About the Author
Jayant Narlikar is a smart Indian scientist who studies space and stars. He was born in 1938 and loves mixing real science with fun stories. He has written many books and tales for kids about aliens and planets. This story is one of his exciting ones, based on real space trips to Mars.
What’s the Story About?
This is a cool space adventure story set on the red planet Mars. It's like a movie where people live hidden underground because the air up top is too thin and cold to breathe. The tale mixes fun with a bit of real science about why we think Mars has no life. Let me tell it step by step in easy words, so you can imagine it like playing a game.
The story starts with a young boy named Tilloo. He lives in a cozy home deep under Mars' ground with his mum and dad. One day, Tilloo's mum scolds him for trying to sneak into a secret tunnel that goes up to the surface. "It's dangerous up there!" she says. Tilloo's dad works there every day, fixing big machines that catch sunlight to give power to their underground homes. But normal folks like Tilloo can't go without special suits, masks for air, and training—it's super risky!
Tilloo waits till dad is napping after lunch (that's called a siesta). He grabs dad's security card and slips into the tunnel. It goes up and up, like climbing a long stair. Alarms buzz—beep beep!—and guards catch him. They take him home. Mum is mad, but dad sits him down and tells the old story of Mars. Long ago, their grandparents lived on the green surface with birds flying, fish swimming, and trees growing. But the sun got a tiny bit weaker, making everything dry and cold. Animals and plants died out, so people dug deep homes and learned to live with machines. Now, they depend on dad's solar machines for light and warmth.
Tilloo listens wide-eyed and says, "I want to be a surface worker like you when I grow up!" Dad smiles and says, "Okay, but only if you listen to mum and me."
Next day, dad rushes home excited. A flying thing from space is coming to Mars! In the big control room, screens show a dot zooming closer. It's a ship from far away—Earth, our planet! No other worlds have life, so this is big news. The leaders meet in a fancy hall. The President asks what to do. Number One, the brave guard boss, says, "Shoot it down if it lands!" But they can't, because their power is low—no big rockets anymore. Number Two, the smart scientist, says, "Don't touch it. Just watch and hide. Let them think Mars is empty." Number Three agrees: "Stop all surface work so no one sees us." The President nods—yes, stay secret and safe.
It's a special day for Tilloo! Dad takes him to the control room. On the TV screen, the Earth ship lands with a thud. A metal arm pops out, like a robot hand, to dig dirt and check for bugs or plants. Tilloo stares, glued to the spot. The hand scoops soil—oh no, it's looking for life! Tilloo sees shiny buttons on the desk. One big red one calls to him like a friend. He presses it—wee-oo wee-oo!—a loud alarm blasts. Dad jumps and hits another button to stop it, but too late. The robot hand freezes, stuck forever.
Now, switch to Earth. Smart people at a place called NASA cheer as their ship Viking lands okay. But then, "Oh no! The hand stopped working!" They fix it a bit, grab some dirt, and test it. No germs, no green stuff—Mars is dead quiet. They tell the news: "No life here." Back on Mars, everyone sighs in relief. Tilloo's little push saved their secret home. The Earth folks never knew friendly neighbors were hiding just below!
Who’s Who in the Story
Here are the main folks in the tale, like players in a space game:
- Tilloo: The curious kid hero. He's brave but naughty, always wanting to explore, and his button press changes everything.
- Tilloo's Father: The hardworking dad. He fixes sun machines on top and teaches Tilloo about Mars' past.
- Tilloo's Mother: The worried mum. She keeps things safe at home and scolds Tilloo for breaking rules.
- The President: The big leader. He runs meetings and picks the safe plan to hide from Earth.
- Number One: The tough defense guy. He wants to fight the ship but knows they can't.
- Number Two: The clever scientist. He says watch and wait—smart choice!
- Number Three: The people expert. He helps with the hide-and-seek idea.
- NASA Folks: Earth scientists (not named). They send the ship and think Mars is empty.
Themes and Moral
This story has some neat ideas that make you think about space and life:
- Be Curious but Careful: Tilloo loves adventures, but rules keep him safe. It shows poking around can lead to big surprises—good or tricky.
- Hiding to Stay Safe: The Martians choose quiet over fight because they're weak in power. Like playing hide-and-seek, sometimes staying out of sight wins the game.
- Tech Saves Lives: Machines for air, sun power, and robot arms help folks live in tough spots. But one wrong button can mess it up!
- Space Neighbors: Earth looks for friends on Mars, but they're already there, just secret. It hints we might not be alone out there.
The main lesson is: Follow grown-up rules in scary places, like Tilloo should have. Curiosity is fun, but safety first—especially when aliens (or probes!) come knocking!
Important Vocabulary and Phrases
Here are some special words and fun sayings from the story. I explained them like chatting with a buddy after school—super simple. Say them in a sentence to practice!
- Siesta: A quick nap after eating, like resting your eyes. (Dad took a siesta before Tilloo sneaked out.)
- Forbidden: Something you're not allowed to do or touch. (The tunnel was forbidden for kids like Tilloo.)
- Evading: Trying to get away or dodge something. (Tilloo was evading mum's eyes to grab the card.)
- Barred: Blocked or stopped from going. (The door was barred until dad swiped his card.)
- Beckon: Waving or calling someone to come over. (The red button seemed to beckon Tilloo closer.)
- Habitat: A home or place where living things stay. (Underground was the Martians' safe habitat.)
- Detected: Spotted or found out. (The alarm detected Tilloo in the tunnel.)
- Intruder: A sneaky visitor who shouldn't be there. (Guards thought Tilloo was an intruder.)
- Reservoir: A big storage for water or air. (The suit had an oxygen reservoir for breathing.)
- Extinct: Gone forever, like dinosaurs. (Birds on Mars went extinct from the cold.)
- Trajectory: The path something flies on, like a ball's curve. (The ship's trajectory showed it heading to Mars.)
- Impotently: Feeling weak and unable to do much. (Martians watched impotently as the ship came.)
- Vantage: A good spot to see from. (The control room gave a vantage of the landing.)
- Momentous: Super important, like a big birthday. (The meeting was momentous for Mars.)
- Orbiting: Going around something, like moon around Earth. (One ship was orbiting Mars.)
- Non-interference: Staying out and not messing with things. (Leaders picked non-interference with the probe.)
- Wistfully: Looking at something you want but can't have. (Tilloo gazed wistfully at the surface.)
- Shrill: A loud, sharp sound, like a whistle. (The alarm made a shrill noise when pressed.)
- Malfunction: When something breaks and stops working. (The robot hand had a malfunction.)
- Phrase: "Red letter day": A super special, happy day you remember. (Tilloo's control room trip was a red letter day!)
- Phrase: "Glued to the spot": Staring so hard you can't move. (Tilloo was glued to the spot watching the hand.)
- Phrase: "Up to something": Planning a sneaky thing. (Mum knew Tilloo was up to something naughty.)
Try these in your next story—make your own Mars adventure!