The Beginning by Henry Hasse
"The Beginning" by Henry Hasse is a science fiction short story published in the early 1960s. This narrative explores themes of discovery, primal survival, and the consequences of technological advancement through the experience of its protagonist, Gral, a member of a prehistoric tribe. The story delves into the transformative moment when mankind's ingenuity leads to the creation of a weapon, setting the stage for both progress and inevitable conflict. In the tale,
Gral, perceived as weak and small among the tribesmen, stumbles upon a method to enhance their hunting capabilities by devising a weapon using stones and sinew. This innovation earns him the now-respected title of Gral-the-Bringer, as he brings down formidable prey like the great bear. However, as the tribe of Gor-wah adopts this new technology, it unwittingly leads to the rise of rivalries, resulting in a brutal cycle of violence and destruction among tribes. The narrative concludes on a reflective note, suggesting that man’s relentless pursuit of invention will continue to spur both creation and catastrophe, thus framing the story as a cautionary exploration of human nature and societal evolution. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Hasse, Henry, 1913-1977 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Finlay, Virgil, 1914-1971 |
| Title | The Beginning |
| Note | Reading ease score: 82.1 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Prehistoric peoples -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 27645 |
| Release Date | Dec 28, 2008 |
| Most Recently Updated | Jan 4, 2021 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 139 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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