Happy Ending

"Happy Ending" by Fredric Brown and Mack Reynolds is a story set in a world destroyed by war, where a former dictator, Mr. Smith, is marooned on Venus, a hot and lonely planet, after his defeat. Once a leader with great power, he now wrestles with anger and memories of his past, especially toward the small alien creatures called "kifs" that bother him constantly. As the story unfolds, Mr. Smith's mind begins to unravel, leading him to try and control the planet's inhabitants, whom he initially believes are simple and easy to manage; however, his misguided beliefs soon lead to terrible results, ending in a shocking fate where the "kifs" bring about his destruction, showing the final destruction of tyranny.