Ray Bradbury

“ He dropped the red rubber ball.
He didn't care. He only thought of his mother.
The jungle shivered. Something shifted, quickly.
A woman ran through the deep grass!
She ran away from Roby, slipped, cried out, and fell.
Something glittered in the sunlight. The woman was running toward that silvery glittering thing. The spheroid. The silver star ship! And where had she come from? And why was she running toward the sphere? And why had she fallen as he looked up? She didn't seem to be able to get up.
Roby leaped from his rock, gave chase. He caught up with and stood over the woman. ”

“ Her face shivered and changed, like melting snow, then took on a hard cast, became definite and handsome.
"I'm not your mother," she said.
He didn't hear. He only heard his own breath moving over his shaking lips. He was so weak with shock he could hardly stand. ”

“ Grill," pleaded the Sandman. "Listen, before anyone else comes and sees me this way and makes it worse!"
Roby kicked violently. The Sandman danced back, gasping:
"Listen. I'm not human, you are!" he shouted. "Thought has moulded the flesh of all you here on this world! You're all dictated to by labels. But I—I am a pure referent!"
"Liar!" More kicking from Roby.
The Sandman gibbered with frustration. "The truth, child! Centuries of thought have moulded your atoms to your present form ”

“ The red ball twitched in his hand, without his touching it. He looked at it with wonder.
"You'll only make it harder for yourself if you love her," said Grill.
"You're god-damn silly," said Roby.
Grill stiffened. "Don't swear. Besides, you don't really mean god and you don't mean damn. There's very little of either in the world. Semantics Book Seven, page 418, Labels and Referents."
"Now, I remember," shouted Roby, looking around. "There was a Sandman here just now and he said—"
"Come along," said Mr. Grill. "Lunch time." ”