(Found) The name of a Sci Fi short story I read in 1977

[KBreazile]

I'm hoping someone will know the name of a sci fi short story I read in 1977.

What I remember is this:

This man is sort of a slave working in a field on a planet where the human like people in charge have tails. He meets another human that is a wild man, meaning that he is not a slave like most humans.

He finally is convinced to run away and join the free humans that believe that a poem or a song that they say is really a code about how to free all the humans if a human goes in the tower in the middle of the park in the middle of the city and recite the poem.

They struggle to reach the guarded park where humans weren't allowed to go. It turns out the tower is a spaceship and the poem is the instructions on how to take off and return to earth.

Does anyone remember this story? I read it in English class in a book of sci fi short stories.

 

[Droflet]

Ooops.

 

[KBreazile]

I don't think it had the word spaceship because it is a surprise when they figure it out.

 

[Droflet]

Hence the ooops. I was thinking of a novel, not a short story.

 

[KBreazile]

Hence the ooops. I was thinking of a novel, not a short story.

Thanks for suggesting a title anyway. I wasn't sure I would have any response to my query. I became a user just this evening for this particular question. Kev

 

[Droflet]

Welcome aboard. Just bide your time. There are sure to be other responders.

 

[Danny McG]

Does this ring a bell?:-

Twinkle, twinkle, golden star,
I can reach you, though you’re far.

Shut my mouth and find my head,
find a worm that’s striped with red,

feed it to the turtle shell,
then go to sleep for all is well.

(Extract from The Silk and the Song 1956 by Charles L Fontenay)

 

[Danny McG]

This entire thread ideally belongs in 'Book Search'

 

[Pyan]

Noted, Danny, and so moved.

 

[KBreazile]

Does this ring a bell?:-

Twinkle, twinkle, golden star,
I can reach you, though you’re far.

Shut my mouth and find my head,
find a worm that’s striped with red,

feed it to the turtle shell,
then go to sleep for all is well.

(Extract from The Silk and the Song 1956 by Charles L Fontenay)

Yay!!!!!!!!!! Danny, You nailed it! I have been searching for this story since 1978! You don't know how much this means to me!. Kev

 

[Pyan]

Marked as 'Found'.

Don't go away though, Kev - stay and have a good look around....

 

[KBreazile]

This entire thread ideally belongs in 'Book Search'

There's a Book Search section! I will stick around. I'm sure I have a follow up question.

 

[PaulMmn]

The story is available through Kindle...