Polly Plus (short story)
Encyclopedia
"Polly Plus" is a science fiction
short story
by Randall Garrett
, originally published in Asimov's Science Fiction
in 1978.
many years after she started teaching at an elementary school. She recalls her experience on her first day, meeting her pupils. One of them is a young boy named Willy Taylor, who exhibits unusual intelligence. But his teacher comes to realise that he is hiding his real abilities and pretending to be an average student only.
She allows Willy to take home a class pet; a parrot
named Jeremiah, but the parrot is attacked and mutilated by a neighbour's cat
. Nevertheless. Jeremiah is returned to school, apparently unharmed. But he quickly begins to exhibit enhanced abilities, including mathematical knowledge and advanced reasoning. The teacher determines to investigate this phenomenon intensively, maybe even obtaining a doctorate for her research.
Some time later, Paula, a young and not-too-bright fellow pupil of Willy's, is run over in a car accident and is not expected to survive. Willy mananges to enter the hospital
without being seen, and Paula seemingly and miraculously recovers. Willy is taken out of school next day and is never seen again.
Years later, Paula is a successful film actress with multiple talents and several university degrees. The teacher speculates that Willy and his family were extra-terrestrials with special powers, and were living on Earth, for unknown reasons. Willy, she believes, 'enhanced' the brainpower of both Paula and Jeremiah.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Randall Garrett
Randall Garrett
Randall Garrett was an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was a prolific contributor to Astounding and other science fiction magazines of the 1950s and 1960s...
, originally published in Asimov's Science Fiction
Asimov's Science Fiction
Asimov's Science Fiction is an American science fiction magazine which publishes science fiction and fantasy and perpetuates the name of author and biochemist Isaac Asimov...
in 1978.
Plot summary
The story is narrated by a teacherTeacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
many years after she started teaching at an elementary school. She recalls her experience on her first day, meeting her pupils. One of them is a young boy named Willy Taylor, who exhibits unusual intelligence. But his teacher comes to realise that he is hiding his real abilities and pretending to be an average student only.
She allows Willy to take home a class pet; a parrot
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
named Jeremiah, but the parrot is attacked and mutilated by a neighbour's cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
. Nevertheless. Jeremiah is returned to school, apparently unharmed. But he quickly begins to exhibit enhanced abilities, including mathematical knowledge and advanced reasoning. The teacher determines to investigate this phenomenon intensively, maybe even obtaining a doctorate for her research.
Some time later, Paula, a young and not-too-bright fellow pupil of Willy's, is run over in a car accident and is not expected to survive. Willy mananges to enter the hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
without being seen, and Paula seemingly and miraculously recovers. Willy is taken out of school next day and is never seen again.
Years later, Paula is a successful film actress with multiple talents and several university degrees. The teacher speculates that Willy and his family were extra-terrestrials with special powers, and were living on Earth, for unknown reasons. Willy, she believes, 'enhanced' the brainpower of both Paula and Jeremiah.