“Piper in the Woods” February 1953

A young patrolman from Asteroid Y-3 believes he is a plant. He sits in the sun all day and sleeps when it is dark, refusing to do any of his duties. The syndrome spreads and Dr. Harris investigates. He interrogates these “plants” with the shock box and learns that they were taught to be plants by “the Pipers.” Harris goes to Asteroid Y-3 to find these Pipers. He sees a native who says she will lead him to these Pipers. She has the same supple movements as the plants. Harris returns to the base commander and says he has solved the problem but not cured it. He sees the Pipers as a psychological projection, allowing the plants to refuse work and to lounge about as primitives would have before the speed and duties of modern society changed us all. Harris says he will start them all on therapy in the morning. Then he covers the floor of his room with nice warm dirt and settles down to sleep. He too is now a plant.