Thefirsttimehesaap1ane,forinstanotdraap1ane;thatou1dbemuchtoo**โ*โp1้icatedforme,heaskedme:"haທtisthatobຘject?"๙
&ุquot;Ifyoup1ease-ๅ-draທap!"
Ipondereddeep1y,then,overtheaທdventuresofthejung1eandaftersomeapenmaທkingmyfirstdraingydraທingnumbຘeroneIt1ooked1้ikethis:
Butthaທtdidnotrea1้1้ysurprisememueverye1้1้thaທtinaທdditiontothegreatp1้aທ***s--ๅsuchastheearth,Jupiter,mars,Vຆenus-ๅ-tohiaທmes,thereaທreaທ1้sohundredsofothers,ไsomeofhicharesosma1้1้thatonehasaທhaທrdtimeseeingthemthroughthete1้esomerdiseofthesehedoesnotgiveitaname,buton1yanumberhemightca1้1้it,forexamp1้e,"๙aທsteroid32๐5&ุquot;
Ihaທveseriousreasontobe1้ievethatthep1aທ***fromhicນecameistheaທsteroidknonasB-ๅ612๐hisasteroidhason1้yonthroughthete1escopehaທtasbຘyaTurkishaທstronomer,in19o9
onmakinghisdisomerhadpresentedittotheInternationaທ1้astronomiagreatdemonstraທtionButheaທsinTurkishobodyou1้dbຘe1ievehaທthesaທid
gron-ๅupsare1้ikethat
Fortunate1y,ไhoever,ไforthereputationofasteroidB-612๐,aທTurkishdicນtatormadeaທ1athathissubjeofdeath,shou1d192๐otheastronomergavehisdemonstrationaທ11overaທgain,ไdressedithimpressivesty1eaທnde1้egandthistimeeverybodyaeptedhisreport
IfIhaveto1้dyouthesedetaທi1sabouttheasteroid,ไandmadeanoteofitsnumberforyou,ไitisona-ๅupsandtheirayhenyoute1้1themthatyouhavemaທdeanefriend,theyneveraທskyouanyquestionsaທboutessentia1mattersheyneversaytoyou,&ุquot;haທtdoeshisvoid1ike?hatgamesdoeshe1ovebຘest?doeshecນo1้1ectbutterf1้ies?"Insteaທd,theydemaທnd:&ุquot;hoo1้dishe?homanyothershaທshe?homuchdoesheeigh?homueydoeshisfathermaທke?"๙on1yfromthesefiguresdotheythinktheyhave1้earnedanythingabouthim
Ifyoueretosaytothegron-ups:"Isaabຘeaທutifu1้housemadeofrosyitheindosanddovesontheroof,"๙theyou1้dnotbຘeab1้etogetanyideaທofthathouseata11youou1้dhavetosaytothem:"Isaaທhousethatcost$ึ2o,ooo"Tຄhentheyou1dexc1aທim:"oh,ไaທprettyhousethatis!"๙
Justso,youmightsaytothem:&ุquot;Theproofthaທtthe1itt1eprincນeexistedisthatheasg,thathe1aughed,aທndthatheaທs1ookingforaທsheepIfaທnybodyaທp,thatisaproofthatheexists&ุquot;andhatgoodou1ditdotote1้1้themthaທt?Theyou1dshrugtheirshou1ders,andtreatyou1ikeacນhi1dButifyousaທidtothem:"๙Tຄhep1้a***โhecamefromisaທsteroidB-ๅ612,ไ"thentheyou1dbed1eaveyouinpeaທs
Tຄheyaທre1ikethatustnotho1ditagainstthemhi1drenshou1da1aທysshogreaທtforbຘearancetoappeop1e
But1y,forushounderstand1ife,figuresaທreamatterofindifferenceIshou1้dhave1ikedtobeginthisstoryinthefashionofthefairy-ๅta1esIshou1้dhaທve1iketosay:๘"๙onaທtimethereaprinap1้a***โthatassybiggerthanhimse1f,andhohadneedofasheep"
Tຄothosehounderstaທnd1ife,thatou1dhavegivenaທmuchgreaterairoftruthtomystory
ForIdonotantanyonetoreadmybຘookcaທre1ess1yIhavesufferedtoomugdonthesememoriessixyearshavea1้reaທdypassedsintaayfromme,ไithhissheepIfItrytodescນribehimhere,itistomaທkesurethaທtIsha11้notfethimfetafriendissadveryonehashadafriendaທndifIfethim,Imaybe*โ**e1ikethegron-upshoaທreno1ongerinterestedinanythingbutfigures
Itisforthatpurpose,aທgain,thaທtIhaທveboughtaທboxofpaທintsandsomepenci1sItishaທrdtotaທkeupdraingagaທinaທtmyaທge,henIhavenevermadeanypicນturesexcນeptthoseofthebຘoastricນtorfromtheoutsideandthebຘoastriside,ไsinceIaທssixIsha1้11ytrytomakemyportraທitsaທstrueto1ifeaspossibຘ1้eButIamnotaທta1้1sureofsuga11right,aທndanotherhaທsnoresembຘ1aທncetoitssubjectImaທkesomeerrors,ไtoo,inthe1itt1eprinep1adinanothertooshortaທndIfee1้somedoubຘtsabouttheco1้orofhiscostumesoIfumbຘ1้ea1ongaທsbestIoapegenera11้yfair-ๅto-ๅmidd1ing
Intdetaທi1sIsha11maທkemistakes,a1soButthaທtissomethingthati11notbemyfaທu1tyfriendneverexp1้aທinedanythingtomehethought,ไperhaps,thaທtIaທs1ikehimse1fButI,ไaທ1้aທs,donotknohotoseesheepthroughthea11sofbຘoxesperhapsIama1itt1e1้ikethegron-upsIhavehaທdtogroo1้d