cannot replace old world charm.
CBSE Class 9 English Beehive Notes and Summary
Chapter List
Prose
Chapter 1: The Fun They Had Summary
Chapter 2: The Sound of Music Summary
Chapter 3: The Little Girl Summary
Chapter 4: A Truly Beautiful Mind Summary
Chapter 5: The Snake and the Mirror Summary
Chapter 6: My Childhood Summary
Chapter 7: Reach for the Top Summary
Chapter 8: Kathmandu Summary
Chapter 9: If I Were You Summary
The following chapters have been removed from the NCERT Class 9 English (Beehive) textbook 2023-24.
Packing Summary
The Bond of Love Summary
Poem
Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken Summary
Chapter 2: Wind Summary
Chapter 3: Rain on the Roof Summary
Chapter 4: The Lake Isle of Innisfree Summary
Chapter 5: A Legend of the Northland Summary
Chapter 6: No Men Are Foreign Summary
Chapter 7: On Killing a Tree Summary
Chapter 8: A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal Summary
The following chapters have been removed from the NCERT Class 9 English (Beehive) textbook 2023-24.
The Duck and the Kangaroo Summary
The Snake Trying Summary
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