Review: Science Fiction: "The Hunters" by Joseph Samachson

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Miss Burton has been tasked with watching thirty girls, all between the ages of nine and eleven, on their field trip to the zoo. She is unaware of the two men watching the group. She’s too busy confiscating a water pistol—before it’s filled—and a ball. One of them tries speaking Spanish. He’s pretty bad at it. His companion tells him he never was a linguist. The two agree this planet has everything they need. They’ve explored all over and no one has ever suspected them. Wait till the tell the folks back home. As a special treat for the girls, the old lion hunter, Curtis George, will be in an auditorium today to recount some of his adventures. They know nothing of his love for the bottle or of his revulsion for children, especially squealing girls. Later, two girls wander into the group, telling Miss Burton they’ve gotten separated from their own class. Miss Barton agrees to let them stay with her class until a police officer can be found, as long as they behave. There’s something odd about these two girls. And that language they were speaking. Pig Latin, indeed! They claim to be budding actresses. One acts as person, the other imitates animals. A lot in this story is improbable, even given the premise. What interest would aliens have in a school outing at a zoo? Why does Miss Barton not do more to locate the class the interlopers supposedly belong to? Their teacher, if she existed, would be beside herself. Nevertheless, there is a lot of silliness here, almost enough to forgive such gaping holes. The ending is not a surprise, but it, too, is funny. If you’re looking for a quick giggle without much deep thought, this is a story for you. Author Joseph Samachson wrote this and a number of science fiction pulp stories under the pseudonym Williams Morrison. He was born in New Jersey, the son of Russian Jewish parents. He attended Rutgers and earned a Ph.D. from Yale in chemistry. In addition to science fiction, he wrote for D.C. Comics. This story is available from Project Gutenberg: _____ Title: “The Hunters” Author: William Morrison, penname for Joseph Samachson (1906-1980) First published: Space Science Fiction February 1953 Source: ISFDB