Story Hour
Toy From the Stars
Written by Gene B. Williams
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Lying on his back and looking straight up, 10-year-old Leo could see nothing but stars, like millions of white specks spilled on a black cloth. He strained his eyes, trying to see the other side - trying to see where the stars ended. But he couldn't even tell if they were on a single flat plane, or were scattered about in all different directions and distances.
He wondered what it would be like to be out there among the stars. "An astronaut," he proclaimed. "That's what I'll be."
He practiced holding his breath, pretending that his air supply was empty. In his imagination he saw the spaceship, just a few feet away. Slowly, very slowly, he allowed himself to swim toward it. But with a loud puff he had to let out his breath and begin the game again.
To his amazement one of the specks in the sky moved. He saw and watched it intently. First it dropped, and he thought that it might be a falling star ("meteorite" he corrected himself). Suddenly it shifted direction, shooting sideways at incredible speed and then stopped directly overhead.
It was coming down, and getting brighter and larger. Leo wanted to jump up and run, but was frozen with excitement. Whatever the thing was, it was beginning to show a definite shape, with distinct edges - and it was heading straight for the valley in which Leo was sitting.
It was at least 50 feet across, and 30 feet high in the center. As the object came closer and closer, Leo could see that the center was spinning, like a top inside a donut.
A soft whistling came to him on the wind. As the pitch of the sound dropped, the bluish hue of the strange machine changed to orange, and then to shell pink as the object touched the earth.
It certainly didn't seem threatening. The soft humming was actually soothing. Then, with a startling click, the humming stopped and all color faded from the craft. Leo moved quickly and found a hiding place beneath a bush.
He heard a whirring sound, and watched as the side of the object split open. A ramp slid out, extending like a metallic tongue, gently tasting the ground.
"What next?" Leo's senses demanded of him. Would some strange multi-armed creature emerge? Or perhaps a shapeless fiend, bent on the destruction of Earth?
When the alien walked out onto the ramp, Leo felt almost like laughing, and more than a little disappointed. The being has just two arms, and two legs. It wasn't too tall, nor too short. If he hadn't seen it come from the craft, he might have thought the alien to be the corner grocer.
In one hand it held a small box. For a moment it swung the box in all directions, then stopped when it faced where Leo was hiding. Try as he might, Leo just couldn't seem to get far enough into the shadows to hide. So he rolled himself into a tight ball, held his head in his hands, and waited for the terrible death ray to burn the life from his body.
"You need not fear me," came a gentle voice.
Cautiously Leo lifted his eyes and saw that the alien was smiling.
"Come on out," the alien said. "I won't hurt you."
Trying very hard to appear brave, Leo moved from beneath his bush and walked into the open. He planted his hands firmly on his hips, daring the alien to try any funny business.
The alien answered the challenge with a long laugh. "Oh, how much you are like my own son. Next time I shall bring him along so he can see how strong and brave Earth boys are.”
Leo's fear vanished. "You have a son?"
"I have two sons, and a daughter. Is that so strange?"
The idea had never occurred to Leo. A being from a strange planet should be strange! But this one was just like real people.
The alien seemed to sense what Leo was thinking. "I come from a distant planet," he said, "but you'll find that people are people, wherever they're from."
"Where do you come from?" asked Leo.
"Do you see that bright star?" said the alien, pointing. "That is a sun, just like yours. And around it are planets, just like those of your own solar system. I come from a planet in that solar system. One very much like this planet."
"It must be very strange on your planet. I mean, since you travel through space and all, well . . . it just must be very strange."
"It might seem so to you. But Earth seems strange to me. To me, you are the alien, and this is an alien world. My son would find it even stranger. He's about your age, and isn't old enough to travel in space yet. Seeing this world of yours would astound him."
"How 'bout that," marveled Leo.
"Would you be willing to make a trade with me? I'd like to bring one of your typical Earth things back to my son. In return I'll give you one of the favorite toys of boys back on my home planet."
An alien toy! It was hard to believe that such a race would have toys, even for their children. But if they did, those toys would be like nothing ever seen on Earth.
Leo thought for a moment, trying to think of something worthy of such a trade. "Would this be okay?" he asked, pulling a comic book from his pocket.
"Oh, that's perfect. Shan will love it." The alien turned and started back to his craft. "Wait here just a moment and I'll get one of his things."
A few seconds later he returned carrying a small black box, and handed it to Leo. "This is very popular among all the boys where I come from. It operates on what you call gravity. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as Shan will enjoy your gift."
Leo clutched the small box to his chest. A toy from the stars - from a boy on a far away world!
"I must leave now. Perhaps one day you'll be able to visit my planet and you can meet Shan face to face." He turned and walked into the spaceship, then waved from the opening.
The ramp disappeared. The opening behind it sealed. The soft hum began, followed by the changing colored glow. Slowly the machine lifted off and then picked up speed as it flew higher and higher. Soon it was out of sight.
His heart pounding with excitement, Leo raced for home to show off his prize. He leapt the porch stairs in a bound and flew through the door, shouting.
"MOM! DAD!" he cried, barely getting the words out for lack of breath. "Spaceship! . . . landed . . . toy!" He held out the box, unable to explain further.
His parents looked at each other, then back at Leo. "What are you talking about? What's this about a spaceship?"
"Landed," Leo puffed. "Out in the field. Gave me this."
His father took the box from Leo's hands and gently pried the lid off. As he looked inside he burst into laughter. "Our son is playing tricks on us again."
"No!" Leo protested. "It's true. Can't you see? The alien gave me this. It's a toy from another planet."
"A toy from another planet, huh?" chuckled his father, handing the box back to Leo.
Leo yanked the box away and looked into it.
There in the box, nestled in cotton, was a yo-yo.
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