A teacher was reading the story of the Three Little Pigs to her class.
She came to the part of the story where first pig was trying to gather
the building materials for his home.
She read. 'And so the pig went up to the man with the wheelbarrow
full of straw and said: 'Pardon me sir, but may I have some of that
straw to build my house?'
The teacher paused then asked the class: 'And what do you think
the man said?'
One little boy raised his hand and said very matter-of-factly...
'I think the man would have said - 'I'll be a son of a bitch!! A talking pig!'
The teacher had to leave the room.
Hat tip to Jimmy M.
August 1992
I just thought the story was cute and the cover was cute.
OnTwitter I am Lesabre1 "Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them." - Karl Popper
“Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants. It is the creed of slaves.” - William Pitt
"Logic. There is little logic among the cultural elite, maybe because there is little omnipresent fear of job losses or the absence of money, and so arises a rather comfortable margin to indulge in nonsense." - Victor Davis Hanson
Actually, you laugh more easily and more often than J.W Campbell (according to what some of his writers said!) He was very demanding and very stern, but he certainly motivated his group of writers. Isaac Asimov owed him a lot.
ReplyDeleteThe dear man told me in his letter that he suffered from gout. Not much could be done in those days except through diet. And there was very little information on the products one was buying. He said that sometimes his wife would prepare a fabulous meal. He would eat it, and have a big attack of gout because of what was in it. He wrote, "She is responsible, but she is not guilty!"
How could I not love that man? With all my heart.....
Thank you for the comments.
ReplyDeleteScience fiction and fantasy was my escape from a world that had too much work and too little fun. I started on Dr. Doolittle from the county library when I was 10 and moved on to Tom Swift and his electric cars, trains, plains, etc. I discovered Startling Stories in 1951 and was soon devouring Amazing, Planet, Thrilling Wonder, Fantastic Adventures, Astounding, Galaxy, Future, If, Other Worlds and Imagination.
I also discovered a used book/magazine store in which the 25 cents I had been spending for a new magazine would get me 3 or 4 used.
When I was 14 I bought a used Corona portable from a lady for $15.00. That represented a month of working after school on Fridays and Saturdays. And she explained that I must take care of it because it had belonged to her son who had been killed during the war. (I still have it.)
My ambition was to become a writer and I submitted numerous stories. The nearest I came to success was a letter from the Scott Meredith Agency noting that one of my recent rejections had been close and that they would like to represent me should I become successful.
The irony of that did not escape me.
As I grew older I became more focused on aviation and engineering. I continued to read some but not as a “fan.” Later I started collecting and now have over 4000 magazines.
Campbell was one of my favorites. Thank you for sharing his letter to you and the editorial. He was a remarkable man and “The Lesson of Thalidomide” places the problem of how, and why, we certify a new drug into focus. I am glad it helped you. He was a very kind man as his letter clearly shows.
In 1963 Harry Harrison published “Collected Editorials from Analog.” It is no longer in print and is one of my most treasured books. “The Lesson of Thalidomide” is the very first one in the book. You might find a copy in Ebay or Amazon used.
If nothing else my love for science fiction and fantasy taught me that the world is not always as it seems and that skepticism is a healthy position to hold. Of course that leads to asking questions of those who consider themselves in charge of you, and questioning them is never acceptable.
Thank you for mentioning the book prepared by Harry Harrison. I was very fortunate to discover it in 1968. Collected Editorials from Analog has been a treasured possession ever since.
ReplyDeleteYou are a writer. I'm not surprised that you would have wanted to become a professional one. I'm sure it would have happened if you had persisted. Isn't it marvellous that, through your blog, you are able to exercise your talent? And your readers profit from it. Thank you.
When I read Jules Verne, in French, as a child, I had no idea that he would be connected to the strange, fascinating magazines I would devour in my 30s. Yes, it was escapism. But it was never a waste of time. It opened my mind to incredible scientific possibilities which often became real as I got older. And I met strong people who were not afraid to speak the Truth, even if it wasn't always palatable.
Congratulations for your 4000 + magazines. You're a man of vision!