An Earthman on Venus (Originally titled "The Radio Man")Farley, Ralph Milne
Science
An Earthman on Venus (Originally titled "The Radio Man")
Farley, Ralph Milne
Life on other planets -- Fiction; Science fiction; Venus (Planet) -- Fiction
Scratching the ant figure five upon the floor with a small pebble which
I found in a corner—for I could not reach the dials to point to their
figures—I held up five fingers. The effect was electrical. Greatly
excited, Doggo rushed to the door. But, pausing on the threshold, he
returned; held up three legs, looking at me almost beseechingly, as I
thought; and, when I wrote an ant figure three on the floor, his joy
knew no bounds. He patted me on the side of my head for a moment, to
show his appreciation, and then rushed once more from the room.
And now, for the first time, I was left unguarded, but I had no thought
of escape; in the first place, because it would be unfair to my friend;
and in the second place because escape merely from the room would be
useless.
Presently Doggo returned with the committee of four, and put me through
my paces. He would hold up a certain number of legs, and I would scratch
the corresponding character upon the pavement. Finally, as a crowning
stunt, I wrote down five and six, pointed to them, and then wrote down
eleven. The committee were much impressed.
Then Doggo had me put on and take off my toga for them. Evidently he was
trying to convince them I was a reasoning human being like themselves,
though what the disrobing performance had to do with it I could not see
for the life of me.
At last the committee left, and after that a very nice luncheon was
served; more green milk, some baked cakes and honey. Real honest to
goodness honey, like we have on earth. You can’t appreciate how these
little touches of similarity to good old _terra firma_ appealed to me,
thoroughly homesick after three whole days’ absence.
After luncheon, Doggo brought me a pad of paper and a pointed stick like
a skewer, with its tip incased in some lead-like metal. This stick could
thus be used as a pencil. He himself was similarly equipped, except that
his pencil had a strap for attachment to his left front claw. The
difference between the two pencils attracted my attention and excited my
wonder, but I could not account for it.
Instruction began at once. I would point to some object; Doggo would
make marks on his pad; and then I would copy them on mine, adding the
name in English. These additions puzzled and annoyed my instructor; but
I persisted, for otherwise I might forget the meaning of his scratch
marks.
When a vocabulary of about twenty concrete nouns had been accumulated,
Doggo took away my sheet, and then pointed to the articles in turn,
while I wrote down their ant names, as well as I could remember them.
Fortunately I have a good visual memory, for I was no more able to
invent sounds for the ant words, than I would have been able to read
aloud a Chinese laundry ticket.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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