Don’t panic! It may be nice here.
Alone and not knowing what else to do, the couple walked around, trying to warm up. The ground was spongy, and for the first time Nancy and Ned looked fully at each other. They were no longer wearing their own clothes!
Both of them had on tight-fitting military-type pants and coats in a silver color, with a matching helmet that fit snugly. There were no buttons or zippers.
How does one get into and out of these clothes? Nancy wondered.
Ned did not speak, but he smiled broadly. Nancy could not hear him laugh, but understood what he was thinking.
This is weird! he was saying to her silently.
There was nothing in sight. No buildings, no trees, just a rubberlike expanse of green grass.
Nancy thought-waved to Ned: If we’re not in heaven, but on some other planet, do you think the flying saucer will come back, pick us up, and take us home to earth?
Ned shrugged. I’m freezing in this silly costume, he responded. I feel like a person acting a part in some play, like Earth Man Lost in Space.
Nancy smiled. I do too, she told him.
The eerie silence had been nerve-racking. By chance the couple happened to look up at the sky. Not far above them a huge bird was flying. It looked like a combination eagle and airplane. As it passed overhead, the bird dipped its wings as if signaling to the couple below, then turned and repeated the gesture.
Was that a message for us? Nancy wondered, glancing at Ned.
At the same time she looked down at her feet. To her amazement the military-type silver pants ended in footgear that looked like bird’s claws.
I can’t believe it! Bird’s feet! She was puzzled by the whole thing.
Ned grinned. Maybe we’ve become birds! Human birds! You look pretty nifty at that, he told Nancy.
Are we supposed to fly? she responded, still amazed.
Automatically she pictured Ned as a bird and looked at the back of his broad shoulders. There were two retracted wings!
We are supposed to fly! she thought-waved to him. That’s what the bird was trying to tell us.
She pulled out the wings. They opened wide and in a few moments Ned was ready to fly.
Here I go! he announced.
Wait! Nancy pleaded. Don’t leave me here alone. She felt her own back, found a pair of wings like Ned’s, and asked him to pull hers out.
Nancy’s wings spread apart too. She wondered what she should do next in order to fly.
Ned solved the problem by indicating that she should run her fingers through the ends of the wings and hold on. He helped her do this, then put his own fingers to his feathery gear.
Ready! Set! Go! he signaled.
The couple ran as fast as they could over the uneven ground stumbling several times, then began to pump their arms. Within seconds they were airborne! Nancy loved her newfound freedom, as she and Ned soared over the landscape.
Isn’t this fun! she thought-waved to Ned who flew alongside her.
He replied, I wonder if I’d ever want to be an earthling again. Maybe it would be better to fly than to walk.
It dawned on Nancy that the two of them were moving at an incredible speed. She expected her arms to tire, but they had no feeling in them.
She pumped her wings a little harder and gathered speed. Strange! She did not feel wind rushing across her face. There was no sensation of any kind.
This is really contrary to everything I learned in science, she thought. Ned nodded that he, too, was puzzled.
After they flew without seeing any sign of life, they wondered what kind of creatures might be able to live in this environment. The place was entirely unpolluted.
Nancy smiled. People at home would like it here. There’s no smoke, no streams of water containing trash, no debris or poisonous chemicals.
Ned thought-waved to her, If anyone does live here, how do they survive? Nothing at all seems to be growing here except grass.
His flying companion speculated, Maybe it’s a planet of intelligent birds. But what do they live on? Everything needs air, food, and
Alone and not knowing what else to do, the couple walked around, trying to warm up. The ground was spongy, and for the first time Nancy and Ned looked fully at each other. They were no longer wearing their own clothes!
Both of them had on tight-fitting military-type pants and coats in a silver color, with a matching helmet that fit snugly. There were no buttons or zippers.
How does one get into and out of these clothes? Nancy wondered.
Ned did not speak, but he smiled broadly. Nancy could not hear him laugh, but understood what he was thinking.
This is weird! he was saying to her silently.
There was nothing in sight. No buildings, no trees, just a rubberlike expanse of green grass.
Nancy thought-waved to Ned: If we’re not in heaven, but on some other planet, do you think the flying saucer will come back, pick us up, and take us home to earth?
Ned shrugged. I’m freezing in this silly costume, he responded. I feel like a person acting a part in some play, like Earth Man Lost in Space.
Nancy smiled. I do too, she told him.
The eerie silence had been nerve-racking. By chance the couple happened to look up at the sky. Not far above them a huge bird was flying. It looked like a combination eagle and airplane. As it passed overhead, the bird dipped its wings as if signaling to the couple below, then turned and repeated the gesture.
Was that a message for us? Nancy wondered, glancing at Ned.
At the same time she looked down at her feet. To her amazement the military-type silver pants ended in footgear that looked like bird’s claws.
I can’t believe it! Bird’s feet! She was puzzled by the whole thing.
Ned grinned. Maybe we’ve become birds! Human birds! You look pretty nifty at that, he told Nancy.
Are we supposed to fly? she responded, still amazed.
Automatically she pictured Ned as a bird and looked at the back of his broad shoulders. There were two retracted wings!
We are supposed to fly! she thought-waved to him. That’s what the bird was trying to tell us.
She pulled out the wings. They opened wide and in a few moments Ned was ready to fly.
Here I go! he announced.
Wait! Nancy pleaded. Don’t leave me here alone. She felt her own back, found a pair of wings like Ned’s, and asked him to pull hers out.
Nancy’s wings spread apart too. She wondered what she should do next in order to fly.
Ned solved the problem by indicating that she should run her fingers through the ends of the wings and hold on. He helped her do this, then put his own fingers to his feathery gear.
Ready! Set! Go! he signaled.
The couple ran as fast as they could over the uneven ground stumbling several times, then began to pump their arms. Within seconds they were airborne! Nancy loved her newfound freedom, as she and Ned soared over the landscape.
Isn’t this fun! she thought-waved to Ned who flew alongside her.
He replied, I wonder if I’d ever want to be an earthling again. Maybe it would be better to fly than to walk.
It dawned on Nancy that the two of them were moving at an incredible speed. She expected her arms to tire, but they had no feeling in them.
She pumped her wings a little harder and gathered speed. Strange! She did not feel wind rushing across her face. There was no sensation of any kind.
This is really contrary to everything I learned in science, she thought. Ned nodded that he, too, was puzzled.
After they flew without seeing any sign of life, they wondered what kind of creatures might be able to live in this environment. The place was entirely unpolluted.
Nancy smiled. People at home would like it here. There’s no smoke, no streams of water containing trash, no debris or poisonous chemicals.
Ned thought-waved to her, If anyone does live here, how do they survive? Nothing at all seems to be growing here except grass.
His flying companion speculated, Maybe it’s a planet of intelligent birds. But what do they live on? Everything needs air, food, and
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