# Help me ID this SF short story **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 24, 2006, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-sf-short-story/377738 "2006-10-24T18:50:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-sf-short-story/377738/1 "2006-10-24T18:50:24Z")
I remember reading it year ago - perhaps as many as twenty. Martian “children” discovered a Mars lander and destroyed it in their curiosity, drinking the sample solutions, taking it apart to see how it worked, etc. The last line was the parents noticing that there was a manned ship in orbit, and hoping that the children didn’t get ahold of a manned module when it came down, or something like that. I have a vague association with Ray Bradbury, but it doesn’t seem to be in any of his collections that I own. Anyone recognize it and/or know where to find it? ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-sf-short-story/377738/2 "2006-10-24T19:28:03Z")
Don’t remember the title, but I’m about 90% sure it’s a Larry Niven. Possibly from his collection “Convergent Series”, or possibly not. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-sf-short-story/377738/3 "2006-10-24T20:27:38Z")
_Plaything_, by Larry Niven, collected in _Convergent Series_. Last words are “WE MUST HOPE THAT THE CHILDREN WILL NOT GET HOLD OF IT”. The kids lured it off the edge of a cliff for fun, among other things. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-sf-short-story/377738/4 "2006-10-24T21:45:14Z")
W00t - I know I have _Convergent Series_ sitting on my bookshelf, but I didn’t think to look in that one. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-sf-short-story/377738/5 "2006-10-24T22:53:21Z")
You’re welcome.