October 21, 2025 • 25 mins
A surreal sci-fi series exploring speculative concepts, dreams, and philosophical what-ifs. Each episode is a cerebral journey into the mind’s deepest questions. Explore a world of immersive, ad-free audio experiences from nature sounds to timeless stories at https://www.adfreesounds.com
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Speaker 1 (00:38):
Mind Way. Welcome to a half hour of mind web
short stories from the world. It spec into a section.
(01:11):
This edition of mind webbs is in two parts. We
have two separate stories for you. First of all, one
titled Happily ever After, authored by William Plan. It's from
a collection he edited called A Wilderness of Stars. The
author writes, I always wanted to try a simple variation
on the Garden of Eden Free. Finally I did the
(01:32):
result of short direct and I sincerely hope entertainment. On
the way back to level twelve. In the space cab,
Donald Spencer couldn't resist the impulse to sing. The android
pilot looked curiously at him Spencer's smile. I'm just happy.
(01:53):
Bought a rather expensive wedding presence today to celebrate the
end of Bachelor Puot. I've been a married man for
exactly six hours and twenty seven minutes.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
The pilot said, congratulations.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
I hope that you went your wah and the standard
cliches emerge, but it was something to think about living
happily ever after. Paula Spencer impatiently watched her husband step
out of the humming space cab. He waved a greeting
as the walk brought him swiftly down to her, and
then he was in her arms. Well where is it?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
You said you're going out to buy a wedding.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Present, and so I did. It's up there?
Speaker 3 (02:28):
What's up?
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Where a wedding present? I bought us an asteroid on
your joke, eight twenty thousand credits. There is no joke.
We are now the legal owners of asteroid K one
fifty seven and Lwani Cluster can we ave for it.
It's a solid investment, honey. Nobody loses money on asteroids
these days. Now, I've arranged everything. We leave tonight for
the cluster. Our living quarters are all set up and waiting.
(02:51):
So hu's about a smile for your rich new husband.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Oh, I'll do better than that.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
The trip out to the cluster was perfect, their new
homes going into sight on the ship's wide viewscreen. Donald
Spencer knew that he made a shrewd purchase. In ten years,
an asteroid would fetch at least fifty thousand credits on
the Earth market. The furiously expanding population guaranteed it. Some
of his business friends had been skeptical, warning him against
the deal, telling him that no one really knew much
(03:20):
about the Lawani cluster, that he might run into trouble
out there, but Spencer ignored them. They were simply jealous
of his business ability when a few years Lwani would
be completely settled and real estate would soar ready dary.
The couple shook hands with the captain and transferred to
their personal landing craft. Spencer raised a hand and the
(03:40):
section of the passenger rockets outer hull slid back. A
small silver craft bulleted toward the K one fifty seven,
leaving the giant ship behind to continue its galactic voyage.
The landing was smooth, and Donald Spencer took his wife's
hand after the atomic motor had stilled happy.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Oh no, I am done.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
May come on meet your asteroids. They scrambled out of
the ship. The air was heavy but breathable. In rising waves,
the tall blue trees and multi colored vegetation of asteroid
K one fifty seven pressed around them, all but engulfing
their tiny spicecraft. I had a section cleared for us.
The house is just there beyond those trees.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
You can hardly wait to see it.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
She ran ahead of him across the spring green soil,
and he joined her at the clearing's edge, smiling at
her reaction.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Oh don, it's wonderful all I'd hope for.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
The new house was low and modern, sculptured to the
alien soil of flat plastic brick structure, gleaming under double suns.
As they approached it, the front doors lid silently open
for them. All the comforts are earth, even the microfilm library.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Are alone here.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Absolutely, the last of the building crew was due out yesterday.
The entire place is ours. Paula darted through the house,
exclaiming that all the late this electronic marbles in the bedroom.
She turned to face him.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
We are going to make this the most tremendous How
do you mean any couple ever had?
Speaker 1 (05:07):
That will be a pleasure. Later that night, Donald Spencer
awoke to find the bed empty beside him. He got up, quickly,
calling Paula's name. When she failed to answer, he pulled
on his robe and rushed outside into the bright moonlight. Paula,
are you out here? Then Spencer saw her standing at
the edge of the clearing, facing the masked line of
blue trees. Darling, I was worried. He put a hand
(05:30):
on her shoulder. She turned calmly. The moonlight filling her eyes.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
I needed some fresh air and the room was stifling.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Sure you're all right, Paula didn't reply, turning slowly away
from him. Spencer was puzzled, strangely uneasy, yet nothing seemed
to be wrong. Let's go back to the house.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
No, I wanna stay out here, but you'll go back
in if you wish.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Spencer shrugged, a little angry. He walked back, trying to
pinpoint the difference he had noticed in Paula. She had somehow.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Change exactly how have I changed?
Speaker 1 (06:03):
On? He spun around. She had followed him back, and
then he gasped, how had she gnaed that?
Speaker 3 (06:07):
You were thinking? Because I can lead your mind now?
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Of course, She stood there in the doorway, framed in
soft moonlight, smiling at him as her mother's smiles at
her child.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
It's true. I can also move faster than you can.
I'm much stronger.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
In fact, I could easily kill you with one blue people, God,
what kind of nonsense is this?
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Not nonsense? Fact? All of it can be yours too.
The trees will accept you, I know they will.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Spencer began to speak, but she raised a silence in
the hand.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
I walked out for air earlier while you slept, but
it was not really for air at all. The trees
had called me.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
They wanted me to become part of them, part of this.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Place, and so I did.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Paula, what are you telling me that this.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Asteroid is alive, that the blue trees are alive and
have mental powers.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Far beyond us?
Speaker 4 (07:01):
They called me tonight and I went out to them
ate the fruit I found on their branches.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Then I was one of them. I'm sure they want
you to die.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Go to them. You're just tired the trip the new house,
and maybe in the morning we can.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
In the morning, I won't be here at least not
as you see me. The mutation will be complete by them.
This creature you call Paula will be gone. I'll be
part of them.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
She extended a hand, and Spencer saw that she held
a triangular piece of fruit, which cast a subtle blue
glow in the darkness.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
We're in a new garden of Eden.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Eat this and you'll be free as I am free.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Spencer moved back from her. He believed Paula now she
had changed, and something on this asteroid had effected that change.
The Luani cluster was undeveloped, holy alien. No one could
specify exactly what man I would encounter here. That was
one of the risks. He knew he'd made a terrible
error in seeking out this place, that because of his error,
(08:07):
the woman he had loved was lost to him. Paula
was no longer his wife, no longer human.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Well, don, I.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
I don't want to join you. I'll leave in the morning.
The house, the asteroids hears everything. She laughed on A
sudden chill made him shiver beneath his robe.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
You'll never leave, No one can't. All the others, the
construction crew, they're out with the trees. By morning, you'll
be one of us.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Then I won't wait for morning. I'll go now. I
can make contact with a passenger ship near aerial and.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
You're acting like a fool, don.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Her voice was edged. Whatever possessed her was angry. Spencer
turned entered the bedroom and hurriedly began to dress. Paula
watched him from the doorway, unsmiling. Silent, he walked quickly
past her out to the waiting spicecraft. Paula, goodbye, not
good bye.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Down, It'll never be a goodbye for us.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Spencer mounted the ladder opened the airlock, but one foot
inside the rocket. Then an impulse, he turned the tree
seemed much closer.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
They are.
Speaker 4 (09:10):
You only have a few seconds down Eat from the tree,
or or what, or be destroyed with the rocket out a.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Hell, and he closed the airlock. Outside, the trees were
all around the silver ship. The clearing had completely vanished. Sweating,
and the impatient Spencer turned to the controls and then paused.
He slowly raised his head. Something, someone was calling him
with an urgency. He could not resist. Something wanted him
(09:39):
the trees, The trees wanted him. Moving with a calm deliberation,
Spencer opened the lock. They waited for him, offering their
shining blue branches in the bright moonlight, offering immortality. He
climbed down the ladder, putting out a hand toward Paula,
toward the fruit the tree. Hungrily, he ate of the fruit.
(10:04):
Paula welcomed in into her arms.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Now, my darling, we're together again forever.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
Spencer smiled at her, then looked at the trees. He
wondered why he had been unwilling to accept his destiny.
Men were so weak and foolish, so hopelessly mortal and
on asteroid K one fifty seven of the Lewani Coster
Donald and Paula Spencer lived Happily ever After. You've heard
(11:01):
Happily ever After, a story by William F. Nolan. Joining
me in the reading were Carrie Frumpkin and Marty van Cleef.
(11:32):
Now for our second portion of the program, I do
a story titled Born of Man and Woman. It's from
the book Third from the Sun by Richard Matheson this day,
(11:55):
when it had light, Mother called me, ratch, you, wretch,
She said, I saw in her eyes the anger. I
wonder what it is? A wretch? This day it had
water falling from upstairs. It fell all around. I saw
(12:18):
that the ground of the back. I watched from the
little window the ground. It sucked up the water like
thirsty lips. It drank too much, and it got sick
and runny brown. I didn't like it. Mother is a
(12:38):
pretty I know in my beck place with cold walls around,
I have a paper thing that was behind the furnace.
It says on it screamed stars. I see in the
pictures faces like a mother and father father, as they
(13:00):
are pretty. I touched his arm and said, it is
all right. Father. He shook and pulled away where I
couldn't reach. Today, Mother let me off the chain a
little so I could look out the little window. That's
(13:21):
how I saw the water falling from upstairs this day.
It had gold ness in the upstairs, as I know.
When I looked at it. My eyes hurt. After I
(13:41):
look at it, the cellar is red. I think this
was church. They leave the upstairs. The big machine swallows
them and rolls out past and is gone. In the
back part is the little mother. She is much small
(14:06):
than me. I am. I can see out the little
window all I like in this day. When it got dark,
I had eat my food and some bugs. I hear
laughs upstairs. I like to know why there are laps four.
(14:31):
I took the chain from the wall and wrapped it
around me. I walked squish to the stairs. They creak
when I walk on them. My legs slip on them.
(14:51):
Because I don't walk on stairs, my feet stick to
the wood. I went up and opened a door. It
was a white place. Why ass white jewels that come
from upstairs? Some time? I went in and stood quiet.
(15:18):
I hear the laughing some more. I walked to the
sound and looked through to the people more people than
I thought was. I thought I should laugh with them.
(15:39):
Mother came out and pushed the door in.
Speaker 5 (15:43):
It hit me and hurt.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
I fell back on the smooth floor, and the chain
made noise. I cried. She made a hissing noise into
her and put her hand on her mouth. Her eyes
got big. She looked at me. I heard father call
(16:12):
what full he caught? She said, a iron board? Come
help pick it up, she said. He came and said,
now is that so heavy you need? He saw me
and grew big. The anger came in his eyes. He
(16:32):
hit me. I spilled some of the drip on the
floor from one arm. It was not nice. It made
ugly green on the floor. Father told me to go
to the cellar. I had to go the light. It
(16:57):
hurt some nut my legs and arms up. He put
me on my bed upstairs. I heard laughing while I
was quiet there, looking on a black spider that was
swinging down to me. I thought what father said? Oh God,
(17:18):
he said, and only ate this day. Father hit in
the chain again before it had light. I have to
try to pull it out again. He said. I was
(17:39):
bad to come upstairs. He said, never do that again,
or he would beat me hard. That hurts m. I hurt.
I slept the day and rested my head against the
cold wall. I thought of uh white place upstairs. H
(18:09):
I got the chain from the wall out. Mother was upstairs.
I heard little laughs very high. I looked out the window.
I saw all little people like the little mother and
little fathers too. They are ready. They were making nice
(18:33):
noise and jumping around the ground. Their legs was moving hard.
They are like mother and father. Mother says, all right,
people look like they do you. One of the little
fathers saw me. He pointed at the window. I let
(18:58):
go and slid down the wall. In the dark. I
curled up as they would not see. I heard their
talks by the window, and foots running upstairs. There was
a door hitting. I heard the little mother call upstairs.
(19:22):
I heard heavy steps and I rushed in my bed place.
I hit the chain in the wall and lay down
on my front. I heard mother come down. Have you
been at the window, she said, I heard the anger.
(19:44):
Stay away from the window. You have pulled the chain
out again. She took the stick and hit me with it.
I didn't cry. I can't do that. But the drip
ran all over the bed. She saw it and twisted
(20:07):
away and made a noise. Oh my god, my god,
she said, why have you done this to me? I
heard the stick a bounce on the stone floor. She
ran upstairs. I slept the day. This day it had
(20:33):
water again. When mother was upstairs, I heard the little
one come slow down the steps. I hid myself in
the colbin. Fore mother would have anger if the little
mother saw me. She had a little live thing with her.
(20:57):
It walked on the arms, and at pointy years she
said things to it. It was all right, except the
live thing smelled me. It ran up the coal and
looked down at me. The hares stood up in the throat.
It made an angry noise. I hissed, but it jumped
(21:21):
on me. I didn't want to heard it. I got
fear because it bit me harder than the rat does.
I hurt, and the little mother screamed. I grabbed the
live pained tight. It made sounds I never heard. I
(21:45):
pushed it all together. It was all lumpy and red
on the black coal. I hid there. When mother called
I was afraid of the stick. He laughed. I crept
over the coll with the thing.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
I hid it under my pillow.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
And rested on it. I put the chain in the
wall again. This is another times father chained me tight.
I hurt because he beat me. This time I hit
(22:30):
the stick out of his hands and made noise. He
went away and his face was white. He ran out
of my bedplace and locked that door. I am not
so glad all day. It is cold in here. The
(22:52):
chain comes slow out of the wall, and I have
a bad anger with mother and father. I will show
them I will do what I did that once. I
will screech and laugh loud. I will run on the wall. Last,
(23:16):
I will hang head down by all my legs and
laugh and drip green all over until they are sorry
they didn't be nice to me. If they try to
beat me again, I'll hurt them. I will. That was
(24:10):
Richard Matheson's story Born of Man and Woman, from his
book Third from the Sun. This is Michael Hanson speaking
engineering by Steve Gordon. Mind webs is a production of
WYA Radio and Madison, a service of University of Wisconsin Extension.
Speaker 5 (24:38):
U UP.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
And at.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
The APT and
Speaker 5 (25:35):
Comple
Mind Way. Welcome to a half hour of mind web
short stories from the world. It spec into a section.
(01:11):
This edition of mind webbs is in two parts. We
have two separate stories for you. First of all, one
titled Happily ever After, authored by William Plan. It's from
a collection he edited called A Wilderness of Stars. The
author writes, I always wanted to try a simple variation
on the Garden of Eden Free. Finally I did the
(01:32):
result of short direct and I sincerely hope entertainment. On
the way back to level twelve. In the space cab,
Donald Spencer couldn't resist the impulse to sing. The android
pilot looked curiously at him Spencer's smile. I'm just happy.
(01:53):
Bought a rather expensive wedding presence today to celebrate the
end of Bachelor Puot. I've been a married man for
exactly six hours and twenty seven minutes.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
The pilot said, congratulations.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
I hope that you went your wah and the standard
cliches emerge, but it was something to think about living
happily ever after. Paula Spencer impatiently watched her husband step
out of the humming space cab. He waved a greeting
as the walk brought him swiftly down to her, and
then he was in her arms. Well where is it?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
You said you're going out to buy a wedding.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Present, and so I did. It's up there?
Speaker 3 (02:28):
What's up?
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Where a wedding present? I bought us an asteroid on
your joke, eight twenty thousand credits. There is no joke.
We are now the legal owners of asteroid K one
fifty seven and Lwani Cluster can we ave for it.
It's a solid investment, honey. Nobody loses money on asteroids
these days. Now, I've arranged everything. We leave tonight for
the cluster. Our living quarters are all set up and waiting.
(02:51):
So hu's about a smile for your rich new husband.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Oh, I'll do better than that.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
The trip out to the cluster was perfect, their new
homes going into sight on the ship's wide viewscreen. Donald
Spencer knew that he made a shrewd purchase. In ten years,
an asteroid would fetch at least fifty thousand credits on
the Earth market. The furiously expanding population guaranteed it. Some
of his business friends had been skeptical, warning him against
the deal, telling him that no one really knew much
(03:20):
about the Lawani cluster, that he might run into trouble
out there, but Spencer ignored them. They were simply jealous
of his business ability when a few years Lwani would
be completely settled and real estate would soar ready dary.
The couple shook hands with the captain and transferred to
their personal landing craft. Spencer raised a hand and the
(03:40):
section of the passenger rockets outer hull slid back. A
small silver craft bulleted toward the K one fifty seven,
leaving the giant ship behind to continue its galactic voyage.
The landing was smooth, and Donald Spencer took his wife's
hand after the atomic motor had stilled happy.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Oh no, I am done.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
May come on meet your asteroids. They scrambled out of
the ship. The air was heavy but breathable. In rising waves,
the tall blue trees and multi colored vegetation of asteroid
K one fifty seven pressed around them, all but engulfing
their tiny spicecraft. I had a section cleared for us.
The house is just there beyond those trees.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
You can hardly wait to see it.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
She ran ahead of him across the spring green soil,
and he joined her at the clearing's edge, smiling at
her reaction.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Oh don, it's wonderful all I'd hope for.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
The new house was low and modern, sculptured to the
alien soil of flat plastic brick structure, gleaming under double suns.
As they approached it, the front doors lid silently open
for them. All the comforts are earth, even the microfilm library.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Are alone here.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Absolutely, the last of the building crew was due out yesterday.
The entire place is ours. Paula darted through the house,
exclaiming that all the late this electronic marbles in the bedroom.
She turned to face him.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
We are going to make this the most tremendous How
do you mean any couple ever had?
Speaker 1 (05:07):
That will be a pleasure. Later that night, Donald Spencer
awoke to find the bed empty beside him. He got up, quickly,
calling Paula's name. When she failed to answer, he pulled
on his robe and rushed outside into the bright moonlight. Paula,
are you out here? Then Spencer saw her standing at
the edge of the clearing, facing the masked line of
blue trees. Darling, I was worried. He put a hand
(05:30):
on her shoulder. She turned calmly. The moonlight filling her eyes.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
I needed some fresh air and the room was stifling.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Sure you're all right, Paula didn't reply, turning slowly away
from him. Spencer was puzzled, strangely uneasy, yet nothing seemed
to be wrong. Let's go back to the house.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
No, I wanna stay out here, but you'll go back
in if you wish.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Spencer shrugged, a little angry. He walked back, trying to
pinpoint the difference he had noticed in Paula. She had somehow.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Change exactly how have I changed?
Speaker 1 (06:03):
On? He spun around. She had followed him back, and
then he gasped, how had she gnaed that?
Speaker 3 (06:07):
You were thinking? Because I can lead your mind now?
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Of course, She stood there in the doorway, framed in
soft moonlight, smiling at him as her mother's smiles at
her child.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
It's true. I can also move faster than you can.
I'm much stronger.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
In fact, I could easily kill you with one blue people, God,
what kind of nonsense is this?
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Not nonsense? Fact? All of it can be yours too.
The trees will accept you, I know they will.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Spencer began to speak, but she raised a silence in
the hand.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
I walked out for air earlier while you slept, but
it was not really for air at all. The trees
had called me.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
They wanted me to become part of them, part of this.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Place, and so I did.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Paula, what are you telling me that this.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Asteroid is alive, that the blue trees are alive and
have mental powers.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Far beyond us?
Speaker 4 (07:01):
They called me tonight and I went out to them
ate the fruit I found on their branches.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Then I was one of them. I'm sure they want
you to die.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Go to them. You're just tired the trip the new house,
and maybe in the morning we can.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
In the morning, I won't be here at least not
as you see me. The mutation will be complete by them.
This creature you call Paula will be gone. I'll be
part of them.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
She extended a hand, and Spencer saw that she held
a triangular piece of fruit, which cast a subtle blue
glow in the darkness.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
We're in a new garden of Eden.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Eat this and you'll be free as I am free.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Spencer moved back from her. He believed Paula now she
had changed, and something on this asteroid had effected that change.
The Luani cluster was undeveloped, holy alien. No one could
specify exactly what man I would encounter here. That was
one of the risks. He knew he'd made a terrible
error in seeking out this place, that because of his error,
(08:07):
the woman he had loved was lost to him. Paula
was no longer his wife, no longer human.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Well, don, I.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
I don't want to join you. I'll leave in the morning.
The house, the asteroids hears everything. She laughed on A
sudden chill made him shiver beneath his robe.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
You'll never leave, No one can't. All the others, the
construction crew, they're out with the trees. By morning, you'll
be one of us.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Then I won't wait for morning. I'll go now. I
can make contact with a passenger ship near aerial and.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
You're acting like a fool, don.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Her voice was edged. Whatever possessed her was angry. Spencer
turned entered the bedroom and hurriedly began to dress. Paula
watched him from the doorway, unsmiling. Silent, he walked quickly
past her out to the waiting spicecraft. Paula, goodbye, not
good bye.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Down, It'll never be a goodbye for us.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Spencer mounted the ladder opened the airlock, but one foot
inside the rocket. Then an impulse, he turned the tree
seemed much closer.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
They are.
Speaker 4 (09:10):
You only have a few seconds down Eat from the tree,
or or what, or be destroyed with the rocket out a.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Hell, and he closed the airlock. Outside, the trees were
all around the silver ship. The clearing had completely vanished. Sweating,
and the impatient Spencer turned to the controls and then paused.
He slowly raised his head. Something, someone was calling him
with an urgency. He could not resist. Something wanted him
(09:39):
the trees, The trees wanted him. Moving with a calm deliberation,
Spencer opened the lock. They waited for him, offering their
shining blue branches in the bright moonlight, offering immortality. He
climbed down the ladder, putting out a hand toward Paula,
toward the fruit the tree. Hungrily, he ate of the fruit.
(10:04):
Paula welcomed in into her arms.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Now, my darling, we're together again forever.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
Spencer smiled at her, then looked at the trees. He
wondered why he had been unwilling to accept his destiny.
Men were so weak and foolish, so hopelessly mortal and
on asteroid K one fifty seven of the Lewani Coster
Donald and Paula Spencer lived Happily ever After. You've heard
(11:01):
Happily ever After, a story by William F. Nolan. Joining
me in the reading were Carrie Frumpkin and Marty van Cleef.
(11:32):
Now for our second portion of the program, I do
a story titled Born of Man and Woman. It's from
the book Third from the Sun by Richard Matheson this day,
(11:55):
when it had light, Mother called me, ratch, you, wretch,
She said, I saw in her eyes the anger. I
wonder what it is? A wretch? This day it had
water falling from upstairs. It fell all around. I saw
(12:18):
that the ground of the back. I watched from the
little window the ground. It sucked up the water like
thirsty lips. It drank too much, and it got sick
and runny brown. I didn't like it. Mother is a
(12:38):
pretty I know in my beck place with cold walls around,
I have a paper thing that was behind the furnace.
It says on it screamed stars. I see in the
pictures faces like a mother and father father, as they
(13:00):
are pretty. I touched his arm and said, it is
all right. Father. He shook and pulled away where I
couldn't reach. Today, Mother let me off the chain a
little so I could look out the little window. That's
(13:21):
how I saw the water falling from upstairs this day.
It had gold ness in the upstairs, as I know.
When I looked at it. My eyes hurt. After I
(13:41):
look at it, the cellar is red. I think this
was church. They leave the upstairs. The big machine swallows
them and rolls out past and is gone. In the
back part is the little mother. She is much small
(14:06):
than me. I am. I can see out the little
window all I like in this day. When it got dark,
I had eat my food and some bugs. I hear
laughs upstairs. I like to know why there are laps four.
(14:31):
I took the chain from the wall and wrapped it
around me. I walked squish to the stairs. They creak
when I walk on them. My legs slip on them.
(14:51):
Because I don't walk on stairs, my feet stick to
the wood. I went up and opened a door. It
was a white place. Why ass white jewels that come
from upstairs? Some time? I went in and stood quiet.
(15:18):
I hear the laughing some more. I walked to the
sound and looked through to the people more people than
I thought was. I thought I should laugh with them.
(15:39):
Mother came out and pushed the door in.
Speaker 5 (15:43):
It hit me and hurt.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
I fell back on the smooth floor, and the chain
made noise. I cried. She made a hissing noise into
her and put her hand on her mouth. Her eyes
got big. She looked at me. I heard father call
(16:12):
what full he caught? She said, a iron board? Come
help pick it up, she said. He came and said,
now is that so heavy you need? He saw me
and grew big. The anger came in his eyes. He
(16:32):
hit me. I spilled some of the drip on the
floor from one arm. It was not nice. It made
ugly green on the floor. Father told me to go
to the cellar. I had to go the light. It
(16:57):
hurt some nut my legs and arms up. He put
me on my bed upstairs. I heard laughing while I
was quiet there, looking on a black spider that was
swinging down to me. I thought what father said? Oh God,
(17:18):
he said, and only ate this day. Father hit in
the chain again before it had light. I have to
try to pull it out again. He said. I was
(17:39):
bad to come upstairs. He said, never do that again,
or he would beat me hard. That hurts m. I hurt.
I slept the day and rested my head against the
cold wall. I thought of uh white place upstairs. H
(18:09):
I got the chain from the wall out. Mother was upstairs.
I heard little laughs very high. I looked out the window.
I saw all little people like the little mother and
little fathers too. They are ready. They were making nice
(18:33):
noise and jumping around the ground. Their legs was moving hard.
They are like mother and father. Mother says, all right,
people look like they do you. One of the little
fathers saw me. He pointed at the window. I let
(18:58):
go and slid down the wall. In the dark. I
curled up as they would not see. I heard their
talks by the window, and foots running upstairs. There was
a door hitting. I heard the little mother call upstairs.
(19:22):
I heard heavy steps and I rushed in my bed place.
I hit the chain in the wall and lay down
on my front. I heard mother come down. Have you
been at the window, she said, I heard the anger.
(19:44):
Stay away from the window. You have pulled the chain
out again. She took the stick and hit me with it.
I didn't cry. I can't do that. But the drip
ran all over the bed. She saw it and twisted
(20:07):
away and made a noise. Oh my god, my god,
she said, why have you done this to me? I
heard the stick a bounce on the stone floor. She
ran upstairs. I slept the day. This day it had
(20:33):
water again. When mother was upstairs, I heard the little
one come slow down the steps. I hid myself in
the colbin. Fore mother would have anger if the little
mother saw me. She had a little live thing with her.
(20:57):
It walked on the arms, and at pointy years she
said things to it. It was all right, except the
live thing smelled me. It ran up the coal and
looked down at me. The hares stood up in the throat.
It made an angry noise. I hissed, but it jumped
(21:21):
on me. I didn't want to heard it. I got
fear because it bit me harder than the rat does.
I hurt, and the little mother screamed. I grabbed the
live pained tight. It made sounds I never heard. I
(21:45):
pushed it all together. It was all lumpy and red
on the black coal. I hid there. When mother called
I was afraid of the stick. He laughed. I crept
over the coll with the thing.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
I hid it under my pillow.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
And rested on it. I put the chain in the
wall again. This is another times father chained me tight.
I hurt because he beat me. This time I hit
(22:30):
the stick out of his hands and made noise. He
went away and his face was white. He ran out
of my bedplace and locked that door. I am not
so glad all day. It is cold in here. The
(22:52):
chain comes slow out of the wall, and I have
a bad anger with mother and father. I will show
them I will do what I did that once. I
will screech and laugh loud. I will run on the wall. Last,
(23:16):
I will hang head down by all my legs and
laugh and drip green all over until they are sorry
they didn't be nice to me. If they try to
beat me again, I'll hurt them. I will. That was
(24:10):
Richard Matheson's story Born of Man and Woman, from his
book Third from the Sun. This is Michael Hanson speaking
engineering by Steve Gordon. Mind webs is a production of
WYA Radio and Madison, a service of University of Wisconsin Extension.
Speaker 5 (24:38):
U UP.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
And at.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
The APT and
Speaker 5 (25:35):
Comple
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