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"Defense Mechanism" is a 3000-word short story by Katherine MacLean, about a telepathic baby. The story was first published in the October, 1949 issue of Astounding Science Fiction.

Spoiler Warning: Plot details and/or information about the ending follow. If you wish to enjoy the work first, stop reading here and return at another time.

Plot

Ted is a father who is psychically connected to his baby, Jake. Through Jake, Ted can read the minds of other babies, and rabbits. A rabbit nearby is killed by a hunter, and Ted responds by attacking the hunter. Ted realizes that this psychic ability is something that the baby will eventually lose; reading the minds of adults is just too horrible for a baby to stand.

Additional Notes

This story has been reprinted in, among other places, Isaac Asimov Presents The Great SF Stories 11 (1949).