Skip to main content

story identification - Hero rescues a minor deity, granted a wish of small value; gets a girl


As a high school student just starting in science fiction, I read a short story collection in paperback that included this story – not quite a short-short, but not very long either. I think that it was written by a familiar author, since the collection was one of those “Best Of…” anthologies.


Our hero is a sympathetic young guy trying to get ahead, in love with a beautiful neighbor, but hopeless in love. He rescues a miniature Minor Deity (and I've forgotten the mechanism – rescued from a cat perhaps?) and gets a wish in return. The catch is that since this is only a minor deity, the value of the wish is small – and I forget the actual value, perhaps $2.49. He asks for help winning at the races to help get the girl – and the minor deity says sure, but the payoff can only be $2.49. How about help rescuing her from a calamity like an earthquake? Sure, but the total damage can only be $2.49. Other alternatives are discussed, but the value can only be $2.49. Frustrated, our hero thinks about the problem, but the Minor Deity thinks he has a solution.



Later that evening, the girl knocks on the door, he opens it to her welcoming arms, and the night passes. The next morning, our hero finds a small clipping on the floor, an article stating the latest estimates of the total value of the elements in the human body were… $2.49. (The whole story was building to that punch line.)




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Why didn't The Doctor or Clara recognize Missy right away?

So after it was established that Missy is actually both the Master, and the "woman in the shop" who gave Clara the TARDIS number... ...why didn't The Doctor or Clara recognize her right away? I remember the Tenth Doctor in The Sound of Drums stating that Timelords had a way of recognizing other Timelords no matter if they had regenerated. And Clara should have recognized her as well... I'm hoping for a better explanation than "Moffat screwed up", and that I actually missed something after two watchthroughs of the episode. Answer There seems to be a lot of in-canon uncertainty as to the extent to which Time Lords can recognise one another which far pre-dates Moffat's tenure. From the Time Lords page on Wikipedia : Whether or not Time Lords can recognise each other across regenerations is not made entirely clear: In The War Games, the War Chief recognises the Second Doctor despite his regeneration and it is implied that the Doctor knows him when they fir

the lord of the rings - Why is Gimli allowed to travel to Valinor?

Gimli was allowed to go to Valinor despite not being a ring bearer. Is this explained in detail or just with the one line "for his love for Galadriel"? Answer There's not much detail about this aside from what's said in Appendix A to Return of the King: We have heard tell that Legolas took Gimli Glóin's son with him because of their great friendship, greater than any that has been between Elf and Dwarf. If this is true, then it is strange indeed: that a Dwarf should be willing to leave Middle-earth for any love, or that the Eldar should receive him, or that the Lords of the West should permit it. But it is said that Gimli went also out of desire to see again the beauty of Galadriel; and it may be that she, being mighty among the Eldar, obtained this grace for him. More cannot be said of this matter. And Appendix B: Then Legolas built a grey ship in Ithilien, and sailed down Anduin and so over Sea; and with him, it is said, went Gimli the Dwarf . And when that sh

What is the etymology of Doctor Who?

I recently decided to watch Doctor Who, and started viewing the 2005 version. I have the first two episodes from the first season, and I can't help but wonder what is the etymology of the name "Doctor Who"? And why does the protagonist call himself "the Doctor" (or is it "the doctor")? Answer In the very first episode of Doctor Who (way back in 1963), the Doctor has a granddaughter going by the name "Susan Foreman", and the junkyard where the TARDIS is has the sign "I.M. Foreman". Barbara, who becomes one of the Doctor's companions, calls him "Doctor Foreman" (probably assuming that is his name given his relationship to Susan), and Ian (another early companion) does the same in the second episode, to which the Doctor says: Eh? Doctor who? What's he talking about? "Foreman" is most likely selected as a convenient surname for Susan to use because it happened to be on display near where the TARDIS landed.