I have traveled the length and breadth of the galaxy to find the most tasty, delectable items for my readers. My latest travels have taken me to a small, out-of-the-way planet called Urth or Erth or something like that. I was not expecting very much from such an unknown planet circling such a nondescript G-type sun but I was pleasantly surprised.

Upon arrival I was surprised to see that the dominant life-form appeared to be non-organic, metallic to he exact. I did not expect non-organic entities to be the kind of fare that my readers would enjoy eating but I was wrongl The dominant life-form is very, very edible. Delicious in fact.

The 'Motopods' (my own designation) are a lower form of insectoid life. They differ from our forms of insectoid life in several ways: 1. They feed on liquid hydrocarbons. 2. They use wheels for locomotion instead of legs. 3. They have a metallic shell rather than chiton. 4. They vary in color and range in size from three meters to more that twelve meters.

I was preparing to leave without further investigation when I saw two of the Motopods collide. I assumed that they were mating but I was incorrect. Apparently they were engaging in combat and fatally wounded each other. When I examined more closely I discovered that these metallic shelled creatures were organic in nature and were delicious. I decided to investigate further.

As with all lower creatures there is a great diversity in size and color. The smallest motopods were not worth the time and effort to catch and clean and, in fact, some of the large ones contained quantities of noxious chemicals.

I found that the Motopods from ten to twelve meters long and having a band of eyes or lenses completely surrounding the body are the best. They are completely filled with tasty bite-sized morsels of tender and flavorful meat. I think these are the larval stage of similar ones that fly. I tried to catch several of them but they became unstable and fell to the ground, spoiling them.

I spent nearly a year observing and sampling the Motopods and I want to give you a tip. The sweetest and most tender motopods are only available from early autumn to late spring. They have several distinguishing characteristics:

1. They are a distinctive yellow with black markings.
2. They move very slowly and stop a lot.
3. They only run during the early morning and late afternoon and their routes are very predictable, so they are easy to catch and easy to clean.

Take my word for it, the Motopods of the Sol-3 (Urth, Erth) are the most delightful and tasty creatures I have ever eaten. If you are ever in the area I suggest that you stop and try a few.

From Indianapolis Mensa's "MIND" December 1985, Dan Derrick, Editor