PART 2
Fantastic Tales
The Literature You'll Read
Rod Serling The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street drama 415
Isaac Asimov Key Item short story 432
Joan Aiken The Serial Garden short story 438
Lewis Carroll Jabberwocky poetry 458
Shel Silverstein Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not poetry 458
Take the Garbage Out
Louis L'Amour The Eternal Frontier persuasive essay 463
The Boston Globe Four Decades in Space newspaper article 470
RAY BRADBURY AUTHOR STUDY
Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed short story 478
The Golden Kite, the Silver Wind short story 492
An Interview with Ray Bradbury interview 500
The Concepts You'll Study
Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension
Vocabulary Focus: Learning and Remembering New Words
Author's Purpose
Predicting
Clarifying
Evaluating
Visualizing
Connecting with Other Stories
Writing and Language Conventions
Writing Workshop: Short Story
Participles
Placement of Adverbs
Precise Adverbs
Essential and Nonessential Modifiers
Literary Analysis
Genre Focus: Science Fiction and Fantasy
Teleplay
Science Fiction
Fantasy
Sound Devices
Persuasive Essay
Circular Plot Structure
Theme
Speaking and Listening
Stage a Teleplay
Imaginative Dialogue
Write a Monologue
Persuasive Presentation
Film Review
456409
LEARNING the Language of Literature
Science Fiction and Fantasy
".. . Science fiction is the art of the possible, not the art of the impossible. As soon as you
deal with things that can't happen, you are writing fantasy."
—Ray Bradbury
What if the cure for all of earth's diseases was found in the DNA of an insect? How would it
be to live on the moon? What if trees talked and walked and people grew into the earth?
Answers to these questions may be found in science fiction and fantasy. Both types of
literature can carry you to new worlds, introduce you to imaginary creatures, and tell
you about strange events. In science fiction, imaginary objects and events are based on
real or possible science or technology. While science fiction is usually set in the future,
the characters may face problems similar to those people face today.
Fantasy, on the other hand, is literature that includes at least one completely unreal or
fantastic element. A fantasy story may include imaginary creatures—such as elves or
talking plants and animals— strange settings, and impossible events. Writers of both of
these types of fiction create fantastic characters, settings, and events not only to
entertain hut also to comment on the present-day real world.
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Science Fiction
Science fiction is a type of writing that involves scientific data, theories, and technology.
Science fiction writers like to imagine what effects scientific theories will have when
they are carried out, so they often set their stories in the future. In most science fiction
stories, vivid details describe futuristic settings, characters, and events.
Sometimes the ideas of science fiction writers come true. For example, when writer Jules
Verne wrote Twenty-thousand Leagues Under the Sea in 1870, submarines were very
crude vessels that could stay under water only for short periods of time. In his story,
Verne described a submarine that was practically a small city. Today, submarines can
stay below the water for months, sustaining large crews.
YOUR TURN Read the text above on the right. Which details show things that happen in
everyday life? Which details describe things that don't normally happen, or technology
that belongs in the future?
SCIENCE FICTION
(The crowd starts to converge around the mother, who grabs Tommy and starts to run with him. The crowd
starts to follow. at first walking fast, and then running after him. Suddenly Charlie's lights go off and the
lights in other houses go on, then off)
Man One (shouting). It isn't the kid ... it's Bob Weaver's house.
Woman. It isn't Bob Weaver's house, its Don Martin's place. Charlie. I tell you it's the kid.
Don. It's Charlie. He's the one.
(People shout, accuse, and scream as the lights go on and off....) (...We see the metal side of a spacecraft that
sits shrouded in darkness. An open door throws out a beam of light from the illuminated interior. Two
figures appear, silhouetted against the bright lights. We get only a vague feeling of form.)
Figure One. Understand the procedure now? Just stop a few of their machines and radios and telephones and
lawn mowers... , Throw them into darkness for a few hours, and then just sit back and watch the pattern.
—Rod Serling, The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street
From The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street
411
Fantasy
Writers of fantasy often create worlds and characters that can exist only in the imagination.
These worlds may be totally whimsical and unreal, like the one described in Lewis
Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, where there are talking rabbits and croquet
mallets that are actually flamingos. Other writers of fantasy, such as Joan Aiken in "The
Serial Garden," create realistic settings and characters along with impossible events. All
fantasy includes at least one fantastic or unreal element. To help you believe in the
impossible, a writer might include imaginative settings, fantastic details, imaginary
creatures, or impossible events.
YOUR TURN In the passage from "The Serial Garden," notice how the author makes the
unbelievable seem believable.
FANTASY
"Hullo. That's funny," said Mark.
It was funny. The openwork iron gate he had just stuck in position now suddenly
towered above him. On either side, to right and away left, ran the high stone wall,
stretching into foggy distance....
"I wonder if the gate will open."
He chuckled as he tried it... The gate did open, and he went through into the garden.
—Joan Aiken, "The Serial Garden"
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Theme
The theme is the central idea, message, or moral the writer wants to communicate with the
reader through his or her writing. In a story, the theme should not be confused with the
subject. The subject is what the story is about. For instance, the subject of a story might
be about humans living in outer space, while the theme of that story might deal with
how people adapt to new and strange environments. The theme is often a thought about
life or human nature that the writer wants to share.
Clues to a story's theme are sometimes found in the title, the setting, the plot, and the way
characters are shown and how they change. For example, the title The Monsters Are
Due on Maple Street suggests the subject of the teleplay. The theme is revealed when
we find out who the real monsters are. Careful readers often notice similar themes
occurring from one story to the next.
As you read the science fiction and fantasy selections, use a chart like this one to find and
analyze the theme of each story. Which stories have similar themes?
IDENTIFYING THEMES
Where to look
Questions to answer
Title
What idea does the title emphasize?
unusual characters ("monsters') in a real setting (Maple
Street)
Setting
What is the setting?
a quiet, tree-lined street in small-tom America
How does it affect characters?
characters are regular people, not used to anything out of
the ordinary
How does it affect plot?
the action is drawn out, people become fearful and
suspicious of their neighbors, their hidden prejudices coming
to light
Plot
How do problems arise?
How are they resolved?
Characters
How do characters act alone?
How do they act with each other?
What do the characters learn?
What does the narrator say about the characters?
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The Active Reader: Skills and Strategies
Author's Purpose
You and your friend watch the same movie. You think it's a comedy, but your friend thinks
the movie has a serious message about society. Who is right? It's possible you both are.
The movie's writer may have had more than one purpose—to entertain and to express
an opinion. An active reader can also recognize the author's purpose in literature by
carefully evaluating the language, tone, and the way information is presented. There are
four basic author's purposes: to entertain, to inform, to express an opinion, and to
persuade.
How to Apply the Skill
To determine an authors purpose, an active reader will
Look for direct or inferred statements of purpose
Analyze how the author presents the information
Clarify the language and tone of the work
Monitor his or her reaction
Evaluate how well the purpose is achieved
Try It Now!
Read the excerpt below and state the author's purpose.
Narrator. The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosions
and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices—to
be found only in the minds of men. For the record, prejudices can kill and
suspicion can destroy. A thoughtless, frightened search for a scapegoat has a
fallout all its own for the children ... and the children yet unborn, (a pause) and the
pity of it is ... that these things cannot be confined to ... The Twilight Zone!
—Rod Selling, The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street
Here's how Chase uses the strategies:
"To better understand the author's purpose, I look for clues. For example, in The Monsters
Are Due on Maple Street, I analyze the author's strong language—his serious tone. I
monitor my reaction to the play and agree with the author that people can become
ruled by their prejudices. Finally I evaluate how well the author achieved his
purposes—to entertain and to express an opinion. I feel that the author made his point
very well. I get the message."
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DRAMA
The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street
by ROD SERLING
Connect to Your Life
Facing the Unknown What happens to you when you think that danger is near? With a
classmate, brainstorm ways in which you and other people might react to fear. List your
ideas in a chart. Then watch as the characters in this selection deal with their fear of the
unknown.
Build Background
HISTORY
On March 4, 1960, The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street was aired as an episode of The
Twilight Zone, a television series created by Rod Serling. Eerie and very suspenseful,
the series became one of the most popular shows in television history during its 19591964 run. Its stories often involved ordinary people in suburban settings typical of the
late 1950s. The events in the stories were far from ordinary, however; they were a
window into an imaginary world beyond ours—the twilight zone.
Focus Your Reading
LITERARY ANALYSIS TELEPLAY
A play written for television is called a teleplay. Like all drama scripts, a teleplay includes
stage directions. Stage directions explain the setting, provide suggestions for the actors
and the director, and describe props, lighting, sound effects, and camera directions. As
you read, visualize what a performance of the drama might look like.
ACTIVE READING AUTHOR'S PURPOSE
An authors purpose is his or her reason for creating a particular work. The purpose may be
to entertain, to explain or inform, to express an opinion, or to persuade readers to do or
believe something. Often, understanding the theme (the moral or message) of a work
can help you identify the author's purpose.
READER'S NOTEBOOK As you read, record details that help you identify Rod Serling's
purpose or purposes for writing this drama.
WORDS TO KNOW Vocabulary Preview
antagonism
contorted
defiant
flustered
idiosyncrasy
incriminate
intense
legitimate
optimistic
persistent
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The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street
BY ROD SERLING
416
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Narrator
Tommy
Steve Brand
Don Martin
Myra Brand, Steve's wife
Woman
Voice One
Voice Two
Voice Three
Voice Four
Voice Five
Pete Van Horn
Charlie
Sally, Tommy's mother
Man One
Les Goodman
Ethel Goodman, Les's wife
Man Two
Figure One
Figure Two
(Fade in on a shot of the night sky. The various heavenly bodies stand out in sharp,
sparkling relief. The camera moves slowly across the heavens until it passes the horizon
and stops on a sign that reads "Maple Street." It is daytime. Then we see the street
below. It is a quiet, tree-lined, small-town American street. The houses have front
porches on which people sit and swing on gliders, talking across from house to house.
Steve Brand is polishing his car, which is parked in front of his house. His neighbor,
Don Martin, leans against the fender watching him. An ice- cream vendor riding a
bicycle is just in the process of stopping to sell some ice cream to a couple of kids. Two
women gossip on the front lawn. Another man is watering his lawn with a garden hose.
As we see these various activities, we hear the Narrator's voice.)
Narrator. Maple Street, U.S.A., late summer. A tree-lined little world of front-porch
gliders, hopscotch, the laughter of children, and the bell of an ice-cream vendor.
(There is a pause, and the camera moves over to a shot of the ice-cream vendor and two
small boys who are standing alongside just buying ice cream.)
417
Narrator. At the sound of the roar and the flash of the light, it will be precisely six-fortythree p.m. on Maple Street.
(At this moment Tommy, one of the two boys buying ice cream from the vendor, looks up to
listen to a tremendous screeching roar from overhead. A flash of light plays on the
faces of both boys and then moves down the street and disappears. Various people
leave their porches or stop what they are doing to stare up at the sky. Steve Brand, the
man who has been polishing his car, stands there transfixed, staring upwards. He looks
at Don Martin, his neighbor from across the street.)
Steve. What was that? A meteor?
Don. That's what it looked like. I didn't hear any crash though, did you?
Steve. Nope. I didn't hear anything except a roar.
Myra (from her porch). What was that?
Steve (raising his voice and looking toward the porch). Guess it was a meteor, honey. Came
awful close, didn't it?
Myra. Too close for my money! Much too close.
(The camera moves slowly across the various porches to people who stand there watching
and talking in low conversing tones.)
Narrator. Maple Street. Six-forty-four p.m. on a late September evening. (He pauses.)
Maple Street in the last calm and reflective moment (pause) before the monsters came!
(The camera takes us across the porches again. A man is replacing a light bulb on a front
porch. He gets off his stool to flick the switch and finds that nothing happens. Another
man is working on an electric power mower. He plugs in the plug, flicks the switch of
the mower off and on, but nothing happens. Through a window we see a Woman
pushing her finger up and down on the dial hook of a telephone. Her voice sounds far
away.)
Woman. Operator, operator, something's wrong on the phone, operator! (Myra Brand comes
out on the porch and calls to Steve.)
Myra (calling). Steve, the power's off. I had the soup on the stove, and the stove just
stopped working.
Woman. Same thing over here. I can't get anybody on the phone either. The phone seems to
be dead.
(We look down again on the street. Small, mildly disturbed voices are heard coming from
below.)
Voice One. Electricity's off.
Voice Two. Phone won't work.
Voice Three. Can't get a thing on the radio.
Voice Four. My power mower won't move, won't work at all.
Voice Five. Radio's gone dead!
(Pete Van Horn, a tall, thin man, is seen standing in front of his house.)
Pete. I'll cut through the back yard to see if the power's still on, on Floral Street. I'll be right
back!
(He walks past the side of his house and disappears into the back yard. The camera pans
down slowly until we are looking at ten or eleven people standing around the street and
overflowing to the curb and sidewalk. In the background is Steve Brand's car.)
Steve. Doesn't make sense. Why should the power go off all of a sudden and the phone line?
Don. Maybe some kind of an electrical storm or something.
Charlie. That Don't seem likely. Sky's just as blue as anything. Not a cloud. No lightning.
No thunder. No nothing. How could it be a storm?
Woman. I can't get a thing on the radio. Not even the portable.
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(The people again begin to murmur softly in wonderment.)
Charlie. Well, why Don't you go downtown and check with the police, though they'll
probably think we're crazy or something. A little power failure and right away we get
all flustered and everything—
Steve. It isn't just the power failure, Charlie. If it was, we'd still be able to get a broadcast on
the portable.
(There is a murmur of reaction to this. Steve looks from face to face and then at his car)
Steve. I'll run downtown. We'll get this all straightened out.
(He gets in the car and turns the key. Looking through the open car door, we see the crowd
watching Steve from the other side. He starts the engine. It turns over sluggishly and
then stops dead. He tries it again, and this time he can't get it to turn over. Then very
slowly he turns the key back to "off" and gets out of the car. The people stare at Steve.
He stands for a moment by the car and then walks toward them.)
Steve. I Don't understand it. It was working fine before—
Don. Out of gas?
Steve (shakes his head). I just had it filled.
Woman. What's it mean?
Charlie. It's just as if (pause) as if everything had stopped. (Then he turns toward Steve.)
We'd better walk downtown.
(Another murmur of assent to this.)
Steve. The two of us can go, Charlie. (He turns to look back at the car) It couldn't be the
meteor. A meteor couldn't do this.
(He and Charlie exchange a look. Then they start to walk away from the group. Tommy
comes into view. He is a serious-faced young boy in spectacles. He stands halfway
between the group and the two men, who start to walk down the sidewalk.)
Tommy. Mr. Brand—you'd better not!
Steve. Why not?
Tommy. They Don't want you to.
(Steve and Charlie exchange a grin, and Steve looks hack toward the boy.)
Steve. Who doesn't want us to?
WORDS TO KNOW
flustered (flŭs'tərd) adj. nervous or confused fluster v.
419
Tommy (jerks his head in the general direction of the distant horizon). Them!
Steve. Them?
Charlie. Who are them?
ACTIVE READER
CLARIFY Why are the people of Maple Street so frightened?
Tommy (intently). Whoever was in that thing that came by overhead.
(Steve knits his brows for a moment, cocking his head questioningly. His voice is intense.)
Steve. What?
Tommy. Whoever was in that thing that came over. I Don't think they want us to leave here.
(Steve leaves Charlie, walks over to the boy, and puts his hand on the boy's shoulder. He
forces his voice to remain gentle.)
Steve. What do you mean? What are you talking about?
Tommy. They Don't want us to leave. That's why they shut everything off.
Steve. What makes you say that? Whatever gave you that idea?
Woman (from the crowd). Now isn't that the craziest thing you ever heard?
Tommy (persistent but a little frightened). It's always that way, in every story I ever read
about a ship landing from outer space.
Woman (to the boy's mother, Sally, who stands on the fringe of the crowd). From outer
space yet! Sally, you better get that boy of yours up to bed. He's been reading too many
comic books or seeing too many movies or something!
Sally. Tommy, come over here and stop that kind of talk.
Steve. Go ahead, Tommy. We'll be right back. And you'll see. That wasn't any ship or
anything like it. That was just a ... a meteor or something. Likely as not— (He turns to
the group, now trying very hard to sound more optimistic than he feels.) No doubt it did
have something to do with all this power failure and the rest of it. Meteors can do some
crazy things. Like sunspots.
Don (picking up the cue). Sure. That's the kind of thing—like sunspots. They raise Cain1
with radio reception all over the world. And this thing being so close—why, there's no
telling the sort of stuff it can do. (He wets his lips and smiles nervously.) Go ahead,
Charlie. You and Steve go into town and see if that isn't what's causing it all.
(Steve and Charlie walk away from the group down the sidewalk as the people watch
silently. Tommy stares at them, biting his lips, and finally calls out again.)
1. raise Cain: cause trouble; create a disturbance. (In the Bible, Adam and Eve's son Cain
becomes the first murderer when he kills his brother Abel.)
WORDS TO KNOW
intense (ĭn-tĕns') adj. showing great concentration or determination
persistent (pər-sĭs'tənt) adi refusing to give up; continuing stubbornly
optimistic (ŏp'tŏə-mĭs'tĭk) ad/ hopeful about the future; confident
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Tommy. Mr. Brand! (The two men stop. Tommy takes a step toward them.)
Tommy. Mr. Brand ... please Don't leave here.
(Steve and Charlie stop once again and turn toward the boy. In the crowd there is a murmur
of irritation and concern, as if the boy's words—even though they didn't make sense—
were bringing up fears that shouldn't he brought up. Tommy is both frightened and
defiant.)
Tommy. You might not even be able to get to town. It was that way in the story. Nobody
could leave. Nobody except—
Steve. Except who?
Tommy. Except the people they sent down ahead of them. They looked just like humans.
And it wasn't until the ship landed that— (The boy suddenly stops, conscious of the
people staring at him and his mother and of the sudden hush of the crowd.)
Sally. (in a whisper, sensing the antagonism of the crowd). Tommy, please son . . . honey,
Don't talk that way—
Man One. That kid shouldn't talk that way ... and we shouldn't stand here listening to him.
Why this is the craziest thing I ever heard of. The kid tells us a comic book plot, and
here we stand listening—
(Steve walks toward the camera and stops beside the boy.)
Steve. Go ahead, Tommy. What kind of story was this? What about the people they sent out
ahead?
Tommy. That was the way they prepared things for the landing. They sent four people. A
mother and a father and two kids who looked just like humans ... but they weren't.
(There is another silence as Steve looks toward the crowd and then toward Tommy. He
wears a tight grin.)
Steve. Well, I guess what we'd better do then is to run a check on the neighborhood and see
which ones of us are really human.
(There is laughter at this, but it's a laughter that comes from a desperate attempt to lighten
the atmosphere. The people look at one another in the middle of their laughter.)
Charlie (rubs his jaw nervously). I wonder if Floral Street's got the same deal we got. (He
looks past the houses.) Where is Pete Van Horn anyway? Isn't he back yet?
(Suddenly there is the sound of a car's engine starting to turn over. We look across the street
toward the driveway of Les Goodman's house. He is at the wheel trying to start the
car.)
Sally. Can you get started, Les?
(Les Goodman gets out of the car, shaking his head.)
Les. No dice.
(He walks toward the group. He stops suddenly as, behind him, the car engine starts up all
by itself. Les whirls around to stare at the car. The car idles roughly, smoke coming
from the exhaust, the frame shaking gently. Les's eyes go wide, and he runs over to his
car. The people stare at the car.)
Man One. He got the car started somehow. He got his car started!
(The people continue to stare, caught up by this revelation and wildly frightened.)
Woman. How come his car just up and started like that?
Sally. All by itself. He wasn't anywheres near it.
WORDS TO KNOW
defiant (dĭ-fī'ənt) adj. willing to stand up to opposition; bold
antagonism (ăn-tăg'ə-nĭz'əm) n. hostility; unfriendliness
421
It started all by itself.
(Don Martin approaches the group and stops a few feet away to look toward Les's car.)
Don. And he never did come out to look at that thing that flew overhead. He wasn't even
interested. (He turns to the group, his face taut and serious.) Why? Why didn't he come
out with the rest of us to look?
Charlie. He always was an oddball. Him and his whole family. Real odd-ball.
Don. What do you say we ask him?
ACTIVE READER
MAKE INFERENCES
What does this dialogue tell you about Charlie and Don?
(The group starts toward the house. In this brief fraction of a moment, it takes the first step
toward changing from a group into a mob. The group members begin to head
purposefully across the street toward the house. Steve stands in front of them. For a
moment their fear almost turns their walk into a wild stampede, but Steve's voice, loud,
incisive, and commanding, makes them stop.)
Steve. Wait a minute ... wait a minute! Let's not be a mob!
(The people stop, pause for a moment, and then, much more quietly and slowly, start to walk
across the street. Les stands alone facing the people.)
Les. I just Don't understand it. I tried to start it, and it wouldn't start. You saw me. All of
you saw me.
(And now, just as suddenly as the engine started, it stops, and there is a long silence that is
gradually intruded upon by the
422
frightened murmuring of the people.)
Les. I Don't understand. I swear . . . I Don't understand. What's happening?
Don. Maybe you better tell us. Nothing's working on this street. Nothing. No lights, no
power, no radio, (then meaningfully) nothing except one car—yours!
(The people's murmuring becomes a loud chant filling the air with accusations and demands
for action. Two of the men pass Don and head toward Les, who backs away from them
against his car. He is cornered.)
Les. Wait a minute now. You keep your distance—all of you. So I've got a car that starts by
itself—well, that's a freak thing—I admit it. But does that make me a criminal or
something? I Don't know why the car works— it just does!
(This stops the crowd momentarily, and Les, still backing away, goes toward his front
porch. He goes up the steps and then stops, facing the mob.)
Les. What's it all about, Steve?
Steve (quietly). We're all on a monster kick, Les. Seems that the general impression holds
that maybe one family isn't what we think they are. Monsters from outer space or
something. Different from us. Aliens from the vast beyond. (He chuckles.) You know
anybody that might fit that description around here on Maple Street?
Les. What is this, a gag? (He looks around the group again.) This a practical joke or
something?
(Suddenly the car engine starts all by itself, runs for a moment, and stops. One Woman
begins to cry. The eyes of the crowd are cold and accusing.)
Les. Now that's supposed to incriminate me, huh? The car engine goes on and off, and that
really does it, doesn't it? (He looks around at the faces of the people.) I just Don't
understand it . . . any more than any of you do! (He wets his lips, looking from face to
face.) Look, you all know me. We've lived here five years. Right in this house. We're no
different from any of the rest of you! We're no different at all. . . Really . this whole
thing is just ... just weird—
Woman. Well, if that's the case, Les Goodman, explain why— (She stops suddenly,
clamping her mouth shut.)
Les (softly). Explain what?
Steve (interjecting). Look, let's forget this—
Charlie (overlapping him). Go ahead, let her talk. What about it? Explain what?
Woman (a little reluctantly). Well . . . sometimes I go to bed late at night. A couple of times
... a couple of times I'd come out here on the porch, and I'd see Mr. Goodman here in
the wee hours of the morning standing out in front of his house ... looking up at the sky.
(She looks around the circle of faces.) That's right, looking up at the sky as if . . as if he
were waiting for something, (pauses) as if he were looking for something.
(There's a murmur of reaction from the crowd again as Les backs away.)
Les. She's crazy. Look, I can explain that. Please ... I can really explain that.... She's making
it up anyway. (Then he shouts.) I tell you she's making it up!
(He takes a step toward the crowd, and they hack away from him. He walks down the steps
after them, and they continue to hack away. Suddenly he is left completely alone, and he
looks like a man caught in the middle of a menacing circle as the scene slowly fades to
black.)
WORDS TO KNOW
incriminate (ĭn-krĭm'ə-nāt) v. to cause to appear guilty
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Act Two
Scene One
(Fade in on Maple Street at night. On the sidewalk, little knots of people stand around
talking in low voices. At the end of each conversation they look toward Les Goodman's
house. From the various houses, we can see candlelight but no electricity. The quiet
that blankets the whole area is disturbed only by the almost whispered voices of the
people standing around. In one group Charlie stands staring across at the Goodmans'
house. Two men stand across the street from it in almost sentrylike poses.)
Sally (in a small, hesitant voice). It just doesn't seem right, though, keeping watch on them.
Why . . . he was right when he said he was one of our neighbors. Why, I've known Ethel
Goodman ever since they moved in. We've been good friends—
Charlie. That Don't prove a thing. Any guy who'd spend his time lookin' up at the sky early
in the morning—well, there's something wrong with that kind of person. There's
something that ain't legitimate. Maybe under normal circumstances we could let it go
by, but these aren't normal circumstances. Why, look at this street! Nothin' but candles.
Why, it's like goin' back into the Dark Ages or somethin'!
(Steve walks down the steps of his porch, down the street to the Goodmans' house, and then
stops at the foot of the steps. Les is standing there; Ethel Goodman behind him is very
frightened.)
Les. just stay right where you are, Steve. We Don't want any trouble, but this time if
anybody sets foot on my porch—that's what they're going to get—trouble!
Steve. Look, Les—
Les. I've already explained to you people. I Don't sleep very well at night sometimes. I get
up and I take a walk and I look up at the sky. I look at the stars!
Ethel. That's exactly what he does. Why, this whole thing, it's ... it's some kind of madness
or something.
Steve (nods grimly). That's exactly what it is— some kind of madness.
Charlie's Voice (shrill, from across the street). You best watch who you're seen with,
Steve! Until we get this all straightened out, you ain't exactly above suspicion yourself.
Steve (whirling around toward him). Or you, Charlie. Or any of us, it seems. From age eight
on up!
Woman. What I'd like to know is—what are we gonna do? Just stand around here all night?
Charlie. There's nothin' else we can do! (He turns back, looking toward Steve and Les
again.) One of 'em'll tip their hand. They got to.
ACTIVE READER
AUTHOR'S PURPOSE How do you think the author wants you to feel toward the people of
Maple Street?
Steve (raising his voice). There's something you can do, Charlie. You can go home and keep
your mouth shut. You can quit strutting around like a self-appointed judge and climb
into bed and forget it.
Charlie. You sound real anxious to have that happen, Steve. I think we better keep our eye
on you, too!
WORDS TO KNOW
legitimate (Iə-jĭt' ə-mĭt) adj. in accordance with accepted practices; reasonable
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Don (as if he were taking the bit in his teeth, takes a hesitant step to the front). I think
everything might as well come out now. (He turns toward Steve.) Your wife's Done
plenty of talking, Steve, about how odd you are!
Charlie (picking this up, his eyes widening). Go ahead, tell us what she's said.
(Steve walks toward them from across the street.)
Steve. Go ahead, what's my wife said? Let's get it all out. Let's pick out every idiosyncrasy
of every single man, woman, and child on the street. And then we might as well set up
some kind of citizens' court. How about a firing squad at dawn, Charlie, so we can get
rid of all the suspects. Narrow them down. Make it easier for you.
WORDS TO KNOW
idiosyncrasy (ĭd'ē-ō-sĭng'krə-sē) n. a personal way of acting; odd mannerism
Don. There's no need gettin' so upset, Steve. It's just that . . . well . . . Myra's talked about
how there's been plenty of nights you spent hours down in your basement workin' on
some kind of radio or something. Well, none of us have ever seen that radio—
(By this time Steve has reached the group. He stands there defiantly.)
Charlie. Go ahead, Steve. What kind of "radio set" you workin' on? I never seen it. Neither
has anyone else. Who do you talk to on that radio set? And who talks to you?
Steve. I'm surprised at you, Charlie. How come you're so dense all of a sudden? (He
pauses.) Who do I talk to? I talk to monsters from outer space. I talk to three-headed
green men who fly over here in what look like meteors.
(Myra Brand steps down from the porch, bites her lip, calls out.)
Myra. Steve! Steve, please. (Then looking around, frightened, she walks toward the group.)
It's just a ham radio set, that's all. I bought him a book on it myself. It's just a ham radio
set. A lot of people have them. I can show it to you. It's right down in the basement.
Steve (whirls around toward her). Show them nothing! If they want to look inside our
house—let them go and get a search warrant.
Charlie. Look, buddy, you can't afford to—
Steve (interrupting him). Charlie, Don't start telling me who's dangerous and who isn't and
who's safe and who's a menace. (He turns to the group and shouts.) And you're with
him, too—all of you! You're standing here all set to crucify—all set to find a
scapegoat—all desperate to point some kind of a finger at a neighbor! Well now, look,
friends, the only thing that's gonna happen is that we'll eat each other up alive—
(He stops abruptly as Charlie suddenly grabs his arm.)
Charlie (in a hushed voice). That's not the only thing that can happen to us.
(Down the street, a figure has suddenly materialized in the gloom. In the silence we hear the
clickety-clack of slow, measured footsteps on concrete as the figure walks slowly
toward them. One of the women lets out a stifled cry. Sally grabs her boy, as do a
couple of other mothers.)
Tommy (shouting, frightened). It's the monster! It's the monster!
(Another Woman lets out a wail, and the people fall back in a group staring toward the
darkness and the approaching figure. The people stand in the shadows watching. Don
Martin joins them, carrying a shotgun. He holds it up.)
Don. We may need this.
Steve. A shotgun? (He pulls it out of Don's hand.) No! Will anybody think a thought around
here! Will you people wise up. What good would a shotgun do against—
(The dark figure continues to walk toward them
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as the people stand there, fearful, mothers clutching children, men standing in front of
their wives.)
Charlie (pulling the gun from Steve's hands). No more talk, Steve. You're going to talk us
into a grave! You'd let whatever's out there walk right over us, wouldn't yuh? Well,
some of us won't!
(Charlie swings around, raises the gun, and suddenly pulls the trigger. The sound of the shot
explodes in the stillness. The figure suddenly lets out a small cry, stumbles forward onto
his knees, and then falls forward on his face. Don, Charlie, and Steve race forward to
him. Steve is there first and turns the man over. The crowd gathers around them.)
Steve (slowly looks up). It's Pete Van Horn.
Don (in a hushed voice). Pete Van Horn! He was just gonna go over to the next block to see
if the power was on—
ACTIVE READER
PREDICT What do you think the neighbors will do now?
Woman. You killed him, Charlie. You shot him dead!
Charlie (looks around at the circle of faces, his eyes frightened, his face contorted). But .. .
but I didn't know who he was. I certainly didn't know who he was. He comes walkin'
out of the darkness—how am I supposed to know who he was? (He grabs Steve.)
Steve— you know why I shot! How was I supposed to know he wasn't a monster or
something? (He grabs Don.) We're all scared of the same thing. I was just tryin' to . . .
tryin' to protect my home, that's all! Look, all of you, that's all I was tryin' to do. (He
looks down wildly at the body.) I didn't know it was somebody we knew! I didn't
know—
WORDS TO KNOW
contorted (kən-tôr'tĭd) adj. twisted or pulled out of shape contort v.
(There's a sudden hush and then an intake of breath in the group. Across the street all the
lights go on in one of the houses.)
Woman (in a hushed voice). Charlie... Charlie... ... the lights just went on in your house.
Why did the lights just go on?
Don. What about it, Charlie? How come you're the only one with lights now?
Les. That's what I'd like to know. (Pausing, they all stare toward Charlie.)
Les. You were so quick to kill, Charlie, and you were so quick to tell us who we had to be
careful of. Well, maybe you had to kill. Maybe Pete there was trying to tell us
something. Maybe he'd found out something and came back to tell us who there was
amongst us we should watch out for—
(Charlie backs away from the group, his eyes wide with fright.)
Charlie. No ... no ... it's nothing of the sort! I don't know why the lights are on. I swear I
Don't. Somebody's pulling a gag or something.
(He bumps against Steve, who grabs him and whirls him around.)
Steve. A gag? A gag? Charlie, there's a dead man on the sidewalk, and you killed him! Does
this thing look like a gag to you?
(Charlie breaks away and screams as he runs toward his house.)
Charlie. No! No! Please!
(A man breaks away from the crowd to chase Charlie. As the man tackles him and lands on
top of him, the other people start to run toward them. Charlie gets up, breaks away from
the other man's grasp, and lands a couple of desperate punches that push the man
aside. Then he forces his way, fighting, through the crowd and jumps up on his front
porch. Charlie is on his porch as a rock thrown from the group smashes a window
beside him, the broken glass
426
flying past him. A couple of pieces cut him. He stands there perspiring, rumpled, blood
running down from a cut on the cheek. His wife breaks away from the group to throw
herself into his arms. He buries his face against her. We can see the crowd converging
on the porch.)
Voice One. It must have been him.
Voice Two. He's the one.
Voice Three. We got to get Charlie.
(Another rock lands on the porch. Charlie pushes his wife behind him, facing the group.)
Charlie. Look, look I swear to you.. . . it isn't me ... but I do know who it is ... I swear to
you, I do know who it is. I know who the monster is here. I know who it is that doesn't
belong. I swear to you I know.
Don (pushing his way to the front of the crowd). All right, Charlie, let's hear it!
(Charlie's eyes dart around wildly.)
Charlie. It's . . . it's .
Man Two (screaming). Go ahead, Charlie.
Charlie. It's ... it's the kid. It's Tommy. He's the one!
(There's a gasp from the crowd as we see Sally holding the boy. Tommy at first doesn't
understand and then, realizing the eyes are all on him, buries his face against his
mother.)
Sally (backs away). That's crazy! He's only a boy.
Woman. But he knew! He was the only one! He told us all about it. Well, how did he
know? How could he have known?
(Various people take this up and repeat the question.)
Voice One. How could he know?
Voice Two. Who told him?
Voice Three. Make the kid answer.
(The crowd starts to converge around the mother, who grabs Tommy and starts to run with
him. The crowd starts to follow, at first walking fast, and then running after him.
Suddenly Charlie's lights go off and the lights in other houses go on, then off.)
Man One (shouting). It isn't the kid ... it's Bob Weaver's house.
Woman. It isn't Bob Weaver's house, it's Don Martin's place.
Charlie. I tell you it's the kid.
Don. It's Charlie. He's the one.
(People shout, accuse, and scream as the lights go on and off. Then, slowly, in the middle of
this nightmarish confusion of sight and sound, the camera starts to pull away until,
once again, we have reached the opening shot looking at the Maple Street sign from
high above.)
Scene Two
(The camera continues to move away while gradually bringing into focus a field. We see the
metal side of a spacecraft that sits shrouded in darkness. An open door throws out a
beam of light from the illuminated interior Two figures appear, silhouetted against the
bright lights. We get only a vague feeling of form.)
Figure One. Understand the procedure now? just stop a few of their machines and radios
427
and telephones and lawn mowers.... Throw them into darkness for a few hours, and then
just sit back and watch the pattern.
Figure Two. And this pattern is always the same?
ACTIVE READER
VISUALIZE Close your eyes and picture the spacecraft. How does its appearance make you feel?
Figure One. With few variations. They pick the most dangerous enemy they can find ... and
its themselves. And all we need do is sit back . . . and watch.
Figure Two. Then I take it this place . . . this Maple Street ... is not unique.
Figure One (shaking his head). By no means. Their world is full of Maple Streets. And
we'll go from one to the other and let them destroy themselves. One to the other . . . one
to the other ... one to the other—
Scene Three
(The camera slowly moves up for a shot of the starry sky, and over this we hear the
Narrator's voice.)
Narrator. The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosions and
fallout2 There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices—to be found
only in the minds of men. For the record, prejudices can kill and suspicion can destroy.
A thoughtless, frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all its own for the children
. . . and the children yet unborn, (a pause) and the pity of it is ... that these things cannot
be confined to ... The Twilight Zone!
(Fade to black.)
2. fallout: radioactive particles that fall to earth after a nuclear explosion.
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THINKING through the LITERATURE
Connect to the Literature
1. What Do You Think?
What is your reaction to the fear and confusion on Maple Street?
Comprehension Check
When do people first sense something is wrong?
Why is Pete Van Horn killed?
Who are the most dangerous enemies of human beings?
Think Critically
2. In your opinion, who are the monsters on Maple Street referred to in the title? Give
reasons for your answer.
3. Do you think the aliens are correct in their judgment of human behavior? Explain your
answer.
4. After the crowd turns on him, why does Charlie accuse someone else of being the
monster? What evidence does he have?
5. Why do you think the author chose Maple Street as the setting of this teleplay?
Think About:
the children playing along the street
the peacefulness of the street
the fact that the houses all look alike
6. ACTIVE READING AUTHOR'S PURPOSE
Have you identified the author's purpose? Compare the list of details in your READER'S
NOTEBOOK with a classmate's list. Discuss what some possible themes might be, and
the different purposes Serling might have had as he wrote.
Extend Interpretations
7. What If? What if the story, instead of being told by someone offstage, were told from the
point of view of Charlie? How would Charlie defend his actions?
8. Connect to Life This teleplay shows what can happen when a crowd becomes a mob.
How does being in a crowd change the way people act? What other examples of "mob
mentality" have you heard about?
Literary Analysis
TELEPLAY A play written for television is called a teleplay. The stage directions in a
teleplay are often written in italics, and they include directions for the camera to fade in
or out on a shot or to focus on a certain character. Camera directions help readers
visualize what the drama might look like on television. They also help the producer of
the television program know what details the author wants to emphasize or focus on.
Paired Activity With a partner, go back over the stage directions and find the camera
directions. Discuss what the different camera directions lead you to visualize. Would
you have shot the scenes differently? If so, how?
THEME The theme of a story is the main message or moral an author wishes to
communicate to the reader. Theme should not be confused with subject, or what the
story is about. The subject of a story might be "aliens landing on earth," while the
theme might be "how people react to fear in a crisis."
A theme tells the reader something about life. What does this drama tell you about life?
429
CHOICES and CHALLENGES
Writing
Draft a Proposal Think about how you would revise The Monsters Are Due on Maple
Street to present a more positive perspective on human behavior. Write a proposal for
changing the script, describing the reason for each of your changes and the way it
would affect the theme of the teleplay. Place the proposal in your Working Portfolio.
Writing Handbook See p. R51: Persuasive Writing.
Speaking & Listening
Read It Aloud Dramas are meant to be read aloud. Have volunteer groups read a scene
from the teleplay. Cast readers for each part, including a narrator to read the stage
directions. Have the actors pay attention to stage directions for movement, gestures, and
expressions. As a class, vote for a favorite.
Art Connection
Human Sculpture Do you think pictures of George Segal's sculptures capture an important
aspect of the teleplay? What effect do these images have on you? Explain your
response.
Research & Technology
Suspicion and Fear How have fear and suspicions served to hurt and destroy people
throughout history? Find out by looking through books about American and world
history. Write a short summary of a tragic situation that was caused by irrational fear
and prejudice, such as the Salem witch trials or the "Red scare." Then explain how you
think people could avoid repeating the same mistakes if that event were to occur again.
Vocabulary
STANDARDIZED TEST PRACTICE
An analogy contains two pairs of words that are related in the same way, as in the example
TALL : HIGH :: wild : untamed. The analogy is read "Tall is to high as wild is to
untamed" In this example, the words are synonyms; that is, they have similar meanings.
An analogy may also use antonyms to express a relationship between words. For each
item below, decide which Word to Know best completes the second pair of the analogy.
1. QUICK : FAST :: _____ : stubborn
2. DIFFICULT : HARD :: confused : _____
3. SOAKED : DRENCHED:: _____ : peculiarity
4. HIGH : LOW :: _____ : friendship
5. ANGER : RAGE :: twisted : _____
6. CHEERFUL : GENIAL :: accuse_____
7. FAR : DISTANT :: _____ : lawful
8. ANNOYANCE:PLEASURE:: _____: gloomy
9. RUNNING : STROLLING :: _____ : weak
10. BORED : INTERESTED:: agreeable : _____
Vocabulary Handbook See p. R28: Analogies.
WORDS TO KNOW
antagonism
defiant
contorted
flustered
idiosyncrasy
intense
incriminate
legitimate
optimistic
persistent
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CHOICES and CHALLENGES
Grammar in Context: Participles
Rod Serling uses participles in his stage directions to set the scene in The Monsters Are Due
on Maple Street.
Tommy stares at them, biting his lips.
Tommy is both frightened and defiant.
Participles are verb forms that function as modifiers. Present participles end in -ing and past
participles of regular verbs end in -d or -ed.
Apply to Your Writing A participle has some of the characteristics of a verb, but a
participle can never be the main verb in a sentence. A sentence without a main verb is a
fragment. Always review your writing to make sure you haven't inadvertently written a
sentence with a participle instead of a main verb.
WRITING EXERCISE Rewrite the following sentences to avoid any fragments.
Example: Original Small knots of people were watching the sky. Talking in low voices.
Rewritten Small knots of people talking in low voices were watching the sky.
1. Sally stood there. Watching him as he mowed.
2. Walking down the street. A figure suddenly materialized in the gloom.
3. The car idled roughly. Smoke coming from the exhaust.
4. Rumpled and perspiring. Charlie sits there with blood running down his cheek.
Connect to the Literature Look at the stage directions on page 419 that begin "He gets in
the car ..." How many participles do you find in that paragraph?
Grammar Handbook See p.80: Using Verbs Correctly.
Rod Serling
1924-1975
"... I felt a need to write, a kind of compulsion to get some of my thoughts down. . . ."
Social Issues Rod Serling began his career by writing for radio and television in Cincinnati,
Ohio. In 1955, he scored his first big hit with his television drama Patterns, which won
an Emmy Award. Though the public knew Serling as a creator of exciting television
shows, those in the entertainment business knew him as the angry young man of
television." Although Serling wanted to write meaningful plays about important social
issues, television sponsors and executives often found his topics too controversial. Thus
began his long battle with those who controlled the networks.
Science Fiction Serling turned to writing science fiction and fantasy in series such as The
Twilight Zone and Night Gallery Because these shows were not realistic, he had more
freedom to deal with issues such as prejudice and intolerance. Serling eventually won
six Emmy Awards and many other honors for the extraordinary quality of his work.
AUTHOR ACTIVITY
The Twilight Zone Find and watch other episodes of The Twilight Zone. Besides the
paranoia portrayed in The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street, what other social issues
did Serling deal with?
431
SHORT STORY
Key Item
by ISAAC ASIMOV
Connect to Your Life
What do you like most about computers?
Build Background
Scientists in the field of Artificial Intelligence build machines that perform activities
requiring intelligence, such as learning, interacting with human beings, and making
decisions. Cog (below) is a robot in human form developed in the Artificial Intelligence
Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Cog represents many of
the latest advancements in the field.
---see pictures
The Whole Arm Manipulator (right), also developed at MIT, has been designed with complex sensory
and motor skills. It is shown here catching a ball.
An MIT researcher plays with Kismet (above), a robot capable of a range of expressions and
gestures. In Kismet, scientists hope to develop a robot that can interact socially with human
beings.
Focus Your Reading
LITERARY ANALYSIS SCIENCE FICTION
Science fiction is a type of fiction based on real or imagined scientific and technological
developments. A science fiction writer generally uses realistic characters but almost
always places them in a futuristic setting. Science fiction helps readers imagine what
the future might be like.
WORDS TO KNOW Vocabulary Preview
accede
circuit
complex
diffidently
neurotic
ACTIVE READING PREDICTING
Active readers use information from the work they are reading and from what they already
know to make logical predictions about plot, character, and setting. As you read the
selection, jot down in your READER'S NOTEBOOK details that may help you
predict what the key item mentioned in the title might be.
432
Key Item
by Isaac Asimov
Jack Weaver came out of the vitals of Multivac looking utterly worn and disgusted.
From the stool, where the other maintained his own stolid watch, Todd Nemerson said,
"Nothing?"
"Nothing," said Weaver. "Nothing, nothing, nothing. No one can find anything wrong with
it."
"Except that it won't work, you mean."
"You're no help sitting there!"
"I'm thinking."
"Thinking!" Weaver showed a canine at one side of his mouth. Nemerson stirred impatiently
on his stool. "Why not? There are six teams of computer technologists roaming around
in the corridors of
433
Multivac. They haven't come up with anything in three days. Can't you spare one
person to think?"
"It's not a matter of thinking. We've got to look. Somewhere a relay1 is stuck."
"It's not that simple, Jack!"
"Who says it's simple? You know how many million relays we have there?"
"That doesn't matter. If it were just a relay, Multivac would have alternate circuits, devices
for locating the flaw, and facilities to repair or replace the ailing part. The trouble is,
Multivac won't only not answer the original question, it won't tell us what's wrong with it.
—And meanwhile, there'll be panic in every city if we don't do something. The world's
economy depends on Multivac, and everyone knows that."
"I know it, too. But what's there to do?"
"I told you, think. There must be something we're missing completely. Look, jack, there isn't
a computer bigwig in a hundred years who hasn't devoted himself to making Multivac
more complicated. It can do so much now—it can even talk and listen. It's practically as
complex as the human brain. We can't understand the human brain, so why should we
understand Multivac?"
"Aw, come on. Next you'll be saying Multivac is human."
"Why not?" Nemerson grew absorbed and seemed to sink into himself. "Now that you
mention it, why not? Could we tell if Multivac passed the thin dividing line where it
stopped being a machine and started being human? Is there a dividing line, for that
matter? If the brain is just more complex than Multivac, and we keep making Multivac
more complex, isn't there a point where ..." He mumbled down into silence.
Weaver said impatiently, "What are you driving at? Suppose Multivac were human. How
would that help us find out why it isn't working?"
"For a human reason, maybe. Suppose you were asked the most probable price of wheat
next summer and didn't answer. Why wouldn't you answer?"
"Because I wouldn't know. But Multivac would know! We've given it all the factors. It can
analyze futures in weather, politics, and economics. We know it can. It's done it
before."
"All right. Suppose I asked the question and you knew the answer hut didn't tell me. Why
not?"
Weaver snarled, "Because I had a brain tumor. Because I had been knocked out. Because
my machinery was out of order. That's just what we're trying to find out about Multivac.
We're looking for the place where its machinery is out of order, for the key item."
"Only you haven't found it." Nemerson got off his stool. "Listen, ask me the question
Multivac stalled on."
"How? Shall I run the tape through you?" "Come on, jack. Give me the talk that goes along
with it. You do talk to Multivac, don't you?"
"I've got to. Therapy."
Nemerson nodded. "Yes, that's the story. Therapy. That's the official story. We talk to it
in order to pretend it's a human being so that
434
we don't get neurotic over having a machine know so much more than we do. We turn a
frightening metal monster into a protective father image."
"If you want to put it that way."
"Well, it's wrong and you know it. A computer as complex as Multivac must talk and listen
to be efficient. just putting in and taking out coded dots2 isn't sufficient. At a certain
level of complexity, Multivac must be made to seem human because, it is human. Come
on, Jack, ask me the question. I want to see my reaction to it."
Jack Weaver flushed. "This is silly." "Come on, will you?"
It was a measure of Weaver's depression and desperation that he acceded. Half sullenly, he
pretended to be feeding the program into Multivac, speaking as he did so in his usual
manner. He commented on the latest information concerning farm unrest, talked about
the new equations describing jet-stream3 contortions, lectured on the solar constant.4
He began stiffly enough, but warmed to this task out of long habit, and when the last of the
program was slammed home, he almost closed contact with a physical snap at Todd
Nemerson's waist.
He ended briskly, "All right, now. Work that out and give us the answer pronto."
For a moment, having done, jack Weaver stood there, nostrils flaring, as though he was
feeling once more the excitement of throwing into action the most gigantic and glorious
machine ever put together by the mind and hands of man.
Then he remembered and muttered, "All right. That's it."
Nemerson said, "At least I know now why I wouldn't answer, so let's try that on Multivac.
Look, clear Multivac; make sure the investigators have their paws off it. Then run the
program into it and let me do the talking. Just once."
Weaver shrugged and turned to Multivac's control wall, filled with its somber, unwinking
dials and lights. Slowly he cleared it. One by one he ordered the teams away.
Then, with a deep breath, he began once more feeding the program into Multivac. It was the
twelfth time all told, the dozenth time.
Somewhere a distant news commentator would spread the word that they were trying again.
All over the world a Multivac-dependent people would be holding its collective breath.
Nemerson talked as Weaver fed the data silently. He talked diffidently, trying to remember
what it was that Weaver had said, but waiting for the moment when the key item might
he added.
Weaver was done and now a note of tension was in Nemerson's voice. He said, "All right,
now, Multivac. Work that out and give us the answer." He paused and added the key
item. He said "Please!"
And all over Multivac, the valves and relays went joyously to work. After all, a machine has
feelings—when it isn't a machine anymore.
(from page 434)
1. relay: a device that responds to a small current or voltage charge by 'activating switches
on all electric circuit.
WORDS TO KNOW
circuit (sûr'kĭt) n. the path of an electric current; connected electronic elements
complex (kəm-plĕks') adj. consisting of interconnected parts, intricate
(from page 435)
2. coded dots: a reference to an older method of giving a computer directions by inserting a
coded instruction card.
3. jet-stream: a long, wandering current of high-speed winds, generally blowing from a
westerly direction. The winds often exceed 250 miles per hour at altitudes of 10 to IS
miles above Earth.
4. solar constant: the average density of solar radiation, measured outside of Earth's
atmosphere.
WORDS TO KNOW
accede (ăk-sēd') v. to consent due to outside influences
diffidently (dĭf'ĭ-dənt-lē) adv. reserved or restrained in manner
neurotic (noo-rŏt'ik) adj. having excessive anxiety and emotional upset
435
THINKING through the LITERATURE
Connect to the Literature
1. What Do You Think? Does it seem possible to you that a computer could have feelings?
Share your thoughts with a classmate.
Comprehension Check
What problem is Multivac having as the story begins?
Why do the programmers talk to Multivac and pretend it is human?
What does the "key item" turn out to be?
Think Critically
2. What do you think the dividing line between being a machine and becoming human might
be? Do you think Multivac crossed the line?
3. ACTIVE READING PREDICTING
Review the notes you took in your READER'S NOTEBOOK. Did the details you selected
help you predict accurately what the key item was? Explain.
4. Do you think the people in the story have become too dependent on the computer? Why
or why not?
5. Why do you think Weaver doesn't want to hear Nemerson's ideas about solving the
computer problem?
Think About:
the pressure of the situation
all of the people already working on Multivac
Nemerson's different way of thinking
Extend Interpretations
6. COMPARING TEXTS In both "Key Item" and "An Ordinary Day, with Peanuts" (page
348), there is a surprise ending. In your opinion, which is the better surprise ending?
Why?
7. Connect to Life Think about other machines, besides computers, that we sometimes give
human characteristics. Have you ever talked to or become angry with a machine?
Discuss in small groups.
Literary Analysis
SCIENCE FICTION Fiction based on real or imagined scientific and technological
advances is called science fiction. The characters of science fiction may be either
realistic or imaginary, but the plot of a work of science fiction is usually set in the
future. Science fiction allows writers and readers to imagine what the unforeseen results
of scientific and technological developments might be in the distant future.
In "Key Item," Isaac Asimov suggests that some day computers will be able to think and
feel like human beings. Do you think that will happen? What changes would such an
occurrence bring about in the the world?
Paired Activity With a partner, reread "Key Item" and look for details that identify it as a
work of science fiction. Jot down your findings. Then discuss these questions with your
partner:
What details suggested that this story was written several decades ago?
What did you find most surprising about Asimov's prediction of the future?
Setting
computer of the future
Scientific Language
Multivac
million relays
436
CHOICES and CHALLENGES
Writing
Science Fiction Do you have any ideas about technology in the future? Try your hand at
science fiction. Write your own story about an important scientific advance that might
take place in the future. How might it affect people's daily lives? Place your story in
your Working Portfolio.
Writing Handbook See p. R45: Narrative Writing.
Speaking & Listening
Talking Computer Imagine that the computer you were working on suddenly began talking
to you. What would it say? What would you say back? Write such a dialogue and then
read it to the class. If you wish, have a classmate read the lines with you. Use
appropriate vocal inflection to distinguish the computer voice from the human voice.
Research & Technology
SCIENCE
Have you ever wished that you could tell the computer what to write, instead of typing the
words in yourself? Scientists have developed technology so you can do just that. Voicerecognition software allows people to instruct their computer simply by speaking to it.
Find out more about voice-recognition programs by searching science and computer
magazines and the Internet.
Research and Technology Handbook See p. RI10: Getting Information Electronically.
Isaac Asimov
1920-1992
"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them."
Love at First Sight Isaac Asimov was born in the Soviet Union but left at age three when
his parents immigrated to the United States. Once here, his parents opened several
candy stores. It was at one of these stores that Asimov first saw a science fiction
magazine. He was hooked from the beginning. Soon, Asimov was writing his own
science fiction stories. He submitted his first manuscript to the magazine Astounding
Science when he was 18.
Popular Writer Although his first stories were rejected by publishers, Asimov was not
discouraged and went on to publish hundreds of stories, articles, and books. He has
been called "the world's most prolific science writer." In his books, Asimov was able to
popularize difficult scientific concepts and introduce new ones. The term robotics, for
example, is his invention. Asimov wrote not only science fiction but fantasy, mystery,
and nonfiction on such topics as astronomy, mathematics, history, and the Bible.
437
SHORT STORY
The Serial Garden
by JOAN AIKEN
Connect toYour Life
Fantasies The story you are about to read is a fantasy. Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland is an example of a well-known fantasy. What other fantasies have you read
or seen? Do you have any favorites? Compare your favorites with those of your
classmates.
Build Background
SOCIAL STUDIES
"The Serial Garden" is part of a collection of short stories titled Armitage, Armitage, Fly
Away Home, by Joan Aiken, published in 1968. The story, probably set in the late
1940s or early 1950s in England, portrays the English love of beautiful gardens. Even
the smallest English cottage is likely to be adorned with colorful, carefully tended
flower gardens.
Focus Your Reading
LITERARY CONCEPT FANTASY
The type of fiction in which impossible and often wondrous events occur is called fantasy.
Unlike science fiction, which usually involves a future world that is explainable in
terms of scientific or technological advances, fantasy involves magic, which cannot be
explained. Fantasies can take place in realistic settings or in make-believe ones.
ACTIVE READING PREDICTING
Below are ten terms that relate to "The Serial Garden." Use the terms, the story's title, and
your knowledge of fantasy to help you predict what might happen in the story.
1. boy
2. corner store
3. cereal box
4. cereal
5. garden
6. princess
7. magic spell
8. teacher
9. shaggy dog
10. spring cleaning
READER'S NOTEBOOK Jot your prediction down in your notebook. As you read,
compare your prediction with the actual events. Change your prediction if you uncover
new clues. Include the clues that help you change your mind.
WORDS TO KNOW Vocabulary Preview
aggrievedly
convalescing
gaudy
susceptible
vigil
chaos
forage
incalculable
tantalizing
wan
438
The Serial Garden
BY JOAN AIKEN
439
Cold rice pudding for breakfast?" said Mark, looking at it with disfavor.
"Don't be fussy," said his mother. "You're the only one who's complaining." This was unfair,
for she and Mark were the only members of the family at table, Harriet having
developed measles while staying with a school friend, while Mr. Armitage had
somehow managed to lock himself in the larder.1 Mrs. Armitage never had anything hut
toast and marmalade for breakfast anyway.
Mark went on scowling at the chilly-looking pudding. It had come straight out of the fridge,
which was not in the larder.
"If you don't like it," said Mrs. Armitage, "unless you want Daddy to pass your corn flakes
through the larder ventilator, flake by flake, you'd better run down to Miss Pride and get
a small packet of cereal. She opens at eight; Hickmans doesn't open till nine. It's no use
waiting till the blacksmith comes to let your father out; I'm sure he won't be here for
hours yet."
There came a gloomy banging from the direction of the larder, just to remind them that Mr.
Armitage was alive and suffering in there.
"You're all right," shouted Mark heartlessly as he passed the larder door. "There's nothing to
stop you having corn flakes. Oh, I forgot, the milk's in the fridge. Well, have cheese and
pickles then. Or treacle tart."2
Even through the zinc grating on the door he could hear his father shudder at the thought of
treacle tart and pickles for breakfast. Mr. Armitage's imprisonment was his own fault,
though; he had sworn that he was going to find out where the mouse got into the larder
if it took him all night, watching and waiting. He had shut himself in, so that no
member of the family should come bursting in and disturb his vigil. The larder door had
a spring catch which sometimes jammed; it was bad luck that this turned out to be one
of the times.
Mark ran across the fields to Miss Pride's shop at Sticks Corner and asked if she had any
corn flakes.
"Oh, I don't think I have any left, dear," Miss Pride said woefully. "I'll have a look.... I think
I sold the last packet a week ago Tuesday."
"What about the one in the window?"
"That's a dummy, dear."
Miss Pride's shop window was full of nasty, dingy old cardboard cartons with nothing inside
them, and several empty display stands which had fallen down and never been propped
up again. Inside the shop were a few small, tired- looking tins and jars, which had a
worn and scratched appearance as if mice had tried them and given up. Miss Pride
herself was small and wan, with yellowish gray hair; she rooted rather hopelessly in a
pile of empty boxes. Mark's mother never bought any groceries from Miss Pride's if she
could help it, since the day when she had found a label inside the foil wrapping of a
cream cheese saying, "This cheese should be eaten before May 11, 1899."
"No corn flakes I'm afraid, dear."
"Any wheat crispier? Puffed corn? Rice nuts?"
"No, dear. Nothing left, only Brekkfast Brikks."
"Never heard of them," said Mark doubtfully.
"Or I've a jar of Ovo here. You spread it on bread. That's nice for breakfast," said Miss
1. larder: pantry.
2. treacle (trē'kəl) tart: a small pastry made with molasses.
WORDS TO KNOW
vigil (vĭj'əl') n. a time of staying awake in order to keep watch or guard something
wan (wŏn) adj_ sickly; pale
440
Pride, with a sudden burst of salesmanship. Mark thought the Ovo looked beastly, like
yellow paint, so he took the packet of Brekkfast Brikks. At least it wasn't very big.... On
the front of the box was a picture of a fat, repulsive, fair-haired boy, rather like the
chubby Augustus, banging on his plate with his spoon.
"They look like tiny doormats," said Mrs. Armitage, as Mark shoveled some Brikks into the
bowl.
"They taste like them too. Gosh," said Mark, "I must hurry or I'll be late for school. There's
rather a nice cutout garden on the back of the packet though; don't throw it away when
it's empty, Mother. Good-by, Daddy," he shouted through the larder door; "hope Mr.
Ellis comes soon to let you out." And he dashed off to catch the school bus.
At breakfast next morning Mark had a huge helping of Brekkfast Brikks and persuaded his
father to try them.
"They taste just like esparto grass,"3 said Mr. Armitage fretfully.
"Yes I know, but do take some more, Daddy. I want to cut out the model garden; it's so
lovely."
"Rather pleasant, I must say. It looks like an eighteenth-century German engraving," his
father agreed. "It certainly was a stroke of genius putting it on the packet. No one would
ever buy these things to eat for pleasure. Pass me the sugar, please. And the cream. And
the strawberries."
It was the half-term holiday, so after breakfast Mark was able to take the empty packet away
to the playroom and get on with the job of cutting out the stone walls, the row of little
trees, the fountain, the yew arch, the two green lawns, and the tiny clumps of brilliant
flowers. He knew better than to "stick tabs in slots and secure with paste," as the
directions suggested; he had made models from packets before and knew they always
fell to pieces unless they were firmly bound together with transparent sticky tape.
It was a long, fiddling, pleasurable job.
Nobody interrupted him. Mrs. Armitage only cleaned the playroom once every six months
or so, when she made a ferocious descent on it and tidied up the tape recorders, roller
skates, meteorological sets, and dismantled railway engines, and threw away countless
old magazines, stringless tennis rackets, abandoned paintings, and unsuccessful models.
There were always bitter complaints from Mark and Harriet; then they forgot, and
things piled up again till next time.
As Mark worked, his eye was caught by a verse on the outside of the packet:
"Brekkfast Brikks to start the day
Make you fit in every way.
Children bang their plates with glee
At Brekkfast Brikks for lunch and tea!
Brekkfast Brikks for supper too
Give peaceful sleep the whole night through."
3. esparto (ĭ-spär'tō) grass: long, coarse grass used in making rope, shoes, and paper.
441
---see picture
Portrait of Ari Redon (about 1898), Odilon Redon. Pastel on paper, 44.8 x 30.8 cm, The Art Institute of
Chicago, gift of Kate L. Brewster (1950.130). Photo Copyright © 1994 The Art Institute of Chicago, all
rights Reserved.
442
"Blimey," thought Mark, sticking a cedar tree into the middle of the lawn and then bending a
stone wall round at dotted lines A, B, C, and D. "I wouldn't want anything for breakfast,
lunch, tea, and supper, not even Christmas pudding. Certainly not Brekkfast Brikks."
He propped a clump of gaudy scarlet flowers against the wall and stuck them in place.
The words of the rhyme kept coming into his head as he worked, and presently he found that
they went rather well to a tune that was running through his mind, and he began to hum,
and then to sing; Mark often did this when he was alone and busy.
"Brekkfast Brikks to sta-art the day, Ma-ake you fi-it in every way—
"Blow, where did I put that little bit of sticky tape? Oh, there it is.
"Children bang their pla-ates with glee At Brekkfast Brikks for lunch and tea
"Slit gate with razor blade, it says, but it'll have to be a penknife.
"Brekkfast Brikks for supper toohoo Give peaceful sleep the whole night throughoo....
"Hullo. That's funny," said Mark.
It was funny. The openwork iron gate he had just stuck in position now suddenly towered
above him. On either side, to right and left, ran the high stone wall, stretching away into
foggy distance. Over the top of the wall he could see tall trees, yews and cypresses and
others he didn't know.
"Well, that's the neatest trick I ever saw," said Mark. "I wonder if the gate will open."
He chuckled as he tried it, thinking of the larder door. The gate did open, and he went
through into the garden.
One of the things that had already struck him as he cut them out was that the flowers were
not at all in the right proportions. But they were all the nicer for that. There were huge
velvety violets and pansies the size of saucers; the hollyhocks were as big as dinner
plates, and the turf was sprinkled with enormous daisies. The roses, on the other hand,
were miniature, no bigger than cuff buttons. There were real fish in the fountain, bright
pink.
"I made all this," thought Mark, strolling along the mossy path to the yew arch. "Won't
Harriet be surprised when she sees it. I wish she could see it now. I wonder what made
it come alive like that."
He passed through the yew arch as he said this and discovered that on the other side there
was nothing but gray, foggy blankness. This, of course, was where his cardboard garden
had ended. He turned back through the archway and gazed with pride at a border of
huge scarlet tropical flowers which were perhaps supposed to be geraniums but
certainly hadn't turned out that way. "1 know! Of course, it was the rhyme, the rhyme
on the packet."
He recited it. Nothing happened. "Perhaps you have to sing it," he thought, and (feeling a
little foolish) he sang it through to the tune that fitted so well. At once, faster than
blowing out a match, the garden drew itself together and shrank into its cardboard
again, leaving Mark outside.
"What a marvelous hiding place it'll make when I don't want people to come bothering,"
WORDS TO KNOW
gaudy (gô'dē) adj. excessively bright and showy
443
he thought. He sang the spell once more, just to make sure that it worked, and there was
the high mossy wall, the stately iron gate, and the treetops. He stepped in and looked
back. No playroom to be seen, only gray blankness.
At that moment he was startled by a tremendous clanging, the sort of sound the Trump of
Doom4 would make if it was a dinner bell. "Blow," he thought, "I suppose that's lunch."
He sang the spell for the fourth time; immediately he was in the playroom, and the
garden was on the floor beside him, and Agnes was still ringing the dinner hell outside
the door.
"All right, I heard," he shouted. "just coming."
He glanced hurriedly over the remains of the packet to see if it bore any mention of the fact
that the cutout garden had magic properties. It did not. He did, however, learn that this
was Section Three of the Beautiful Brekkfast Brikk Garden Series, and that Sections
One, Two, Four, Five, and Six would be found on other packets. In case of difficulty in
obtaining supplies, please write to Fruhstucksgeschirrziegelsteinindustrie (Great
Britain), Lily Road, Shepherds Bush.
"Elevenpence a packet," Mark murmured to himself, going to lunch with unwashed hands.
"Five elevens are thirty-five. Thirty-five pennies are—no, that's wrong. Fifty-five pence
are four-and-sevenpence. Father, if I mow the lawn and carry coal every day for a
month, can I have four shillings and sevenpence?"
"You don't want to buy another space gun, do you?" said Mr. Armitage looking at him
suspiciously. "Because one is quite enough in this family."
"No, it's not for a space gun, I swear."
"Oh, very well."
"And can I have the four-and-seven now?"
Mr. Armitage gave it reluctantly. "But that lawn has to be like velvet, mind," he said. "And
if there's any falling off in the coal supply, I shall demand my money back."
"No, no, there won't be," Mark promised in reply. As soon as lunch was over, he dashed
down to Miss Pride's. Was there a chance that she would have Sections One, Two,
Four, Five, and Six? He felt certain that no other shop had even heard of Brekkfast
Brikks, so she was his only hope, apart from the address in Shepherds Bush.
"Oh, I don't know, I'm sure," Miss Pride said, sounding very doubtful—and more than a
little surprised. "There might just be a couple on the bottom shelf—yes, here we are."
They were Sections Four and Five, bent and dusty, but intact, Mark saw with relief. "Don't
you suppose you have any more anywhere?" he pleaded.
"I'll look in the cellar, hut I can't promise. I haven't had deliveries of any of these for a long
time. Made by some foreign firm they were; people didn't seem very keen on them,"
Miss Pride said aggrievedly. She opened a door revealing a flight of damp stone stairs.
Mark followed her down them like a bloodhound on the trail.
The cellar was a fearful confusion of mildewed, tattered, and toppling cartons, some full,
some empty. Mark was nearly knocked cold by a shower of pilchards
4. Trump of Doom: the trumpet that, according to the Bible, will be blown to signal the end
of the world.
WORDS TO KNOW
aggrievedly (ə-grē'vĭd-lē) adv. in a manner suggesting that one has been badly treated
444
in tins,5 which he dislodged onto himself from the top of a heap of boxes. At last Miss
Pride, with a cry of triumph, unearthed a little cache of Brekkfast Brikks, three packets
which turned out to be the remaining sections, Six, One, and Two.
"There, isn't that a piece of luck now!" she said, looking quite faint with all the excitement.
It was indeed rare for Miss Pride to sell as many as five packets of the same thing at one
time.
Mark galloped home with his booty and met his father on the porch. Mr. Armitage let out a
groan of dismay.
"I'd almost rather you'd bought a space gun," he said. Mark chanted in reply:
"Brekkfast Brikks for supper too Give peaceful sleep the whole night through."
"I don't want peaceful sleep," Mr. Armitage said. "I intend to spend tonight mouse watching
again. I'm tired of finding footprints in the Stilton."6
During the next few days Mark's parents watched anxiously to see, Mr. Armitage said,
whether Mark would start to sprout esparto grass instead of hair. For he doggedly ate
Brekkfast Brikks for lunch, with soup, or sprinkled over his pudding; for tea, with jam;
and for supper lightly fried in dripping, not to mention, of course, the immense helpings
he had for breakfast with sugar and milk.
Mr. Armitage for his part soon gave out; he said he wouldn't taste another Brekkfast Brikk
even if it were wrapped in an inch-thick layer of pate de foie gras.7 Mark regretted that
Harriet, who was a handy and uncritical eater, was still away, convalescing from her
measles with an aunt.
In two days the second packet was finished (sundial, paved garden, and espaliers8). Mark cut
it out, fastened it together, and joined it onto Section Three with trembling hands.
Would the spell work for this section, too? He sang the rhyme in rather a quavering
voice, but luckily the playroom door was shut and there was no one to hear him. Yes!
The gate grew again above him, and when he opened it and ran across the lawn through
the yew arch, he found himself in a flagged garden full of flowers like huge blue
cabbages.
Mark stood hugging himself with satisfaction and then began to wander about smelling the
flowers, which had a spicy perfume most unlike any flower he could think
5. pilchards (pĭl'chərdz) in tins: cans of sardines.
6. Stilton: a rich, crumbly cheese.
7. pate de foie gras (pä-tā' də fwä grä') French: a food made of chopped goose livers, often
eaten spread on crackers.
8. espaliers (ĭ-spăl'yərz): trees or shrubs trained to grow flat against a wall.
WORDS TO KNOW
convalescing (kŏn'və-lĕs'ĭng) adj. recovering gradually from an illness convalesce v.
445
of. Suddenly he pricked up his ears. Had he caught a sound? There! It was like
somebody crying and seemed to come from the other side of the hedge. He ran to the
next opening and looked through. Nothing: only gray mist and emptiness. But, unless
he had imagined it, just before he got there, he thought his eye had caught the flash of
white-and-gold draperies swishing past the gateway.
"Do you think Mark's all right?" Mrs. Armitage said to her husband next day. "He seems to
be in such a dream all the time."
"Boy's gone clean off his rocker if you ask me," grumbled Mr. Armitage. "It's all these
doormats he's eating. Can't be good to stuff your insides with moldy jute9 Still I'm
bound to say he's cut the lawn very decently and seems to be remembering the coal. I'd
better take a day off from the office and drive you over to the shore for a picnic; sea air
will do him good."
Mrs. Armitage suggested to Mark that he should slack off on the Brekkfast Brikks, but he
was so horrified that she had to abandon the idea. But, she said, he was to run four
times round the garden every morning before breakfast. Mark almost said, "Which
garden?" but stopped just in time. He had cut out and completed another large lawn,
with a lake and weeping willows, and on the far side of the lake had a tantalizing
glimpse of a figure dressed in white and gold who moved away and was lost before he
could get there.
After munching his way through the fourth packet, he was able to add on a broad grass walk
bordered by curiously clipped trees. At the end of the walk he could see the white-andgold person, but when he ran to the spot, no one was there—the walk ended in the usual
gray mist.
When he had finished and had cut out the fifth packet (an orchard), a terrible thing happened
to him. For two days he could not remember the tune that worked the spell. He tried
other tunes, but they were no use. He sat in the playroom singing till he was hoarse or
silent with despair. Suppose he never remembered it again?
His mother shook her head at him that evening and said he looked as if he needed a dose.
"It's lucky we're going to Shinglemud Bay for the day tomorrow," she said. "That ought
to do you good."
"Oh, blow. I'd forgotten about that," Mark said. "Need I go?"
His mother stared at him in utter astonishment.
But in the middle of the night he remembered the right tune, leaped out of bed in a
tremendous hurry, and ran down to the playroom without even waiting to put on his
dressing gown and slippers.
The orchard was most wonderful, for instead of mere apples its trees bore oranges, lemons,
limes and all sorts of tropical fruits whose names he did not know, and there were
melons and pineapples growing, and plantains and avocados. Better still, he saw the
lady in her white and gold waiting at the end of an alley and was able to draw near
enough to speak to her.
"Who are you?" she asked. She seemed very much astonished at the sight of him.
"My name's Mark Armitage," he said politely. "Is this your garden?"
9. jute: a strong fiber used for making mars, rope, and sacks.
WORDS TO KNOW
tantalizing (tăn'tə-lī'zĭng) adj. arousing interest without satisfying it tantalize v.
446
Close to, he saw that she was really very grand indeed. Her dress was white satin,
embroidered with pearls, and swept the ground; she had a gold scarf, and her hair,
dressed high and powdered, was confined in a small gold-and-pearl tiara. Her face was
rather plain, pink with a long nose, but she had a kind expression and beautiful gray
eyes.
"Indeed it is," she announced with hauteur. "I am Princess Sophia Maria Louisa of SaxeHoffenpoffen-und-Hamster. What are you doing here, pray?"
"Well," Mark explained cautiously, "it seemed to come about through singing a tune."
"Indeed. That is most interesting. Did the tune, perhaps, go like this?"
The princess hummed a few bars.
"That's it! How did you know?"
"Why, you foolish boy, it was I who put the spell on the garden, to make it come alive when
the tune is played or sung."
"I say!" Mark was full of admiration. "Can you do spells as well as being a princess?"
She drew herself up. "Naturally! At the court of Saxe-Hoffenpoffen, where I was educated,
all princesses were taught a little magic, not so much as to be vulgar, just enough to get
out of social difficulties."
"Jolly useful," Mark said. "How did you work the spell for the garden, then?"
"Why, you see," (the princess was obviously delighted to have somebody to talk to; she sat
on a stone seat and patted it, inviting Mark to do likewise) "I had the misfortune to fall
in love with Herr Rudolf, the court Kapellmeister,10 who taught me music. Oh, he was
so kind and handsome! And he was most talented, but my father, of course, would not
hear of my marrying him because he was only a common person."
"So what did you do?"
"I arranged to vanish, of course. Rudi had given me a beautiful book with many pictures of
gardens. My father kept strict watch to see I did not run away, so I used to slip between
the pages of the book when I wanted to be alone. Then, when we decided to marry, I
asked my maid to take the book to Rudi. And I sent him a note telling him to play the
tune when he received the book. But I believe that spiteful Gertrud must have played
me false and never taken the book, for more than fifty years have now passed and I
have been here all alone, waiting in the garden, and Rudi has never come. Oh, Rudi,
Rudi," she exclaimed, wringing her hands and crying a little, "where can you be? It is so
long—so long!"
"Fifty years," Mark said kindly, reckoning that must make her nearly seventy. "I must say
you don't look it."
"Of course I do not, dumbhead. For me, I make it that time does not touch me. But tell me,
how did you know the tune that works the spell? It was taught me by my dear Rudi."
"I'm not sure where I picked it up," Mark confessed. "For all I know it may be one of the
Top Ten. I'll ask my music teacher; he's sure to know. Perhaps he'll have heard of your
Rudolf too."
Privately Mark feared that Rudolf might very well have died by now, but he did not like to
depress Princess Sophia Maria by such a suggestion, so he bade her a polite good night,
promising to come back as soon as he could with another section of the garden and any
news he could pick up.
10. Kapellmeister (kə-pĕl'mī'stər) the leader of a choir or orchestra.
448
He planned to go and see Mr. Johansen, his music teacher, next morning, hut he had
forgotten the family trip to the beach. There was just time to scribble a hasty post card
to the British office of Fruhstucksgeschirrziegelsteinindustrie, asking them if they could
inform him from what source they had obtained the pictures used on the packets of
Brekkfast Brikks. Then Mr. Armitage drove his wife and son to Shinglemud Bay,
gloomily prophesying wet weather.
In fact, the weather turned out fine, and Mark found it quite restful to swim and play beach
cricket and cat ham sandwiches and lie in the sun. For he had been struck by a horrid
thought: suppose he should forget the tune again when he was inside the garden—
would he be stuck there, like Father in the larder? It was a lovely place to go and
wander at will, hut somehow he didn't fancy spending the next fifty years there with
Princess Sophia Maria. Would she oblige him by singing the spell if he forgot it, or
would she be too keen on company to let him go? He was not inclined to take any
chances.
It was late when they arrived home, too late, Mark thought, to disturb Mr. Johansen, who
was elderly and kept early hours. Mark ate a huge helping of sardines on Brekkfast
Brikks for supper—he was dying to finish Section Six—but did not visit the garden that
night.
Next morning's breakfast (Brikks with hot milk, for a change) finished the last packet—and
just as well, for the larder mouse, which Mr. Armitage still had not caught, was
discovered to have nibbled the bottom left-hand corner of the packet, slightly damaging
an ornamental grotto11 in a grove of lime trees. Rather worried about this, Mark decided
to make up the last section straightaway, in case the magic had been affected. By now
he was becoming very skillful at the tiny fiddling task of cutting out the little tabs and
slipping them into the little slots; the job did not take long to finish. Mark attached
Section Six to Section Five and then, drawing a deep breath, sang the incantation12 once
more. With immense relief he watched the mossy wall and rusty gate grow out of the
playroom floor; all was well.
He raced across the lawn, round the lake, along the avenue, through the orchard, and into the
lime grove. The scent of the lime flowers was sweeter than a cake baking.
Princess Sophia Maria came towards him from the grotto, looking slightly put out.
"Good morning!" she greeted Mark. "Do you bring me any news?"
"I haven't been to see my music teacher yet," Mark confessed. "I was a bit anxious because
there was a hole—"
"Ach, yes, a hole in the grotto! I have just been looking. Sonic wild beast must have made
its way in, and I am afraid it may come again. See, it has made tracks like those of a big
hear." She showed him some enormous footprints in the soft sand of the grotto floor.
Mark stopped up the hole with prickly branches and promised to bring a dog when he
next came, though he felt fairly sure the mouse would not return.
"I can borrow a dog from my teacher—he has plenty. I'll be back in an hour at so —see you
then," he said.
"Auf Wiedersehen,13 my dear young friend." Mark ran along the village street to Mr.
11 grotto: a structure made to look like a small cave.
12. incantation (ĭn'kăn-tā'shən): magic spell.
13. auf Wiedersehen (ouf vē'dər-zā'ən) German: goodbye.
449
Johansen's house, Houndshaven Cottage. He knew better than to knock at the door because
Mr. Johansen would be either practicing his violin or out in the barn at the hack, and in
any case the sound of barking was generally loud enough to drown any noise short of
gunfire.
Besides giving music lessons at Mark's school, Mr. Johansen kept a guest house for dogs
whose owners were abroad or on holiday. He was extremely kind to the guests and did
his best to make them feel at home in every way, finding out from their owners what
were their favorite foods, and letting them sleep on his own bed, turn about. He spent
all his spare time with them, talking to them and playing either his violin or longplaying records of domestic sounds likely to appeal to the canine fancy—such as knives
being sharpened, cars starting up, and children playing ball games.
Mark could hear Mr. Johansen playing Brahms's lullaby in the barn, so he went out there;
the music was making some of the more susceptible inmates feel homesick: howls,
sympathetic moans, and long shuddering sighs came from the numerous comfortably
carpeted cubicles all the way down the barn.
Mr. Johansen reached the end of the piece as Mark entered. He put down his fiddle and
smiled welcomingly.
"Ach, how gut! It is the young Mark."
"Hullo, sir."
"You know," confided Mr. Johansen, "I play to many audiences in my life all over the
world, but never anywhere do I get such a response as from zese dear doggies—it is
really remarkable. But come in; come into ze house and have some coffee cake."
Mr. Johansen was a gentle, white-haired elderly man; he walked slowly with a slight stoop
and had a kindly, sad face with large dark eyes. He looked rather like some sort of dog
himself, Mark always thought, perhaps a collie or a long-haired dachshund.
"Sir," Mark said, "if I whistle a tune to you, can you write it down for me?"
"Why, yes, I shall be most happy," Mr. Johansen said, pouring coffee for both of them.
So Mark whistled his tune once more; as he came to the end, he was surprised to see the
music master's eyes fill with tears, which slowly began to trickle down his thin cheeks.
"It recalls my youth, zat piece," he explained, wiping the tears away and rapidly scribbling
crotchets and minims on a piece of music paper. "Many times I am whistling it
myself—it is wissout doubt from me you learn it—but always it is reminding me of
how happy I was long ago when I wrote it."
"You wrote that tune?" Mark said, much excited.
"Why yes. What is so strange in zat? Many, many tunes haf I written."
"Well—" Mark said, "I won't tell you just yet in case I'm mistaken—I'll have to see
somebody else first. Do you mind if I dash off right away? Oh, and might I borrow a
dog— preferably a good ratter?"
"In zat case, better have my dear Lottaalzough she is so old she is ze best of zem all," Mr.
Johansen said proudly. Lotta was his own dog, an enormous shaggy lumbering animal
with a tail like a palm tree and feet the size of electric polishers; she was reputed to be
of incalculable age; Mr. Johansen called her his
WORDS TO KNOW
susceptible (sə-sĕp'tə-bəl) adj. easily affected or Influenced
incalculable (ĭn-kăl'kyə-lə-bəl) adj. too great to be measured or counted
450
strudel-hound. She knew Mark well and came along with him quite biddably, though it
was rather like leading a mammoth.
Luckily his mother, refreshed by her day at the sea, was heavily engaged with Agnes the
maid in spring cleaning. Furniture was being shoved about, and everyone was too busy
to notice Mark and Lotta slip into the playroom.
A letter addressed to Mark lay among the clutter on the table; he opened and read it while
Lotta foraged happily among the piles of magazines and tennis nets and cricket bats and
rusting electronic equipment, managing to upset several things and increase the general
state of huggermugger in the room.
Dear Sir, (the letter said—it was from Messrs. Digit, Digit, & Rule, a firm of chartered
accountants)—We are in receipt of your inquiry as to the source of pictures on packets
of Brekkfast Brikks. We are pleased to inform you that these were reproduced from the
illustrations of a little-known 18th-century German work, Steinbergen's Gartenbuch.
Unfortunately the only known remaining copy of this book was burnt in the disastrous
fire which destroyed the factory and premises of
MssrsTruhstucksgeschirrziegelsteinindustrie two months ago. The firm has now gone
into liquidation and we are winding up their effects. Yours faithfully, P. J. Zero, Gen.
Sec.
WORDS TO KNOW
forage (fôr'ĭj) v to search for what one wants or needs, especially for food
451
"Steinbergen's Gartenbuch," Mark thought. "That must have been the hook that Princess
Sophia Maria used for the spell— probably the same copy. Oh, well, since it's burned,
it's lucky the pictures were reproduced on the Brekkfast Brikks packets. Come on,
Lotta, let's go and find a nice princess then. Good girl! Rats! Chase 'em!"
He sang the spell, and Lotta, all enthusiasm, followed him into the garden.
They did not have to go far before they saw the princess— she was sitting sunning herself
on the rim of the fountain. But what happened then was unexpected. Lotta let out the
most extraordinary cry—whine, hark, and howl all in one—and hurled herself towards
the princess like a rocket.
"Hey! Look out! Lotto! Heel!" Mark shouted in alarm. Rut Lotta, with her great paws on the
princess's shoulders, had about a yard of salmon-pink tongue out, and was washing the
princess's face all over with frantic affection.
The princess was just as excited. "Lotta, Lotta! She knows me; it's dear Lotta; it must be!
Where did you get her?" she cried to Mark, hugging the enormous dog, whose tail was
going round faster than a turboprop.
"Why, she belongs to my music master, Mr. Johansen, and it's he who made up the tune,"
Mark said.
The princess turned quite white and had to sit down on the fountain's rim again.
"Johansen? Rudolf Johansen? My Rudi! At last! After all these years! Oh, run, run, and
fetch him immediately, please! Immediately!"
Mark hesitated a moment.
"Please make haste!" she besought him. "Why do you wait?"
"It's only—well, you won't he surprised if he's quite old, will you? Remember he hasn't been
in a garden keeping young like you."
"All that will change," the princess said confidently. "He has only to eat the fruit of the
garden. Why, look at Lotta when she was a puppy, for a joke I gave her a fig from this
tree, and you can see she is a puppy still, though she must be older than any other dog
in the world! Oh, please hurry to bring Rudi here."
"Why don't you come with me to his house?"
"That would not be correct etiquette," she said with dignity. "After all, I am royal."
"Okay," said Mark. "I'll fetch him. Hope he doesn't think I'm crackers."
"Give him this." The princess took off a locket on a gold chain. It had a miniature of a
romantically handsome young man with dark curling hair. "My Rudi," she explained
fondly. Mark could just trace a faint resemblance to Mr. Johansen.
He took the locket and hurried away. At the gate something made him look back: the
princess and Lotta were sitting at the edge of the fountain, side by side. The princess
had an
452
arm round Lotta's neck; with the other hand she waved to him, just a little.
"Hurry!" she called again.
Mark made his way out of the house, through the spring-cleaning chaos, and flew down the
village to Houndshaven Cottage. Mr. Johansen was in the house this time, boiling up a
noisome mass of meat and bones for the dogs' dinner. Mark said nothing at all, just
handed him the locket. He took one look at it and staggered, putting his hand to his
heart; anxiously, Mark led him to a chair.
"Are you all right, sir?"
"Yes, yes! It was only ze shock. Where did you get ziss, my boy?"
So Mark told him.
Surprisingly, Mr. Johansen did not find anything odd about the story; he nodded his head
several times as Mark related the various points.
"Yes, yes, her letter, I have it still—" he pulled out a worn little scrap of paper, "but ze
Gartenbuch it reached me never. Zat wicked Gertrud must haf sold it to some bookseller
who sold it to Fruhstucksgeschirrziegelsteinindustrie. And so she has been waiting all
ziss time! My poor little Sophie!"
"Are you strong enough to come to her now?" Mark asked.
"Naturlich! But first we must give ze dogs zeir dinner; zey must not go hungry."
So they fed the dogs, which was a long job as there were at least sixty and each had a
different diet, including some very odd preferences like Swiss roll spread with Marmite
and yeast pills wrapped in slices of caramel. Privately, Mark thought the dogs were a bit
spoiled, but Mr. Johansen was very careful to see that each visitor had just what it
fancied.
"After all, zey are not mine! Must I not take good care of zem?"
At least two hours had gone by before the last willow-pattern plate was licked clean, and
they were free to go. Mark made rings round Mr. Johansen all the way up the village;
the music master limped quietly along, smiling a little; from time to time he said,
"Gently, my friend. We do not run a race. Remember I am an old man."
That was just what Mark did remember. He longed to see Mr. Johansen young and happy
once more.
The chaos in the Armitage house had changed its location: the front hall was now clean,
tidy, and damp; the rumpus of vacuuming had shifted to the playroom. With a black
hollow of apprehension in his middle, Mark ran through the open door and stopped,
aghast. All the toys, tools, weapons, boxes, magazines, and bits of machinery had been
rammed into the cupboards; the floor where his garden had been laid out was bare. Mrs.
Armitage was in the playroom taking down the curtains.
"Mother! Where's my Brekkfast Brikks garden?"
"Oh, darling, you didn't want it, did you? It was all dusty; I thought you'd finished with it.
I'm afraid I've burned it in the furnace. Really you must try not to let this room get into
such a clutter; it's perfectly disgraceful. Why, hullo, Mr. Johansen," she added in
embarrassment. "I didn't see you; I'm afraid you've called at the worst possible moment.
But I'm sure you'll understand how it is at spring-cleaning time."
She rolled up her bundle of curtains, glancing worriedly at Mr. Johansen; he looked rather
odd, she thought. But he gave her his
WORDS TO KNOW
chaos (kā'ŏs') n. extreme confusion or disorder
453
tired, gentle smile and said, "Why, yes, Mrs. Armitage, I understand; I understand very
well. Come, Mark. We have no business here, you can see."
Speechlessly, Mark followed him. What was there to say?
"Never mind," Mrs. Armitage called after Mark. "The Rice Nuts pack has a helicopter on it."
Every week in The Times newspaper you will see this advertisement:
BREKKFAST BRIKKS PACKETS. £100
offered for any in good condition,
whether empty or full.
So, if you have any, you know where to send them.
But Mark is growing anxious; none have come in yet, and every day Mr. Johansen seems a
little thinner and more elderly. Besides, what will the princess be thinking?
454
THINKING through the LITERATURE
Connect to the Literature
1. What Do You Think?
What were your thoughts as you finished reading this story?
Comprehension Check
How does Mark get into the magic garden?
Whom does Mark meet in the garden?
How does Mr. Johansen know the Brekkfast Brikks song?
Think Critically
2. What are some of the things Mark might have done to bring about a different ending to
this story? Explain your answer.
3. Do you think Mr. Johansen and Princess Sophia will ever be reunited? Why or why not?
Think About:
the princess's knowledge of magic
Mr. Johansen's age and physical condition
the advertisement that appears in The Times every week
4. If you were in Mark's place, would you go back and forth into the magic garden? Explain
your answer.
5. ACTIVE READING PREDICTING
Look back at the notes you made in your READER'S NOTEBOOK. How do the
predictions you made compare to the actual events in the story? If you changed any of
your predictions as you were reading, what clues led you to do so?
Extend Interpretations
6. COMPARING TEXTS You listed three of your favorite fantasy stories for the Connect
to Your Life on page 438. Identify possible themes for each story. How would you
compare the theme of "The Serial Garden" with these other stories? Are the themes
similar? identical? dissimilar? Explain.
Literary Analysis
FANTASY A fantasy is a story that takes place in an unreal, imaginary world, such as the
garden in "The Serial Garden." Fantasies often involve magic, characters with
superhuman powers, and impossible events. Sometimes the boundary between fantasy
and the real world becomes blurred or hard to recognize, as in this passage from the
story:
My father kept strict watch to see I did not run away, so I used to slip between the pages of
the book when I wanted to be alone.
Paired Activity With a partner, find three other examples of fantasy in "The Serial Garden"
REVIEW: HUMOR Writers often create humor by means of amusing descriptions, witty
dialogue, and other devices. What do you find humorous in this story?
455
CHOICES and CHALLENGES
Writing
Escape Plan At one point, Mark fears that he might forget the magic tune and that Princess
Sophia might keep him in the garden for company. If that happened, how could Mark
get back home? Write a description of an escape plan he might design. Place your plan
in your Working Portfolio.
Writing Handbook See p.1143: Descriptive Writing.
Speaking & Listening
Monologue Write a monologue that shows how Princess Sophia might react when she finds
out that Mark and Mr. Johansen have failed to return. Or, with a partner, compose the
dialogue between the princess and Mr. Johansen, had they met. Present your monologue
or dialogue to a group of classmates.
Speaking and Listening Handbook See p. R102: Present.
Research & Technology
How many authors of science fiction and fantasy are you familiar with? Choose a time
period of ten years anywhere between 1940 and the present, and compile a list of the
most famous science fiction or fantasy authors during that time period. Or, you might
choose two or three authors you already know and compile a list of their life's work.
Were any of the stories made into films? Which ones? You may want to use your lists
for further exploration into the genre. List the sources you used in your search.
Research and Technology Handbook See p. R110: Getting Information Electronically.
Vocabulary
STANDARDIZED TEST PRACTICE
For each sentence below, write the letter of the word that is most nearly opposite in meaning
to the underlined Word to Know.
1. Mr. Johansen's music made those dogs that were susceptible howl.
A sympathetic
B unaffected
C friendly
D influenced
2. Miss Pride was a small, wan woman with yellowish hair.
A thin
B pale
C unhealthy
D depressed
3. Mark had a tantalizing glimpse of someone on the far side of the lake.
A pleasing
B panting
C boring
D interesting
4. Mrs. Pride said aggrievedly that not many people liked Brekkfast Brikks.
A resentfully
B loudly
C slowly
D merrily
5. The house was in spring-cleaning chaos when Mark left.
A activity
B rest
C order
D confusion
EXERCISE Answer the following questions.
1. Is a person who is foraging likely to be arguing, relaxing, or searching?
2. Would a person who has been keeping a vigil be sleepy, happy, or careless?
3. Are the convalescing people in a hospital the doctors, the visitors, or the patients?
4. Would a person be most likely to wear a gaudy outfit to a funeral, a costume party, or a
job interview?
5. On a lonely beach, which might you find in incalculable numbers—seals, swimmers, or
grains of sand?
Vocabulary Handbook See p. R26: Synonyms and Antonyms.
456
CHOICES and CHALLENGES
Grammar in Context: Placement of Adverbs
Through careful placement of adverbs, writers can emphasize certain words. Notice where
Joan Aiken places the adverbs in the following sentences.
Mrs. Armitage only cleaned the playroom once every six months or so, ...
Speechlessly, Mark followed him. What was there to say?
In the first sentence, how would the meaning change if only appeared before Mrs. Armitage?
In the second sentence, how would the emphasis change if speechlessly were to appear
at the end of the sentence rather than the beginning of the sentence?
Apply to Your Writing Changing the position of an adverb in a sentence can vary the
meaning and emphasis of the sentence.
WRITING EXERCISE Change the placement of the underlined adverbs. Briefly describe
how the change affects the meaning of the sentence.
Example: Original The larder door opened and creaked suddenly.
Rewritten Suddenly the larder door opened and and creaked. [Emphasis shifts from the
larder door to suddenly.]
1. Surprisingly Mrs. Pride entered the cellar and found some Brikks.
2. Mark slowly tried to remember the tune.
3. The princess smiled nervously as Mark sneaked into her garden.
4. The princess fondly opened the locket.
Grammar Handbook See p.1382: Using Modifiers Effectively.
Joan Aiken
born 1924
"I find short fantasy much easier to manage than long fantasy . . . And characters can be
much simpler in a short fantasy"
Literary Family Joan Aiken, the daughter of American poet Conrad Aiken, was born and
raised in England where she still lives. She spent much of her childhood reading and
making up stories to amuse herself and her younger stepbrother. She knew at an early
age that she wanted to become a writer, having filled notebooks with poems and stories
from the time she was five.
Popular Writer Aiken's husband died when their children were young, and she had to work
as an editor at a magazine to support her family, supplementing her income by
publishing short stories. In 1960 she revised a novel that she had written when she was
17. It became her first published novel, The Kingdom and the Cove. Her first big
success came soon after, with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. Marketed as a
children's book, it was praised and read by adults as well.
AUTHOR ACTIVITY
The Fate of the Armitages Read more about the Armitages in Aiken's book Armitage,
Armitage, Fly Away Home and present a short report to the class.
457
POETRY
Jabberwocky
by LEWIS CAROLL
Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the
Garbage Out
by SHEL SILVERTEIN
Connect toYour Life
Challenges Life has many challenges. Some are simple, like making your bed, while others
are more risky. Think about a challenge you have had that was either hard to do or that
you just didn't want to do. Why was it so hard for you? How did you finally get
motivated to do it? Share your experience with your classmates.
Build Background
The two humorous poems you are about to read were written especially for young people.
They have fun-to-read language and elements of fantasy. In "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia
Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out," a pile of garbage grows so high it touches the
sky.
"Jabberwocky" tells the story of a boy who slays a dragon. Lewis Carroll wrote the poem to
go in his book Through the Looking Glass. Carroll's books transformed literature for
young adults. Before his work, most people felt that children's books should instruct
children in more serious matters. Although some of Carroll's work is serious, most
historians agree that his playful attitude toward language and his imaginative settings
changed writing for young people.
Focus Your Reading
LITERARY ANALYSIS SOUND DEVICES
Poets use sound devices such as rhyme, rhythm, and repetition to enliven their poems. In
humorous poetry these devices often are exaggerated for comic effect. Two other
sound devices used in the poems you are about to read are alliteration and
onomatopoeia. Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of
words or syllables. Ten tame tigers is an example of alliteration. Onomatopoeia is the
use of sounds that suggest their meaning. Buzz, crack, and gargle are common
onomatopoetic words. Read a poem aloud to best appreciate its sound devices.
ACTIVE READING CLARIFY
Stopping now and then to reread a difficult passage can help you clarify a poem's meaning.
You can also clarify the meaning of a poem by reading it aloud.
READER'S NOTEBOOK As you read each of the poems aloud, jot down notes about
aspects of them that you stop to clarify.
"Jabberwocky"
A father is telling his son to beware.
The Jabberwock must be dangerous.
The Jabberwock has claws and jaws
It must be some kind of animal.
458
Jabberwocky
by Lewis Carroll
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoyes,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he soughtSo rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, is
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoyes,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
Culver Pictures
THINKING through the LITERATURE
1. How would you describe the Jabberwock? The boy?
2. What do you think "O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!" means?
459
Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the
Garbage Out
by Shel Silverstein
Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout
Would not take the garbage out!
She'd scour the pots and scrape the pans,
Candy the yams and spice the hams,
And though her daddy would scream and shout,
She simply would not take the garbage out.
And so it piled up to the ceilings:
Coffee grounds, potato peelings,
Brown bananas, rotten peas,
Chunks of sour cottage cheese.
It filled the can, it covered the floor,
It cracked the window and blocked the door
With bacon rinds and chicken bones,
Drippy ends of ice cream cones,
Prune pits, peach pits, orange peel,
Gloppy glumps of cold oatmeal,
Pizza crusts and withered greens,
Soggy beans and tangerines,
Crusts of black burned buttered toast,
Gristly bits of beefy roasts ...
The garbage rolled on down the hall,
It raised the roof, it broke the wall ...
Greasy napkins, cookie crumbs,
Globs of gooey bubble gum,
Cellophane from green baloney,
Rubbery blubbery macaroni,
Peanut butter, caked and dry,
Curdled milk and crusts of pie,
Moldy melons, dried-up mustard,
Eggshells mixed with lemon custard,
Cold french fries and rancid meat,
Yellow lumps of Cream of Wheat.
At last the garbage reached so high
That finally it touched the sky.
And all the neighbors moved away,
And none of her friends would come to play.
And finally Sarah Cynthia Stout said,
"OK, I'll take the garbage out!"
But then, of course, it was too late ...
The garbage reached across the state,
From New York to the Golden Gate.
And there, in the garbage she did hate,
Poor Sarah met an awful fate,
That I cannot right now relate
Because the hour is much too late.
But children, remember Sarah Stout
And always take the garbage out!
460
THINKING through the LITERATURE
Connect to the Literature
1. What Do You Think?
What is your reaction to Sarah's predicament?
Comprehension Check
What does the garbage do to Sarah's house?
How do the neighbors and her friends react?
How much garbage is there?
Think Critically
2. How does Silverstein make the garbage so vivid?
3. What do you think Sarah Stout's "awful fate" was?
4. What can you infer about Sarah's parents based on this poem? Explain.
Think About:
the chores she had to do
her stubbornness
the fact that they refused to do Sarah's job for her
ACTIVE READING CLARIFY
Review the notes you took in your READER'S NOTEBOOK. How did reading the poems
aloud help you clarify their meaning? Compare your notes with those of classmates and
discuss differences.
Extend Interpretations
6. COMPARING TEXTS How are "Jabberwocky" and "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would
Not Take the Garbage Out" similar? How are they different? Compare the theme, the
writers' purposes, the subjects of the poems, and the sound devices the poets use. A
Venn diagram may help you organize your ideas.
7. Connect to Life How do you react to a challenge? Are you more like Sarah Stout or the
boy in "Jabberwocky"? Explain.
Literary Analysis
SOUND DEVICES Poets use sound devices, such as alliteration, onomatopoeia, and rhyme
to create a unified effect in their poems.
Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of the words and
syllables, as in "Tumtum tree" or "moldy melons."
Onomatopoeia is the use of words whose sounds suggest their meaning. The "snickersnack" of the "vorpal blade," for example, is an onomatopoeia that suggests the blade's
rapid movement.
Another important sound device is rhyme, the repetition of sounds at the ends of words.
Both poems use rhymes at the ends of lines.
Paired Activity With a partner, go through the poems and create a chart to list examples of
sound devices you find.
When you finish, take turns reading the poems aloud to one another. Which poem do you
think uses sound devices more effectively?
"Jabberwocky"
alliteration
Callooh! Callay!
Tumtum tree
onomatopoeia
Bandersnatch
rhyme
toves/borogoves
wabe/outgrabe
461
CHOICES and CHALLENGES
Writing
Nonsense Poem Both "Jabberwocky" and "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the
Garbage Out" are humorous poems. Write your own rhymed humorous poem, or if you
prefer, write a sequel to either of the selected poems, starting where the poet left oft
Summarizing Sarah Stout Imagine that you are a newspaper reporter sent to cover the
Sarah Stout story. Write an article summarizing what happened. Be sure your story
includes the main idea and most important details of the story. Use quotes from the
poem, and be sure there's a beginning, middle, and end. Conclude with a lesson your
readers might learn from Sarah Stout's misfortune.
Research & Technology
Poetry Project Find an anthology of humorous poetry and choose a poem you like. Use an
encyclopedia or other resource to learn a little about the author. Memorize the poem and
perform it for the class. After you recite the poem, tell the class where you found it and
provide information about the author.
Speaking and Listening Handbook See p. R102: Present.
Lewis Carroll
1832-1898
"Oh frabjous day! Collooh!Hay!"
Reading, Writing, and Nonsense Lewis Carroll, whose real name was Charles Lutwidge
Dodgson, grew up in a family with ten brothers and sisters in rural England. As a child,
he read voraciously and made up nonsense stories. At 12, Carroll left for boarding
school. His letters home often included sketches and cartoons in the margins.
Mathematician and Children's Writer After Carroll finished school, he became a
mathematician at Oxford University. Many of the stories and poems he wrote grew out
of tales he told to the children of friends at Oxford. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
and Through the Looking Glass have become classics.
Shel Silverstein
1932-1999
"Poor Sarah met an awful fate."
City Kid Shel Silverstein was known for his ability to understand and express young
people's fears and silliness. It was during his own childhood that Silverstein turned to
writing and drawing. Silverstein grew up in Chicago, where he said he "couldn't play
ball, couldn't dance.... So I started to draw and write." Silverstein himself created all the
drawings for his poetry.
Cartoonist, Composer, Poet Silverstein had many books of poetry and prose to his credit,
including the very popular Where the Sidewalk Ends. He wrote hundreds of poems.
Most are silly or comic, though some are more serious. Silverstein was also a
distinguished music composer and song writer.
462
PERSUASIVE ESSAY
The Eternal Frontier
by LOUIS L'AMOUR
Connect toYour Life
What frontiers would you like to explore?
Build Background
Sixteen nations are working together to build the International Space Station. One of the
project's goals is the promise of conducting valuable scientific research. Another is to
encourage international cooperation.
Focus Your Reading
LITERARY ANALYSIS PERSUASIVE ESSAY
A persuasive essay is a type of nonfiction work that offers an opinion on a subject and tries
to sway readers to accept that opinion. A persuasive essay appeals not only to the mind
but also to the heart of the reader.
WORDS TO KNOW Vocabulary Preview
antidote
devastating
impetus
incorporate
multitude
ACTIVE READER EVALUATING
A persuasive essay may be evaluated in terms of how well the author supports his or her
opinions. Writers use evidence to help convince the reader that their claims (opinions)
are correct. Evidence could be in the form of facts, statistics, examples, or quotations.
Questions you might ask when evaluating include: Is the evidence used adequate?
accurate? appropriate? What are the writer's biases?
As you read "The Eternal Frontier," evaluate the essay carefully. Record in your
READER'S NOTEBOOK the questions you ask and the opinions you form.
---see pictures
This artist's concept shows what the completed Space Station will look like as it orbits Earth. When
complete, the station will be brighter than any star in the sky.
Two astronauts check a module connection during the first stages of construction, December 1998.
463
The question I am most often asked is, "Where is the frontier now?"
The answer should be obvious. Our frontier lies in outer space.
The moon, the asteroids, the planets, these are mere stepping stones, where we will test
ourselves, learn needful lessons, and grow in knowledge before we attempt those
frontiers beyond our solar system. Outer space is a frontier without end, the eternal
frontier, an everlasting challenge to explorers not alone of other planets and other solar
systems but also of the mind of man.
All that has gone before was preliminary. We have been preparing ourselves mentally for
what lies ahead. Many problems remain, but if we can avoid a devastating war we shall
move with a rapidity scarcely to be believed. In the past seventy years we have
developed the automobile, radio, television, transcontinental and transoceanic flight,
and the electrification of the country, among a multitude of other such developments. In
1900 there were 144 miles of surfaced road in the United States. Now there are over
3,000,000. Paved roads and the development of the automobile have gone hand in hand,
the automobile being civilized man's antidote to overpopulation.
What is needed now is leaders with perspective; we need leadership on a thousand fronts,
but they must be men and women who can take the long view and help to shape the
outlines of our future. There will always be the nay-sayers,1 those who cling to our
lovely green planet as a baby clings to its mother, but there will be others like those
who have taken us this far along the path to a limitless future.
We are a people born to the frontier. It has been a part of our thinking, waking, and sleeping
since men first landed on this continent. The frontier is the line that separates the known
from the unknown wherever it may be, and we have a driving
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need to see what lies beyond. It was this that brought people to America, no matter what
excuses they may have given themselves or others.
Freedom of religion, some said, and the need for land, a better future for their children, the
lust for gold, or the desire to escape class restrictions—all these reasons were given.
The fact remains that many, suffering from the same needs and restrictions, did not
come.
Why then did some cross the ocean to America and not others? Of course, all who felt that
urge did not come to America; some went to India, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, or
elsewhere. Those who did come to America began almost at once to push inland,
challenging the unknown, daring to go beyond the thin line that divides the known and
the unknown. Many had, after landing from the old country, developed good farms or
successful businesses; they had become people of standing in their communities. Why
then did they move on, leaving all behind?
I believe it to be something buried in their genes, some inherited trait,2- perhaps something
essential to the survival of the species.
They went to the edge of the mountains; then they crossed the mountains and found their
way through impassable forests to the Mississippi. After that the Great Plains, the
Rocky Mountains, and on to Oregon and California. They trapped fur, traded with
Indians, hunted buffalo, ranched with cattle or sheep, built towns, and farmed. Yet the
genes lay buried within them, and after a few months, a few years, they moved on.
Each science has its own frontiers, and the future of our nation and the world lies in research
and development, in probing what lies beyond.
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A few years ago we moved into outer space. We landed men on the moon; we sent a vehicle
beyond the limits of the solar system, a vehicle still moving farther and farther into that
limitless distance. If our world were to die tomorrow, that tiny vehicle would go on and
on forever, carrying its mighty message to the stars. Out there, someone, sometime,
would know that once we existed, that we had the vision and we made the effort.
Mankind is not bound by its atmospheric envelope or by its gravitational field, nor is
the mind of man bound by any limits at all.
One might ask—why outer space, when so much remains to be done here? If that had been
the spirit of man we would still be hunters and food gatherers, growling over the bones
of carrion3 in a cave somewhere. It is our destiny to move out, to accept the challenge,
to dare the unknown. It is our destiny to achieve.
Yet we must not forget that along the way to outer space whole industries are springing into
being that did not exist before. The computer age has arisen in part from the space
effort, which gave great impetus to the development of computing devices.
Transistors, chips, integrated circuits, Teflon, new medicines, new ways of treating diseases,
new ways of performing operations, all these and a multitude of other developments
that enable man to live and to live better are linked to the space effort. Most of these
developments have been so incorporated into our day-to-day life that they are taken for
granted, their origin not considered.
If we are content to live in the past, we have no future. And today is the past.
1. nay-sayers: people who disagree or have negative attitudes.
2. something buried ... inherited trait: a characteristic passed on from ancestors, such as
eye color or height.
3. carrion (kăr'ē-ən): the flesh of dead animals.
WORDS TO KNOW
devastating (dĕv'ə-stātĭng) adj. extremely destructive devastate v.
multitude (mŭl'tĭ-tood') n. a very great number
antidote (ăn'tĭ-dōt) n. something that prevents the evil effects of something else; remedy
impetus (ĭm'pĭ-təs) n. a force that produces motion or action; impulse
incorporate (ĭn-kôr'pə-rātr) v. to make part of another thing; merge
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THINKING through the LITERATURE
Connect to the Literature
1. What Do You Think?
In what way does the essay make you think about the future? Explain
your response.
Comprehension Check
According to L'Amour, what is needed now?
In L'Amour's opinion, why did Europeans come to America?
Think Critically
2. L'Amour mentions several achievements of 20th- century technology. Which
achievement do you consider the most important? Give reasons for your choice.
3. ACTIVE READING EVALUATING
What is your evaluation of L'Amour's persuasiveness? Is the essay convincing? Use the
details you recorded in your READER'S NOTEBOOK to explain why you agree or
disagree with him.
4. In what ways are modern space explorers and the early settlers similar? How are they
different?
Think About:
transportation in the 19th century
desire for new lands
human curiosity
5. What does L'Amour mean when he says, "If we are content to live in the past, we have no
future. And today is the past"? What is the effect of closing the essay this way?
6. What does eternal mean? How can space be an "eternal" frontier?
Extend Interpretations
7. Connect to Life What do you think might be the greatest benefit of space exploration to
human beings? Support your opinion with reasons.
Literary Analysis
PERSUASIVE ESSAY. A persuasive essay is a type of writing that presents the writers
opinion on a subject and attempts to convince the reader to accept that opinion.
The title of a persuasive essay is important because it often tells what the writer is trying to
persuade the reader of. L'Amour, for example, wants to convince readers that there is an
"Eternal Frontier" in space.
Paired Activity With a partner, reread the essay, looking for evidence the author uses to
support his opinion. A fact is a statement that can be proved; a statistic is a fact that is
stated in numbers; examples are specific instances that explain the point; a quotation is
a direct quote from an expert in the field. Evaluate the essay for its persuasiveness. Are
L'Amour's arguments convincing? Explain your response.
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CHOICES and CHALLENGES
Writing
A Different Response At the beginning of the essay, L'Amour poses the question "Where is
the frontier now?" Write a draft of a persuasive essay that provides an answer to this
question that is different from L'Amour's answer. Place it in your Working Portfolio.
Writing Handbook See p. R51: Persuasive.
Speaking & Listening
Present Your Argument Present the essay you wrote for the writing activity on the left. Be
sure that your essay states your position clearly and describes each point you use as
evidence. Include any books, resources, or visual aids. After your presentation, answer
questions from your audience about the evidence you've provided, and your attitude
toward the subject. The audience could also pose challenges to your argument, or affirm
your position.
Speaking and Listening Handbook See p. R104: Persuasive Presentations.
Research & Technology
SCIENCE
Search for information about what scientists have learned and are learning currently from
space exploration. What new inventions or technologies have resulted from our
journeys to space? Organize your research and make a presentation to the class.
Reading for INFORMATION
As part of your research, read "Four Decades in Space" on p. 470,
Vocabulary
EXERCISE A: WORD MEANING For each phrase in the first column, write the letter of
the rhyming phrase in the second column that matches its meaning.
1. add a new quality
2. a guaranteed antidote
3. a multitude of fish hesitating
4. an impetus to add salt
5. pausing before putting out a forest fire
a. reason to season
b. masses of bass
c. devastating
d. sure cure
e. incorporate a trait
EXERCISE B Write a sentence using as many of the Words to Know as possible. Describe
a humorous or unlikely situation if you wish, but be sure to use the words correctly.
WORDS KNOW KNOW
antidote
devastating
impetus
incorporate
multitude
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CHOICES and CHALLENGES
Grammar in Context: Precise Adverbs
Notice how the adverbs affect the meaning of the first sentence of "The Eternal Frontier."
The question I am most often asked is, "Where is the frontier now?"
An adverb is a word that modifes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Adverbs supply
additional information about when, where, how, or how much/to what degree something
happens or is done. They help readers visualize or more clearly understand a scene or
character.
Usage Tip: To avoid confusing your readers, place each adverb close to the word that it
modifies.
WRITING EXERCISE For each sentence, supply an adverb that gives the reader more
detail about where, how, how much/to what degree, or when each action is performed.
Example: Original There will be nay-sayers.
Rewritten There will always be nay-sayers.
1. They will cling to our green planet.
2. Those who came to America began to push inward.
3. What we need is leaders with perspective.
4. There is a vehicle moving into space.
Connect to the Literature Look for the adverbs used to prepare the argument that space is
the "eternal" frontier at the beginning of the fourth paragraph of the essay on page 464.
What additional information do the adverbs supply?
Grammar Handbook See p. 82: Using Modifiers Effectively.
Louis L'Amour
1908-1988
"I don't have to imagine what happened in the old West—I know what happened."
Jack of All Trades When Louis L'Amour left Jamestown, North Dakota, at the age of 15,
few would have predicted that he would become one of the most popular writers of the
70th century. L'Amour wandered from place to place, working as a hay shocker, a
longshoreman, a lumberjack, a fruit picker, a miner, an elephant handler, an amateur
archaeologist, and a professional boxer.
Witness of the West L'Amour was a descendant of pioneers. During his travels, he got to
know people who told him stories about the frontier. ['Amour drew on these
experiences to make his stories of the frontier seem true to life. Over the years, he wrote
some 95 novels and more than 400 short stories. ['Amour received two of the country's
highest honors, a Congressional National Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of
Freedom.
AUTHOR ACTIVITY
Read some of L'Amour's western stories, such as "The Gift of Cochise," to find out more
about the western frontier.
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Reading for INFORMATION
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE
Real World Link to "The Eternal Frontier"
Source: The Boston Globe
Four Decades in Space
By Richard Sanchez and Sean McNaunhton / GLOBE STAFF
John Glenn made history in 1962 by becoming the first American to orbit the Earth. In
1998, he made history again, returning to space at the age of 77. This graphic provides
a detailed look at Glenn's second trip, mission STS-95. The text that follows the graphic
compares the space program at its beginning with developments almost four decades
later.
---see picture
FLIGHT DECK
Flight controls for launch, orbit, and landing; holds the commander, pilot, a mission
specialist, and payload specialist during launch.
MID-DECK
Three avionics1 bays, galley, airlock to access tunnel, waste collection system, sleep
accommodations, and storage.
EQUIPMENT DECK
Parts of life support systems and waste disposal.
1. avionics: aviation electronics; the science and technology of electronic devices used in
air-and spacecrafts.
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The Mission
STS-95 marked the 92nd shuttle flight, and the 25th flight for the Discovery. Payloads2
allowed astronauts to conduct more than three dozen experiments on subjects ranging
from solar radiation to the effects of microgravity and equipment tests.
SPACEHAB
10-foot by 13.5-foot removable laboratory module connects to the orbiter mid-deck, and
allows the crew to conduct experiments in the cargo bay.
A Access tunnel
B Forward and aft bulkheads
C Lockers and trays: 56-liter volume, 27-kilogram capacity
D Viewport—two windows available
E Racks up to 740 liters volume, 300 kilograms capacity
F External payloads up to 454 kilogram total
G Interior payload 2,177-4,082 kilograms total
Payloads
CRYOTSU
CRYOGENIC THERMAL STORAGE UNIT
Test four thermal control devices for use in future missions.
SEM-4
SPACE EXPERIMENT MODULE 4
Microgravity experiments from eight schools in the U.S., Italy, and Argentina.
BRIC
BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN CANNISTERS
Spacehab experiments will examine low gravity's effects on plant growth and cell division.
E-NOSE
ELECTRONIC NOSE
Test new air quality monitor's ability to identify ten airborne toxic chemicals.
2. payload: the part of a load that is carried for scientific or commercial purposes.
Reading for Information
Learn how to skim and scan as you view the graphic of mission STS-95 and learn about the
history of the space program.
Skimming, Scanning, and Understanding Graphics
To skim, you read a passage quickly to get an overview of it. To scan, you search through
writing and headings for a particular fact or piece of information.
YOUR TURN Use the questions below to help you learn how to skim and scan.
1 Skimming The picture of the shuttle shows the three decks in the spacecraft's nose. Skim
the information provided about the three decks. Does the nose contain everything the
astronauts need? How would you evaluate the arrangement? Understanding Graphics
Read and study the graphic closely to answer the following questions:
2 The payloads are the items in the shuttle's cargo that will be tested while in orbit. The
results of the experiments will help scientists develop new technology. In the shuttle,
where do the astronauts conduct the tests? Which of the payloads involves testing plant
growth and cell division?
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Reading for INFORMATION continued
3 Mercury There and back
The primary goals of the Mercury mission, which made six manned flights between 1961
and 1963, were to orbit the earth, test man's ability to work in space, and recover man
and capsule safely.
Shuttles Working in orbit
The shuttle program's goal was to create a reusable orbiter for scientific research and
commercial payloads, and for satellite deployment, retrieval, and repair.
The Suit
Mercury-era space suits were modified versions of Navy high-altitude jet pilot pressure suits. An
outer layer of aluminized nylon protected an inner layer of Neoprene-coated nylon. Its purpose
was to keep the astronaut alive if the spacecraft lost pressure.
Despite fabric breaks at the joints, it was hard to bend the knees and elbows.
John Glenn walks to the Mercury capsule Friendship 7 before his history-making flight Feb. 20, 1962.
Better suits let Gemini astronauts make the first U.S. space walks, but Apollo's lunar
missions required much greater mobility, comfort, and protection.
Onboard the shuttle, today's astronauts wear cotton T-shirts and pants like you might wear
on the street. The suits they use on space walks let astronauts work in the vacuum for
hours at a time and maneuver free of the shuttle while protecting them from
temperature, radiation, and micro-meteoroids.
An astronaut on an untethered space walk in 1994.
Reading for Information
3 Scanning Scan the text above to find the answers to these questions: What is the
difference between the left and right columns of text? Why did Mercury-era space suits
have a layer of aluminized nylon?
Research & Technology
Activity Link: "The Eternal Frontier," p. 468
Can human beings handle living in space? Research for information that scientists have
gathered about humanity's ability to live in space. What experiments have they
conducted? What were the results? Present a one-page, cause-and-effect report to the
class.
Writing Handbook See p. R48: Cause and Effect.
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Building Vocabulary
Learning and Remembering New Words
How do you figure out the meanings of unfamiliar words you come across in your reading?
Think about words you already know that are related or have similar affixes. You can also
look for context clues in the other words around it. These are two good ways of
determining the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
Paved roads and the development of the automobile have gone hand in hand, the automobile being
civilized man's antidote to overpopulation.
—Louis LAmour, "The Eternal Frontier"
Related words: Antidote might make you think of words like antibiotic or anticlimax,
which share the prefix anti-, meaning "against."
Context: The words around antidote describe technological advances.
An antidote is a remedy against something.
Strategies for Building Vocabulary
Consider the following strategies for learning new words. The last strategy suggests a way
for you to remember the words you learn.
1 Use Context Clues You can use context clues to help you understand unfamiliar words
like indomitable. Read the sentence in box 1. What does the context clue "didn't rest
until" suggest about the meaning of the word indomitable?
2 Think of Related Words When you come across a new word, think of words you know
that have a similar root or base word. For example, dominate ("to rule, to control") is
related to indomitable. If you know the meanings of related words, you can often figure
out the meaning of the new word.
3 Analyze Word Parts The parts of a word can sometimes reveal its meaning. Indomitable
has three parts: in-, domit, and -able. If you find out that the Latin prefix in- means
"not," domit is the root of the Latin word domitare, which means "to tame," and the
suffix -able means "capable of being," then you can guess a meaning for indomitable—
"not capable of being tamed."
4 Use a Dictionary A dictionary lists a word's most common meaning first. When you look
up a word, read all the definitions and decide which one best fits the context in which
the word appears. Check the etymology, or word origin, to help you remember the root
and connect it to words with similar origins.
5 Record and Use New Words When you encounter a new word, record the word, its
definition, its root, and related words in your READER'S NOTEBOOK. Say it aloud
and use it in your writing.
INDOMITABLE
1 Context Clues
My mother was an indomitable spirit who didn't rest until she made them understand.
2 Related Words
dnminatn dominant
3 Word Parts
in- ("not") + domitare ("to tame") + -able ("capable of being")
4 Dictionary
in•dom•i•ta•ble: incapable of being subdued [from Latin indomitabilis, untamable]
ACTIVITY Choose three Words to Know from the selections you have read in this unit.
For each word, provide a definition and synonyms for the word.
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