Excerpt from Cosmolinea B-2, section Microfantascienza per tutti 1.6.
The Search by Fredric Brown.
"Welcome to paradise, Peter," said the kindly man with the long white beard, smiling at him. "My name is the same, you know? I hope you find it good here." And Peter, who was only four years old, passed through the gate and began his search for God. He walked down immaculate streets lined with splendid buildings and filled with happy people, but he did not find God. He continued searching until he felt utterly exhausted, yet even then, he pressed on. Someone spoke to him, but he did not stop. Finally, he arrived in front of a shining palace of gold: it was larger than all the others, so large that he understood he had finally arrived where God lived. As he approached, the great portals opened, and he entered. At the far end of the vast hall stood a large golden throne, but God was not there. The floor was soft and silky, completely quilted. In the middle of the room, halfway between the door and the throne, Peter sat down to wait for God. After a while, he lay down and fell asleep. He slept only for a few minutes, or perhaps for years, but eventually, he was awakened by a sweet sound of footsteps. He realized that God was coming and woke up joyfully. It was God. His eyes fell on Peter and lit up with instant delight. Peter ran toward him. "Hello, Peter," God said softly, placing a hand on his head. He then looked toward the throne, and His face changed. He slowly knelt down and bowed His head, as if He were afraid. But what could God be afraid of? Peter knew that God was pretending, but he played along. He wagged his tail to signify that he understood it was all a game and then turned around and barked at the light shining on the golden throne.
Original title: Search, 1954.