Through time and space with Benedict Breadfruit

By GRANDALL BARRETTON
Through Time and Space With Benedict Breadfruit: I
On the ancient planet of Phogiu II, the natives were in a terrible tizzy. Their local god—a huge, intelligent lichen which covered a fifth of the habitable surface of Phogiu II, was dying. Naturally, they sent for Benedict Breadfruit. He took one look at the lichen and said: It is obvious that the fungi part of this intelligent symbiotic organism is in good health. The other part, however—
He gave it a shot of vitamins and a chlorophyll pill. The Great Lichen immediately spruced up and began delivering its deep pronunciamentos with the proper punctilio.
What was wrong with it? asked one of the natives.
Nothing serious, said Benedict Breadfruit. All it needed was an algae buttress.
—GRANDALL BARRETTON
Through Time and Space With Benedict Breadfruit: II
The accepted method for removing space lice from the hull of a ship was by sandblasting, but the boys around the space docks noticed that Benedict Breadfruit's shiny hull was not pitted either by space lice or by sandblasting. Breadfruit used hydrogen cyanide to remove the pests, but he had never told anyone about it.
Come, Breadfruit, said one of the spaceport officials, tell us how you remove your burden of pediculous pests!
Breadfruit gestured at his HCN generator. I gas 'em off.
—GRANDALL BARRETTON