ttle Toaster

Science Fiction by Cory Doctorow

....

NOTICE & NOTE I!\

A mysterious energy drink interferes in
Mister Toussaint's networked home.
As you read, use the side T
margins to make notes
about the text.

O ne day, Mister Toussaint came home to find an extra

300 euros' worth I of groceries on his doorstep. So he
called up Miz Rousseau, the grocer, and said, "Why have you
sent me all this food? My fridge is already full of delicious
things. I don't need this stuff and besides, I can't pay for it:'
2 But Miz Rousseau told him that he had ordered the food.
His refrigerator had sent in the list, and she had the signed
order to prove it.
3 Furious, Mister Toussaint confronted his refrigerator. It
was mysteriously empty, even though it had been full that
morning. Or rather, it was almost empty: there was a single
pouch of energy drink sitting on a shelf in the back. He'd
gotten it from an enthusiastically smiling young woman on

-
1 euros' (yoor'oz) worth: valued in euros, the currency of the European Union.
300 euros is about the same as $350 in American currency.

The Brave Little Toaster 7

 the metro2 platform the day before. She'd been giving them
to everyone.
4 "Why did you throw away all my food?" he demanded.
The refrigerator hummed smugly at him.
s "It was spoiled;' it said.

6 But the food hadn't been spoiled. Mister Toussaint pored over
his refrigerator's diagnostics3 and logfiles, and soon enough, he
had the answer. It was the energy beverage, of course.
7 "Row, row, row your boat:' it sang. "Gently down the
stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, I'm offgassing
ethylene:' 4 Mister Toussaint sniffed the pouch suspiciously.
a "No you're not;' he said. The label said that the drink was
ANALYZE PLOT
called LOONY GOONY and it promised ONE T RILLION
TIMES MORE POWERFUL THAN ESPRESSO!!!!!ONEll!
Annotate: Notice what Mister
Toussaint does with LOONY
Mister Toussaint began to suspect that the pouch was some
GOONY in paragraph 9. Mark kind of stupid Internet of Things5 prank. He hated those.
details in paragraphs 6-8 that 9 He chucked the pouch in the rubbish can and put his new
explain why he does this.
groceries away.
Infer: What conflict is Mister
Toussaint facing in this story? 1o The next day, Mister Toussaint came home and discovered that
the overflowing rubbish was still sitting in its little bag under
the sink. The can had not cycled it through the trapdoor to the
chute that ran to the big collection-point at ground level, 104
storeys below.
11 "Why haven't you emptied yourself?" he demanded. The
trashcan told him that toxic substances had to be manually
sorted. "What toxic substances?"
t!\ NOTICE & NOTE
T AGAIN AND AGAIN 12 So he took out everything in the bin, one piece at a time.
When you notice certain events,
You've probably guessed what the trouble was.
images, or words being repeated 13 "Excuse me if I'm chattery, I do not mean to nattery, but I'm
in a story, you've found an Again a mercury battery!" LOONY GOONY 's singing voice really got
and Again signpost.
on Mister Toussaint's nerves.
Notice & Note: What pattern do 14 "No you're not;' Mister Toussaint said.
you notice in MisterToussaint's
actions? Mark words that show
1s Mister Toussaint tried the microwave. Even the cleverest
the pattern.
squeezy-pouch couldn't survive a good nuking. But the
Analyze: Why might the author
microwave wouldn't switch on. 'Tm no drink and I'm no meal;'
repeat this pattern of events again
and again?
LOONY GOONY sang. 'Tm a ferrous6 lump of steel!"

-
2 metro: subway.
3 diagnostics (di':ig-nos'trks): tools a computer uses to identify problems.
4
offgassing ethylene (eth':i-len'): releasing a flammable gas, C2 H 4•
s Internet ofThings: the network of devices, including "smart" appliances, that are
connected to the Internet.
6 ferrous (fer':is): containing iron.

8 UNIT 1 ANALYZE & APPLY

 t!\
T
Don't forget to
Notice & Note as you
read the text.

,.-'

16 The dishwasher wouldn't wash it ("I don't mean to annoy or

chafe, but I'm simply not dishwasher safe!"). The toilet wouldn't chafe
flush it ("I don't belong in the bog, because down there I'm sure (chat) v. To chafe is to annoy or
bother someone.
to clog!"). The windows wouldn't retract their safety screen to
retract
let it drop, but that wasn't much of a surprise. (ri-trlikt') v. To retract is to
17 "I hate you;' Mister Toussaint said to LOONY GOONY, and pull in.
he stuck it in his coat pocket. He'd throw it out in a trash-can on
the way to work.

18 They arrested Mister Toussaint at the 678th Street station. They ANALYZE SCIENCE FICTION
were waiting for him on the platform, and they cuffed him just Annotate: Mark details in
as soon as he stepped off the train. The entire station had been paragraphs 1 8-20 that show
evacuated and the police wore full biohazard containment gear. what happens when Mister
Toussaint tries to dispose of
Theyo even shrinkwrapped their machine-guns. LOONY GOONY on the way
19 "You'd better wear a breather and you'd better wear a hat, to work.
I'm a vial of terrible deadly hazmat;' LOONY GOONY sang. Analyze: Why are the police
i 20 When they released Mister Toussaint the next day, they waiting for him at the train
i made him take LOONY GOONY home with him. There were station? What theme or themes
lots more people with LOONY GOONY s to process. about technology might these
l events suggest?
.,;
.t:
21 Mister Toussaint paid the rush-rush fee that the storage depot
= charged to send over his container. They forklifted it out of
1:- the giant warehouse under the desert and zipped it straight
t to the cargo-bay in Mister Toussaint's building. He put on
="
3
old, stupid clothes and clipped some lights to his glasses and
started sorting.
"
:,:: 22 Most of the things in the container were stupid. He'd been
:,;; throwing away stupid stuff all his life, because the smart stuff
was just so much easier. But then his grandpa had died and
they'd cleaned out his little room at the pensioner's ward7 and

-
19

7 pensioner's ward: part of a hospital that provides care for people receiving pensions, or
government support for older persons.

The Brave Little Toaster 9

 he'd just shoved it all in the container and sent it out to the
desert.
23 From time to time, he'd thought of the eight cubic meters
ample
of stupidity he'd inherited and sighed a put-upon sigh. He'd
(am'p;:,I) adj. To be ample is to loved Grandpa, but he wished the old man had used some of
be plentiful or enough. the ample spare time from the tail end of his life to replace his
reintegrate junk with stuff that could more gracefully reintegrate with the
(re-rn'tr-grat') v. To reintegrate materials stream.
is to come together, as when
similar materials are collected
24 How inconsiderate!
for recycling.
2s The house chattered enthusiastically at the toaster when he
plugged it in, but the toaster said nothing back. It couldn't.
t!\ NOTICE & NOTE It was stupid. Its bread-slots were crusted over with carbon
T AHAMOMENT residue and it dribbled crumbs from the ill-fitting tray beneath
When you notice a sudden it. It had been designed and built by cavemen who hadn't ever
realization that shifts a character's
actions or understandings, you've
considered the advantages of networked environments.
found an Aha Moment signpost. 26 It was stupid, but it was brave. It would do anything Mister
Notice & Note: What words and
Toussaint asked it to do.
phrases in paragraph 29 suggest 27 "It's getting hot and sticky and I'm not playing any games,
that Mister Toussaint is having an you'd better get me out before I burst into flames!" LOONY
Aha Moment? Mark these words GOONY sang loudly, but the toaster ignored it.
and phrases.
2s "I don't mean to endanger your abode, but if you don't let
Cause/Effect: What does Mister
me out, I'm going to explode!" The smart appliances chattered
Toussaint suddenly realize, and
how does this change things?
nervously at one another, but the brave little toaster said
nothing as Mister Toussaint depressed its lever again.
29 Just as he did, he thought to check in with the flat's
diagnostics. Just in time, too! Its quorum-sensors8 were
redlining9 as it listened in on the appliances' consternation. 10
Mister Toussaint unplugged the fridge and the microwave and
the dishwasher.
30 The cooker and trash-can were hard-wired, but they didn't
VOCABULARY
represent a quorum.
Context Clues: If you are 31 The fire department took away the melted toaster and used
unfamiliar with the word vindictive
in paragraph 3 1 , you can use
their axes to knock huge, vindictive holes in Mister Toussaint's
surrounding words or other walls. "Just looking for embers;' they claimed. But he knew
context to infer that it means that they were upset because there was simply no good excuse
"intended to hurt or take revenge for sticking a pouch of independently powered computation
on someone:'
and sensors and transmitters into an antique toaster and
Analyze: What does the author's pushing down the lever until oily, toxic smoke filled the whole

-
use of this word suggest about
the firefighters?
104th floor.

8 quorum-sensors: devices that receive input from MisterToussaint's smart appliances;

when a certain number (a quorum) of the appliances signal distress, emergency action is
taken.
9 redlining: reaching a limit or maximum; here, approaching the point at which the
apartment would take action to stop the toaster.
10 consternation: a feeling of alarm or fear.

10 UNIT 1 ANALYZE&APPLY
 32 Mister Toussaint's neighbors weren't happy about it either.
33 But Mister Toussaint didn't mind. It had all been worth it, ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
just to hear LOONY GOONY beg and weep for its life as its Does technology
edges curled up and blackened. improve or control
34 He argued mightily, but the firefighters refused to let him ourlives1
keep the toaster.
Review your notes and
add your thoughts to your
TURN AND TALK Response Log.
Turn to a partner and discuss the ending of "The Brave
Little Toaster:'What do you think the author's opinion of
technology is?

Assessment Practice
Answer these questions before moving on to the Analyze the
Text section on the following page.

1. This question has two parts. First answer Part A, then Part B.

i:ffld
Why does MisterToussaint's refrigerator order more groceries?
@ The refrigerator takes stock and identifies missing items.

® Miz Rousseau receives a grocery list from the refrigerator.

© LOONY GOONY tells the refrigerator that the food is spoiled.
@ The appliances reach a quorum about placing an order.

l:fflll
Which detail best supports the correct answer?
@ Miz Rousseau has a signed order for the groceries.

® Mister Toussaint identifies LOONY GOONY after analyzing data.

© The refrigerator tells Mister Toussaint that the food was spoiled.

@) Mister Toussaint throws out the pouch of LOONY GOONY.

j 2. Why is the toaster able to destroy LOONY GOONY?

The toaster is braver than the other kitchen appliances.
The other appliances are not aware of the toaster.
The apartment's quorum-sensors approve the toaster's actions.
The toaster does not receive messages from other devices. ©Ed
Test-Taking Strategies

The Brave Little Toaster 11