A SPACE-AGE FABLE (1957-58)

THE Professor of Science at the Central Fieldmouse College, Professor Tailoffski, was making mouse history. He had launched a sputnik that had flown as far as the top of the nearest willow tree and remained there for five minutes, after which it fell dangerously to the ground.

Experiments had been going on at the research station for some weeks, and now, after many attempts had been made, the aim had been reached. During these attempts several birds had been killed.

The reason for all these sputniks was to discover whether the top of the willow was suitable for a lookout station to spy on cats in the vicinity.

The latest satellite contained a caterpillar, which it was hoped would land safely after spending five minutes in the air.

Two weeks later Professor Tailoffski sighed. He had tried continually for the last fortnight, and he still could not get the caterpillars down properly. The one time he did get one down alive, it was so frightened that it died of a heart attack before it had told him anything of its experiences. The starlings began complaining of the danger to other animals with these missiles flying about, and the shocking waste of caterpillars. They also said that if the experiments did not stop at once they would declare war on the mice. But the mice did not stop, and went on killing caterpillars and birds.

So the other animals declared war, and the mice were very uncomfortable. The birds dropped "conkers" on the college and houses, while frogs, caterpillars, lizards, snakes and spiders proceeded to wreck the research station and the rest of the village. In the end the mice were driven out of the fields and hedges round about, and lived very unhappily in a field all on their own a mile away.

Moral: Look before you bleep.

J. DARBY, 3C