Chapter Summary: The Diary of a Space Traveller | Class 7 English Alive PDF Download

Introduction

An intriguing adventure involving Professor Trilokeshwar Shonku, a brilliant scientist who mysteriously disappeared fifteen years ago. His diary, recovered under mysterious circumstances, reveals a fantastical journey to Mars and another planet, Tafa, involving various mishaps, discoveries, and interactions with alien life forms.

Detailed Summary

The story begins with the narrator receiving Professor Shonku's diary from Tarak Chatterjee. The diary's discovery is linked to a meteorite incident in the Sunderbans a year ago. The narrative then shifts to the diary entries, starting from January 2, detailing Professor Shonku's preparation for a rocket launch to space, which had previously failed due to a minor timing error caused by his assistant, Prahlad.

By January 5, Professor Shonku decides to take Prahlad on his journey, acknowledging his courage despite his slow nature. On January 8, he also decides to bring along his cat, Newton, who appears distressed but becomes calm later. The entries continue with the inclusion of Bidhushekhar, a robot created by Shonku, who starts making unusual noises on January 10, signaling that something is amiss.

By January 21, Shonku and his team have left Earth and are heading towards Mars. The initial part of the journey seems uneventful, but as they approach Mars, strange incidents begin. Bidhushekhar acts out of character by engaging the rocket’s reverse motion unexpectedly. Professor Shonku manages to control the situation but decides to keep the robot switched off until they land on Mars.

Upon landing, the team experiences Mars's surreal environment—rubber-like flora and guava jelly-like water. The first encounter with Martian life comes when a creature chases Prahlad back to the rocket. This creature resembles a mix of human, animal, and fish traits. During the chaos, Bidhushekhar reacts protectively but is eventually subdued by Shonku to prevent further confrontation with the Martian creatures.

After the encounter, the team leaves Mars and continues to a new destination, Planet Tafa. Here, they meet giant ant-like beings leading a primitive lifestyle, vastly different from humans. This marks the end of the diary entries, with Professor Shonku expressing no desire to return to Earth, feeling well cared for on Tafa.

The diary mysteriously disappears after the narrator finishes reading it, eaten by ants, leaving only fragments behind.

Theme and Message

The overarching theme of the story is exploration and curiosity, highlighting human desire to discover and understand the unknown. It also touches on themes of survival and adaptation, as the characters navigate unforeseen challenges in alien environments. The message conveys the importance of courage, teamwork, and resilience in the face of adversity.

Difficult Words and Meanings

Ebbing - gradually lessening or reducing.

Venture - a risky or daring journey or undertaking.

Bicornic acid - a fictional or symbolic representation of a hazardous chemical.

Paradoxite - a fictional substance, possibly volatile or unstable.

Ambrosia - something very pleasing to taste or smell; often referred to as the food of the gods in mythology.

Eerie - strange and frightening.

Incapacitated - prevent from functioning in a normal way.

Myriad - a countless or extremely great number.

Primitive - relating to, denoting, or preserving the character of an early stage in the evolutionary or historical development of something.