Ficlets

The experiment

Zeno shook his head sadly. “This isn’t how it’s supposed to go, I’ve got it figured out. I’m positive this isn’t right!”

Poliphilus the archer shrugged, nocked another arrow and shouted, “Pull!”

The tortoise waddled forward gingerly. It was eerily silent in the desert, but there was the promise of lettuce on the breeze. The arrow thunked into its shell and sent it skittering across the stony ground. The tortoise pulled its head in, and then its legs for good measure.

“Look, Poliphilus, I’m absolutely certain you can’t hit a moving tortoise with an arrow! I’ve got it all written down. It’s got to be right!”

Poliphilus just shrugged again. He hoped they’d get to eat the tortoises later. There was good eating on a tortoise.

“The arrow covers half the distance to the tortoise, and in that time, the tortoise moves a tiny bit, see? It’s all in my notes. It repeats over and over, the tortoise never gets hit!”

Poliphilus had already nocked a new arrow. “Pull!”

Zeno winced at the gentle thunk!

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