The Fun They Had

Summary of "The Fun They Had"

1. Introduction to the Story

   • "The Fun They Had" is a short story written by Isaac Asimov.

   • It is set in the future, where schools are completely different from what we have today.

   • The story shows how technology has changed education and makes us think about the importance of traditional schools.

2. Margie and Tommy Discover an Old Book

   • The story takes place in the year 2157.

   • Margie, an 11-year-old girl, and Tommy, a 13-year-old boy, find an old paper book in Tommy’s house.

   • They are surprised because books in their time are digital, and they have never seen a real book before.

3. Learning About Old Schools

   • The book talks about schools in the past, where children studied together in a classroom with a human teacher.

   • This is very different from Margie’s world, where she studies alone at home with a mechanical teacher (a robot).

   • Margie is surprised that students in the past sat together, made friends, and played.

4. Margie’s Dislike for Her Mechanical Teacher

   • Margie does not like her robot teacher because it gives her boring lessons on a screen and asks her to submit homework in a punch code.

   • She recently got a test in geography, and her teacher said she was performing poorly.

   • This makes her upset, and her mother calls a mechanic to check the machine.

5. Margie’s Curiosity About the Old School

   • After reading about the old school, Margie starts imagining how fun it must have been.

   • She thinks about children sitting together, laughing, and learning from a real human teacher instead of a machine.

   • She feels that the old system was much better than her lonely and mechanical education.

6. The Theme of the Story

   • The story highlights the importance of traditional schools, where students interact, learn, and enjoy together.

   • It also shows the possible negative effects of technology in education, where learning could become dull and lonely.

   • It makes us appreciate our present-day schools, where we study with friends and teachers.

7. Conclusion

   • In the end, Margie sits down to study again with her mechanical teacher, but she keeps thinking about the fun the children had in the past.

   • The story leaves us with an important message: learning is not just about machines and lessons but also about joy, friendships, and human connection.

NCERT Question and Answers

Page 10 – “Thinking about the Text”

I. Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each.

1. How old are Margie and Tommy?
Margie is eleven years old and Tommy is thirteen. They are both school students who live in the future.

2. What did Margie write in her diary?
Margie wrote in her diary, “Today, Tommy found a real book!” She was surprised because she had never seen a real book made of paper before.

3. Had Margie ever seen a book before?
No, Margie had never seen a printed book before. She only knew about telebooks that appeared on a screen.

4. What things about the book did she find strange?
She found it strange that the words in the book didn’t move, and the pages had to be turned by hand. Once you read it, it couldn’t be used again like a screen.

5. What do you think a telebook is?
A telebook is a book that appears on a screen. It can change its pages and is read electronically instead of on paper.

6. Where was Margie’s school? Did she have any classmates?
Margie’s school was inside her house, next to her bedroom. She studied alone and didn’t have any classmates.

7. What subjects did Margie and Tommy learn?
They studied regular school subjects like mathematics, geography, and history with their mechanical teachers.

II. Answer the following with reference to the story.

1. “I wouldn’t throw it away.”

(i) Who says these words?
Tommy says these words.

(ii) What does ‘it’ refer to?
‘It’ refers to the real printed book that Tommy found in the attic.

(iii) What is the speaker’s opinion about ‘it’?
Tommy finds the book interesting, even though it’s old. He thinks it’s strange but doesn’t want to throw it away because it tells about schools in the past, which he finds fun to read.

2. “Sure, they had a teacher, but it wasn’t a regular teacher. It was a man.”

(i) Who does ‘they’ refer to?
‘They’ refers to the children from the past who went to traditional schools.

(ii) What does ‘regular’ mean here?
Here, ‘regular’ means the usual or normal kind of teacher that Margie and Tommy know — which is a mechanical or robotic teacher.

(iii) What is it contrasted with?
It is contrasted with the human teacher from the past. Margie is surprised to learn that teachers were people, not machines.

III. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30–40 words).

1. What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have?
Margie and Tommy had mechanical teachers. These were machines with big screens that taught them lessons, gave them tests, and checked their homework. They studied at home alone, without any classmates or human teachers.

2. Why did Margie’s mother send for the County Inspector?
Margie’s mother called the County Inspector because Margie was not doing well in her geography lessons. She thought something might be wrong with the mechanical teacher, so she asked the Inspector to come and check it.

3. What did he do?
The County Inspector checked the machine and found that the geography part was working too fast for Margie. He adjusted the speed to make it easier for her and told her mother that Margie was not at fault.

4. Why was Margie doing badly in geography? What did the County Inspector do to help her?
Margie was doing badly because the machine was giving her difficult lessons too quickly. The County Inspector found the issue and slowed down the speed of the lessons to match her learning level, so she could understand better.

5. What had once happened to Tommy’s teacher?
Tommy’s mechanical teacher had stopped working completely one day. It had to be taken away for repairs, and Tommy didn’t have to do schoolwork for almost a month. He really enjoyed that break.

6. Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? If so, why?
Yes, Margie had fixed school hours every day except weekends. Her mother believed that children learn better when they follow a set routine. So Margie had to study at the same time every day in her study room.

7. How does Tommy describe the old kind of school?
Tommy says that in the old days, children used to go to a building to study. All kids of the same age were taught the same lessons by human teachers. He finds it strange but also interesting.

8. How does he describe the old kind of teachers?
Tommy explains that old teachers were actual people who taught students in person. They gave lessons, asked questions, and explained things face-to-face. Margie finds it hard to believe that a person could teach like a machine.

IV. Answer each of these questions in about 100–120 words.

1. What are the main features of the mechanical teachers and the schoolrooms that Margie and Tommy have in the story?

In the story, Margie and Tommy study using mechanical teachers, which are large machines with screens. These machines teach lessons, give assignments, and check tests. Each teacher is programmed for the individual student’s learning level. The schoolroom is inside their home, and they study alone, without classmates or group activities. There is no real interaction or play during the school day. The lessons are shown on the screen, and students must put their homework into a slot. If something goes wrong, a County Inspector is called to repair or adjust the machine. There is no human teacher. The entire learning system is personal, isolated, and completely dependent on technology. This makes it very different from traditional schools.

2. Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think the old kind of school must have been fun?
Margie hated school because she studied alone with a mechanical teacher. The lessons were hard, especially geography, and her machine often gave her tests without warning. She didn’t enjoy sitting in the small room next to her bedroom, learning from a screen. She felt bored and lonely. After reading the old book Tommy found, Margie became curious about the schools of the past. In those schools, children went to a building, learned the same things together, and had human teachers. They played and laughed during breaks and helped each other in their studies. Margie imagined how much fun that must have been and wished she could also study in a school like that with other kids around.

3. Do you agree with Margie that schools today are more fun than the school in the story? Give reasons for your answer.
Yes, I agree with Margie. Schools today are more fun than the one she had. In today’s schools, students meet friends, learn together, and get help from real teachers. Learning becomes easier and more exciting when you can ask questions and share your thoughts. There are games, group activities, and breaks that make the day enjoyable. On the other hand, Margie studied alone with a robot teacher. She had no classmates, and her lessons felt boring and difficult. There was no fun or laughter in her learning. A school with people, not machines, helps children grow not only in studies but also socially. That’s why real schools are more fun and better for students.

Extra Question - Answers

3 Marks Questions (30–40 words)

Q1. Why was Margie doing badly in geography?

Margie was doing badly in geography because her mechanical teacher's settings were too fast and difficult. It gave her tests she couldn’t understand well, and that made her marks low. Her mother called the County Inspector to fix it.

Q2. What did the old book make Margie and Tommy curious about?

The old book made them curious about how schools were in the past. They were surprised that kids studied together in buildings and had human teachers instead of machines. Margie found it interesting and hard to believe.

Q3. How was Tommy’s attitude different from Margie’s towards the book?

Tommy found the book funny and outdated. He didn’t take it seriously and thought old schools were silly. But Margie was curious and felt that old schools might have been more fun than her robotic lessons.

Q4. Why did Margie hate her school?

Margie hated her school because it was boring and lonely. She had to sit alone in a room and study with a machine. The lessons were hard, and there was no fun or friends to learn with.

Q5. What kind of teacher did Margie have?

Margie had a mechanical teacher with a big screen that showed lessons and gave tests. It was a robot-like machine that stayed in her house. It didn’t smile or talk like a real human teacher.

6 Marks Questions (100–120 words)

Q6. Compare Margie’s school with the schools in the past.

Margie’s school was inside her house. She had no classmates and studied alone with a mechanical teacher. The robot gave lessons on a screen and took tests regularly. It was not friendly, and Margie often felt bored and unhappy.
In contrast, old schools had real human teachers and students sitting together in a classroom. They laughed, played, and helped each other. Learning was more interactive and fun. Margie thought it must have been exciting to go to such a school. The story shows that studying with others and having human connection is important in education, not just machines and technology.

Q7. How does the story show the importance of real human teachers?

The story shows that real human teachers can understand students’ feelings and explain things kindly. Unlike robots, they can change their teaching style if a student has trouble. Margie’s machine teacher was strict and didn’t make learning fun.
When Margie read about old schools with human teachers, she imagined it would be better. Students in the past learned together, asked questions freely, and had fun with friends. This made learning more enjoyable. The story tells us that technology is helpful, but it cannot replace the warmth and understanding that a human teacher brings to a child’s life.

Q8. What lesson does the story “The Fun They Had” teach us?

The story teaches us to value human connection in education. Even though technology can make learning easier, it should not replace real teachers and classmates. Margie had all the tools to study, but she was unhappy.
She missed the joy of learning with friends, sharing ideas, and being in a classroom. The story also tells us that learning should be fun and interactive. Machines can’t understand emotions or give comfort like people do.
So, the lesson is that education is not just about lessons and marks, but about growing together with others, sharing laughter, and feeling supported while learning.