The narrative follows a Galactic Historian tasked with condensing the histories of numerous civilizations into a single manuscript. This monumental task weighs heavily on him, exacerbated by personal issues, including concerns about his many wives who are away on a cruise. As he meticulously reviews his work, a sudden breeze disrupts his concentration, causing a critical page of the manuscript to be lost. The breeze, characterized as malicious, carries the page to a xixxix tree, home to squixes—small creatures known for their collecting habits. The squixes, upon discovering the page, are thrilled and immediately begin to tear it into strips to create a hammock. Unbeknownst to them, they are weaving together significant historical events and dates from Earth’s history. As they craft their hammock, the squixes experience restless sleep filled with vivid dreams, influenced by the weighty history they are unknowingly resting upon. The story explores themes of memory, the significance of history, and the unintended consequences of seemingly trivial actions. The Galactic Historian's oversight and the squixes' innocent actions intertwine, leading to a humorous yet poignant commentary on the nature of history and its preservation. The work ultimately reflects on the fragility of knowledge and the impact of small events on the grand tapestry of time.
By Robert F. Young · First published 1970 · Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Humor