1. Chapter Introduction
Hello students! As we gear up for the new 2026-27 academic session, let’s dive into our very first NCERT Class 9 English chapter: “The Fun They Had” by Isaac Asimov. Set in the distant future (the year 2157), this science fiction story explores a time when physical schools and printed books no longer exist. Education has become completely computerized, and students are taught individually by robotic teachers in their own homes. The chapter makes us appreciate the joy of human interaction, making friends, and the traditional schooling system that you all experience today!
2. Characters Detail
- Margie: An 11-year-old girl who is curious but absolutely hates her mechanical teacher and her computerized school. She writes about finding a “real book” in her diary.
- Tommy: Margie’s 13-year-old friend. He is the one who finds the old, dusty printed book in his attic and acts a bit superior because he knows more about the old schools.
- The Mechanical Teacher: A large, black, ugly robotic machine that teaches Margie. It gives her endless tests, especially in geography, and calculates marks in no time.
- The County Inspector: A round little man with a red face who is called in to repair the mechanical teacher when it starts malfunctioning. He is kind and gives Margie an apple.
3. Full Summary
The Discovery of a “Real” Book
The story begins on May 17, 2157. Margie writes in her diary that Tommy found a “real book.” Both children are amazed because they have only ever read “telebooks” on television screens. This real book is ancient, with crinkly, yellow pages. The most shocking thing for them is that the words on the pages stand still instead of moving across a screen!
Margie’s Hatred for School
Margie really hates school. For her, “school” isn’t a building with other kids; it’s a room right next to her bedroom where a mechanical teacher flashes lessons on a screen. Lately, she has been hating it even more because the machine has been giving her test after test in geography, and she has been performing terribly. Her mother, Mrs. Jones, gets worried and calls the County Inspector to check the machine.
The County Inspector’s Visit
The County Inspector is a friendly, round man. He opens up the mechanical teacher and discovers the problem: the geography sector was geared a little too fast for an 11-year-old. He slows it down to an average ten-year-old level and assures Margie’s mother that Margie’s overall progress is quite satisfactory. Margie is secretly disappointed; she was hoping he would take the machine away completely, just like they once took Tommy’s history teacher away for a month.
Learning About the Schools of the Past
Tommy tells Margie that the old book is about school. Margie is confused—why would anyone write about school? Tommy explains that centuries ago, school wasn’t a room at home. Kids from the whole neighborhood went to a special building. Most surprisingly, the teachers were actual human beings, not machines! The human teacher would tell the boys and girls things, give them homework, and ask them questions.
The Fun They Had
Margie is fascinated by the idea that all the kids of the same age learned the same things and could help each other with homework. As it’s time for her daily class, she goes to her schoolroom and sighs as she puts her punch-code homework into the slot. While the mechanical teacher starts a lesson on fractions, Margie’s mind wanders. She can’t stop thinking about the old schools and the sheer joy the children must have experienced studying and playing together. She is left thinking about “the fun they had.”
4. Multiple Choice Questions (10 MCQs)
Q1. Who is the author of the story “The Fun They Had”?
(a) Robert Frost | (b) Isaac Asimov | (c) Ruskin Bond | (d) Liam O’ Flaherty
Answer: (b) Isaac Asimov
Q2. What is the date mentioned in Margie’s diary?
(a) 17 May 2157 | (b) 18 April 2157 | (c) 17 May 2057 | (d) 19 June 2157
Answer: (a) 17 May 2157
Q3. How old is Margie?
(a) 10 years | (b) 11 years | (c) 12 years | (d) 13 years
Answer: (b) 11 years
Q4. What did Tommy find in the attic?
(a) A new computer | (b) A real, printed book | (c) A diary | (d) A mechanical toy
Answer: (b) A real, printed book
Q5. Which subject was Margie failing in?
(a) History | (b) Mathematics | (c) Geography | (d) Science
Answer: (c) Geography
Q6. Who fixed the mechanical teacher?
(a) Margie’s mother | (b) Tommy | (c) A human teacher | (d) The County Inspector
Answer: (d) The County Inspector
Q7. Why was Margie’s performance in geography poor?
(a) She was not studying | (b) The geography sector was geared too fast | (c) She hated the subject | (d) The screen was broken
Answer: (b) The geography sector was geared too fast
Q8. What was the most strange thing about the old book for the children?
(a) Its color | (b) The words stood still instead of moving | (c) It had pictures | (d) It was heavy
Answer: (b) The words stood still instead of moving
Q9. Where was Margie’s school located?
(a) In a separate building | (b) In the city center | (c) Right next to her bedroom | (d) In Tommy’s house
Answer: (c) Right next to her bedroom
Q10. According to Tommy, who taught the students in the old days?
(a) A robot | (b) A human man | (c) A computer program | (d) Their parents
Answer: (b) A human man
5. Short Answer Questions (30-40 Words)
Q1. What did Margie write in her diary?
Ans. On the night of 17 May 2157, Margie made an entry in her diary. She wrote, “Today Tommy found a real book!” This shows her excitement about discovering an actual printed book from the past.
Q2. Had Margie ever seen a book before?
Ans. No, Margie had never seen a real printed book before. She was born in the year 2157 and was accustomed to reading only “telebooks” that flashed on the screen of her mechanical teacher.
Q3. Why was Margie doing badly in geography? What did the County Inspector do to help her?
Ans. Margie was doing badly because the geography sector of her mechanical teacher was geared too quickly for an 11-year-old. The County Inspector slowed the machine’s speed down to an average ten-year-old level so she could cope with it.
Q4. What had once happened to Tommy’s teacher?
Ans. Once, Tommy’s mechanical teacher was taken away for nearly a month because its history sector had blanked out completely. Margie was hoping the same would happen to her machine so she could get a break from school.
Q5. Where was Margie’s school? Did she have any classmates?
Ans. Margie’s school was a room right next to her bedroom in her own house. She did not have any classmates because each child was taught individually at home by their own mechanical teacher.
6. Long Answer Questions (60-80 Words)
Q1. Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think the old kind of school must have been fun?
Ans. Margie hated school because it was a lonely, mechanical process. Her “school” was just a room next to her bedroom with an ugly machine that constantly gave her tests and required her to insert homework through a punch-code slot. She thought the old kind of school must have been fun because kids from the whole neighborhood came together, laughed, played, and learned the same things. They could help each other with homework and were taught by real human beings.
Q2. Compare the mechanical teacher of the year 2157 with the human teacher of the past.
Ans. The mechanical teacher is a black, ugly machine with a big screen that delivers lessons and calculates test marks instantly. It lacks emotions, flexibility, and the ability to understand a child’s mental state. In contrast, the human teacher of the past was a real person who taught in a special building. Human teachers could interact with students, understand their problems, answer their queries with empathy, and assign homework in a friendly, engaging manner.
Q3. Describe the old schools as described by Tommy to Margie.
Ans. Tommy explained that centuries ago, schools were entirely different from their home-based mechanical rooms. There was a special building where all the kids from the neighborhood gathered to study. Students of the same age group learned the same things together. They were taught not by machines, but by human teachers who explained concepts, asked questions, and gave homework. At the end of the day, all the children went back home together, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard.
Q4. Do you agree with Margie that schools today are more fun than the school in the story? Give reasons.
Ans. Yes, schools today are definitely more fun. The story highlights the negative aspects of a fully automated, isolated education system. Today’s schools provide a vital social environment where children make friends, learn teamwork, and develop social skills. Studying together allows students to help each other and share ideas. A human teacher offers emotional support, inspiration, and adaptability that a mechanical robot can never provide. Therefore, the human touch makes modern schooling a much richer and happier experience.
