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Fantasy Fan, v. 1, issue 10, June 1934

Page 153

The Little Box

by R. H. Barlow

Annals of the Jinns -- 7

On the planet called Loth, in the Seventh City, there lived a sen[[?]]-savage known as Hsuth. He had been captured in his youth by the fearless raiders of Phargo, but popular demand later caused the release of ali the beings that once formed an interesting collection of the larger animals. So it was that one might have had for a neighbor anything from one of the reddish parrot-people from the far-away isle of Hin to a pale blue octopus-thing from the dried sea-bed of Innia[[?]]. Hsuth, it is to be stated, was neither, being merely one of the commonplace brown tailed men from Leek. He was, as are most savages, very inquisitive, and one day after returning from the ridna-zat works (wherein were manufactured first ornaments to be worn in the nose) he espied a small black box in the window of a money-lender--a box whose curious carvings and tightly closed lid brought up many questions. when the dealer refused to open it for him his curiousity was doubly whetted, so that he purchased it (after unavoidable delay and expected haggling) thereby parting with the earnings of a week.
Returning home with his prize he managed to slip past a street-brawl and get inside his house--a three-towered affair resembling an ill-fitted layer cake, each successive story being smaller than the one upon which it reposed.
Bolting the door he then tried to force the lid open. But it resented this move on his part, and showed it by pinching his finger violently. This caused him to fling it against the wall. it came to the floor with a dull thud and the top fell off after a moment's silence. A squeaky voice issued from the interior. "--press the control marked A and the machine will come to him no matter where it is. I am making three boxes similar to this and hope that someone will gain some benefit, for I haven't. Anyone finding this is directed to press the control marked A and the machine will come to him no matter where it is iammakingthree-e-e-E-EEE Yah psuhutthush!" declared the little box. As Hsuth did not understand what was said, it is to be feared the directions were lost upon him, yet some demon directed his finger to the control marked A. (Perhaps it was because all the other buttons were hopelessly jammed into the wood.
Nothing happened, and Hsuth disappointedly threw the box through the window where it landed upon the head of a prominent citizen, causing that worthy unwonted irritation.
And Hsuth forgot about the box and the fraudulent control marked A, not knowing that ten million miles away the machine was battering ceaselessly at its bonds, striving to escapr and answer the long-awaited call--which it never quite managed to do.
But the Leerians gathered round with
(continued on page 157)

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The Little Box by R. H. Barlow Annals of the Jinns -- 7 On the planet called Loth, in the Seventh City, there lived a sen[[?]]-savage known as Hsuth. He had been captured in his youth by the fearless raiders of Phargo, but popular demand later caused the release of ali the beings that once formed an interesting collection of the larger animals. So it was that one might have had for a neighbor anything from one of the reddish parrot-people from the far-away isle of Hin to a pale blue octopus-thing from the dried sea-bed of Innia[[?]]. Hsuth, it is to be stated, was neither, being merely one of the commonplace brown tailed men from Leek. He was, as are most savages, very inquisitive, and one day after returning from the ridna-zat works (wherein were manufactured first ornaments to be worn in the nose) he espied a small black box in the window of a money-lender--a box whose curious carvings and tightly closed lid brought up many questions. when the dealer refused to open it for him his curiousity was doubly whetted, so that he purchased it (after unavoidable delay and expected haggling) thereby parting with the earnings of a week. Returning home with his prize he managed to slip past a street-brawl and get inside his house--a three-towered affair resembling an ill-fitted layer cake, each successive story being smaller than the one upon which it reposed. Bolting the door he then tried to force the lid open. But it resented this move on his part, and showed it by pinching his finger violently. This caused him to fling it against the wall. it came to the floor with a dull thud and the top fell off after a moment's silence. A squeaky voice issued from the interior. "--press the control marked A and the machine will come to him no matter where it is. I am making three boxes similar to this and hope that someone will gain some benefit, for I haven't. Anyone finding this is directed to press the control marked A and the machine will come to him no matter where it is iammakingthree-e-e-E-EEE Yah psuhutthush!" declared the little box. As Hsuth did not understand what was said, it is to be feared the directions were lost upon him, yet some demon directed his finger to the control marked A. (Perhaps it was because all the other buttons were hopelessly jammed into the wood. Nothing happened, and Hsuth disappointedly threw the box through the window where it landed upon the head of a prominent citizen, causing that worthy unwonted irritation. And Hsuth forgot about the box and the fraudulent control marked A, not knowing that ten million miles away the machine was battering ceaselessly at its bonds, striving to escapr and answer the long-awaited call--which it never quite managed to do. But the Leerians gathered round with (continued on page 157)