Project Gutenberg 2009-12-02 Public domain in the USA. 331 Garrett, Randall 1927 1987 Garrett, Gordon Randall Garret, Randall Barretton, Grandall Mitchell, Clyde Burke, Ralph Schoenherr, John 1935 2010 Schoenherr, Jack Schoenherr, John (John Carl) The Asses of Balaam Produced from Analog Science Fact Fiction October 1961. Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Greg Weeks, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "The Asses of Balaam" by Randall Garrett is a science fiction novella written in the early 1960s. The story explores themes of ecological balance and the responsibilities of intelligent species toward their environment, all set against a backdrop of an alien world inhabited by unique creatures. The novella employs a blend of humor and philosophical musings to delve into the complexities of evolution and survival in a managed ecosystem. The narrative follows Dodeth Pell, an official in charge of predator control on his planet, who discovers a new species dubbed the “wygorex.” Initially, concerns arise about this species disrupting the ecological balance, as they pose a threat to a native herbivore known as the hurkle. As Dodeth investigates further, he learns that these creatures exhibit behaviors suggesting intelligence, compelling him to rethink his initial assumptions. Eventually, the arrival of an alien ship suggests a deeper connection to the wider universe, challenging the notion of what constitutes intelligence and reinforcing the need for communication and understanding between species. The story concludes with the possibility of new beginnings as they confront their misconceptions and anticipate collaboration with the newcomers. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 83.0 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories PS Text Science Fiction Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Category: Humour 77149 2025-08-12T12:41:34.552920 text/html 73855 2009-12-02T12:29:52 text/html 262677 2025-08-12T12:41:38.543916 application/epub+zip 261483 2025-08-12T12:41:36.143916 application/epub+zip 94398 2025-08-12T12:41:35.124902 application/epub+zip 356633 2025-08-12T12:41:40.263912 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 349218 2025-08-12T12:41:37.913915 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 158118 2022-09-14T07:06:55.880299 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 69421 2025-08-12T12:41:34.249912 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 69266 2009-12-02T12:29:52 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 20145 2025-08-12T12:41:40.467891 application/rdf+xml 12794 2025-08-12T12:41:35.615900 image/jpeg 3437 2025-08-12T12:41:35.369904 image/jpeg 188988 2009-12-02T12:29:52 application/octet-stream application/zip 26687 2009-12-02T12:29:52 application/octet-stream application/zip 256492 2025-08-12T12:41:34.571910 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia More titles under Jorgensen, Ivar en.wikipedia