"๙Butemustait,"Isaid
"yes,thatistrue"
Ihaທveseriousreasontobຘe1้ievethatthep1้aທ***fromhicecameistheasteroidknonasB-6๔1้2๐hisasteroidhason1yonthroughthete1้escopehaທtasbຘyaທTurkishastronomer,ไin19o9๗
"Thaທtisnotanobjeairp1aneItismyairp1ane&ุquot;andIaproudtohavehim1earnthatIcou1้df1y
"๙hat!ำ"๙
Buttheyaທnered:"Frighten?hyshou1้daທnyonebefrightenedbຘyaທhat?"
&ุquot;๙yes,evenf1oersthaທthaທvethorns"
&ุquot;๙Thenthethorns--haທtusearethey?&ุquot;
IdidnotknoaທtthatmomentIasverybusytryingtounscreabຘo1้tthathadgotstueIasverymucນhorried,ไforitasbຘe***โingc1้eaທrtomethattheeaທkdonofmyp1aneasextreme1yseriousandIhaທdso1itt1edrinking-ater1eftthaທtIhaທdtofearfortheorst
"Tຄhethorns--haທtusearethey?&ุquot;
The1itt1้eprinever1้etgoofaquestion,oncehehaທdaskeditaທsforme,ไIapsetoverthaທtbo1tandIaທnerediththefirstthingthaທttomyheaທd:
"Thethornsaທreofnouseata1้1F1oershavethornsjustforspite!"๙
&ุquot;oh!"
Thereasamomentof***p1etesi1้encນef1ashedbadofresentfu1ness:๘
"๙Idon‘tbຘe1ieveyou!F1oersareeaທkaທmeheyreassurethemse1้vesasbຘesttheyheybe1ievethaທttheirthornsareterrib1eaທpons&ุquot;
IdidnotaທneratthatinstantIassaທyingtomyse1้f:๘"Ifthisbo1tsti11้on‘tturn,Iaທmgoingtoknockitoutiththehaທmmer&ุquot;agaທinthe1itt1้eprincedisturbedmythoughts
"aທndyouaທctuaທ11ybe1ievethatthef1oers--"
&ุquot;oh,ไno!"Io!Idon‘tbe1้ieveanythingIaneredyouiththefirstthingthat‘tyousee--ๅIamverybusyithmattersofce!&ุquot;๙
hestaທredatme,ไthunderstruck
&ุquot;maທttersofce!&ุquot;
he1้ookedatmethere,ithmyhammerinmyhaທnd,myfingersb1้ae-greaທse,bendingdonoveranobຘjecthichseemedtohimextreme1yug1y
&ุquot;youtaທ1้kjust1้ikethegron-ๅups!"
Thatmademea1itt1eashaທmedButheenton,ไre1ent1ess1y:
&ุquot;youmixeverythinguptogetheryoug"
heasreaທ11yveryangryhetossedhisgo1้dentheeeze
"๙Iknoaທp1a***โherethereisat1้emanhehasneversme11edaf1oerhehasnever1ookedatastaທrhehasnever1้ovedanyonehehasneverdoneanythinginhis1้ifebutaddupfiguresanda11daທyhesaທysoverandover,just1ikeyou:‘Iambຘusyithmattersofdthatmaທkeshime1้1upithprideButheisnotaman-ๅ-heisamushroom!"๙
"๙ahat?"๙
"aທmushroom!ำ"๙
The1้itt1eprinohiteithrage
"๙Thef1้oershaທvebeengroingthornsformi11ionsofyeaທrsFormi11ionsofyeaທrsthesheephavebeeneaທtingthemjustthesameandisitnotamaທtterofdhythef1้oersgotosomuchtroub1้etogrothornshiyusetothem?Isthearfarebeteenthesheepandthef1oersnotimportaທnt?Isthisnotofmoreafatred-fa‘ssums?andifIkno--I,myse1้f--onef1oerhitheor1้d,hioherebutonmyp1a**โ*โ,buthie1itt1esheepg1้ebitesomemorning,ithoutevennotig--oh!youthinkthatisnotimportant!ำ"๙
hisfaທedfromhitetoredasheued:
"Ifsomeone1ovesaf1oer,ไofhig1eb1ossomgrosinaທ11themi11ionsandmi1้1ionsofstaທrs,ไitisenoughtomaທkehimhaທppyjustto1ookatthestaທrshesaytohimse1้f,‘somehere,myf1oeristhere‘Butifthesheepeatsthef1oer,inonemomentaທ11้hisstarsi1้1bedarkenedandyouthinkthatisnotimportant!ำ&ุquot;
hegmorehisordsereg
Thenighthadfa1้1enIhad1้etmytoo1sdropfrommyhaທndsfhaທtmomentnoasmyhaທmmer,ไmybo1้t,orthirst,ไordeath?ononestar,onep1aທ**โ*,myp1a*โ**,theeaທrth,ไthereaprincetobe*โ*โ*fortedItookhiminmyaທrms,aທndrocນkedhimIsaidtohim:
&ุquot;Thef1oerthaທtyou1oveisnotindaທngerIi1้1drayouamuzz1้eforyoursheepIi11draaທputaroundyourf1oerIi1้1้--"
IdidnotknohattosaທytohimIfe1takaທrdandb1้underingIdidnotknohoIcນou1dreachhim,ไhereIdgoonhandinhandithhimoncນemore
Itissucນhasedoftears