The Little Prince (7)

The Little Prince (7)

  When at least I was able to speak, I said to him :
  " But ― what are you doing here ? "

  And in asnswer he repeated, very slowly, as if he were speaking of a matter of great consequence :
  " If you please ー draw me a sheep. . . "

  When a mystery is too overpowering, one dare not disobey.

  Absurd as it might seem to me, a thousand miles from any human habitation and in danger of death, I took out of my pocket a sheet of paper and my fountain pen.

  But then I remembered how my studies had been concentrated on geography, history, airthmetic, and grammer, and I told the little chap ( a little crossly, too ) that I did not know how to draw.

  He answered me :
  " That doesn't matter. Draw me a sheep. . ."

  But I had never drawn a sheep.
  So I drew for him one of the two pictures  I had drawn so often.
  It was that of hte boa constrictor from the outside.  And I was astonished to hear the little fellow greet with it.

  " No, no, no ! I do not want an elephant inside a boa constrictor. A boa constrictor is a very dangerous creature, and an elephant is very cumbersome. Where I live, everything is very small. What I need is a sheep. Draw me a sheep. "

(7/30~)