File:Tales to Astonish Vol 1 28 010.jpg

Description
A boy is the only witness to the exile of an alien criminal, ala "The Zanti Misfits", to serve a one year sentence on Earth. Since it is dark and raining, the boy cannot identify the creature as it leaves the large spaceship, but hears its occupants tell the prisoner they will return in one year. The boy informs the authorities, but is scoffed at. Since he is persistent, they follow him out to the hill, but there is nothing to be seen but a lone tree. The local paper talks up the story to generate tourist traffic and the boy is humiliated that no one will believe him. A year passes, and thanks to the paper reminding everyone, a bit of a crowd gathers on the hill to get a glimpse of the spaceship that no one really expects. They are startled when one actually descends and even more surprised when the tree uproots itself and ascends in the craft. The people express regret that they did not believe the boy as they could have learned so much from the exile.