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"Thang" is a 400-word (1-page) short story by Martin Gardner, about a god who eats the planet Earth. The story was first published in the Fall, 1948 issue of Comment.

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

Thang is a god/giant, who awakes from a slumber hungry. He finds the planet Earth, shakes off all the salty water, and eats it. Thang then lays back to dwell on trivial matters, when Thang himself is eaten by an even greater giant: “For there are other gods than Thang.”

Additional Notes

This story has been reprinted in, among other places, Isaac Asimov Presents The Great SF Stories 10 (1948).