Henry Kuttner's "Happy Ending" (short story, humor, free): When a man got what he "desired"!

While most of the story is mundane - at least for someone who's read a lot of Kuttner - it's the ending that made my day. Rely on Kuttner to turn mundane into extraordinary!

Note: I know of at least one more Kuttner story with this ending - cannot recollect the title, it was in one of the "Isaac Asimov Presents Great SF Stories" books. But that was a dark ending; here, it's a funny one.

Story summary.

James Kelvin, a newspaper reporter, met a very wise robot who gave him an interesting gadget with a button. Press the button & you'll be in rapport with a man from far future; you can then tap his far superior brain to achieve "health, fame and fortune"! Only, beware of that dangerous android Tharn from future. But gadget will protect you from him too.

James will have many adventures & narrow escapes from Tharn in days that follow. He will achieve "health, fame and fortune" too & "he lived happily ever after".

Only if life were so simple...

Fact sheet.

First published: Thrilling Wonder Stories, August 1948.
Download full text.
Rating: A.
Related: Stories of Henry Kuttner; Tuesday Classics; fiction from 1940s.