A Loint of Paw
Encyclopedia
A Loint of Paw is a vignette
by Isaac Asimov
, first published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
in August 1957. It was reprinted in the 1968 collection Asimov's Mysteries
and the 1986 collection The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov
. The title of the story is a play on the words "a point of law", which alludes to the punchline of the story also being a pun. Asimov's author's note states that he considers "a play on words the noblest form of wit."
An alternate title for this story is "A Niche In Time Saves Stein".
, then entered a time machine set for the day after the statute of limitations
for his crime expired. The story tells how the case against Stein was prosecuted and defended, and the judge's eventual ruling delivered in the form of a pun.
Vignette (literature)
In theatrical script writing, sketch stories, and poetry, a vignette is a short impressionistic scene that focuses on one moment or gives a trenchant impression about a character, an idea, or a setting and sometimes an object...
by Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
, first published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is a digest-size American fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House and then by Fantasy House. Both were subsidiaries of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Publications, which took over as publisher in 1958. Spilogale, Inc...
in August 1957. It was reprinted in the 1968 collection Asimov's Mysteries
Asimov's Mysteries
Asimov's Mysteries, published in 1968, is a collection of 14 short stories by Isaac Asimov, all of them science fiction mysteries...
and the 1986 collection The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov
The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov
The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov, published in 1986, is a collection of 28 short stories by Isaac Asimov.-Content:# "All the Troubles of the World"# "A Loint of Paw"# "The Dead Past"# "Death of a Foy"# "Dreaming Is a Private Thing"...
. The title of the story is a play on the words "a point of law", which alludes to the punchline of the story also being a pun. Asimov's author's note states that he considers "a play on words the noblest form of wit."
An alternate title for this story is "A Niche In Time Saves Stein".
Plot summary
The plot involves a criminal named Stein who stole over $100,000 through fraudFraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
, then entered a time machine set for the day after the statute of limitations
Statute of limitations
A statute of limitations is an enactment in a common law legal system that sets the maximum time after an event that legal proceedings based on that event may be initiated...
for his crime expired. The story tells how the case against Stein was prosecuted and defended, and the judge's eventual ruling delivered in the form of a pun.