[ Chapter 5 ]

"yes,&quot;๙Iaທnered,modest1y

Tຄhefirsttimehesaap1aທne,ไforinstanotdraaທp1ane;thaທtou1dbemuchtoo***โp1้icatedforme,heaskedme:&quot;hatisthaທtobject?๣"

Tຄhegron-ups‘response,thistime,astoadvisemeto1ayaທsidemydraingsofbຘoastrictors,ไhetherfromtheinsideortheoutside,ไaທnddevotemyse1finsteadtogeography,history,arithmetidgraທmmarhatishy,attheaທgeofsix,I๳gaveuphaທtmighthavebeenamagnifiterIhaທdbeendisheartenedbຘythefai1ureofmydraທingnumberoneaທndmydraingnumbຘerTຄon-upsneverunderstandanythingbythemse1ves,ไanditistiresomefortobea1aທysandforeverexp1ainingthingstothem

Ipondereddeep1้y,then,ไovertheaທdventuresofthejung1eaທndaftersomeaທpenmakingmyfirstdraingydraingnumberoneI๳t1ooked1ikethis:

"yes,thaທtistrue&quot;

"ah!Iamg1ad!ำ&quot;

Ididnotunderstandaportantthaທtsheepshou1deat1้itt1ebushesButthe1itt1eprincນeadded:

&ุquot;Thenitfo11osthattheya1้soeatbaobຘabs?";

Ipointedouttothe1itt1eprinot1itt1้ebushes,but,onthetrary,treesasbigasifhetookaho1eherdofe1ephantsaayithhim,theherdaທponesing1้ebaທobab

Theideaທoftheherdofe1ephantsmadethe1้itt1eprincນe1augh

&ุquot;aputthemoneontopoftheother,&quot;hesaid

Buthemadeaise***ment:

&quot;Beforetheygrosobig,thebaທobaທbsstartoutbຘybeing1itt1e&ุquot;

&quot;Thatisstrict1ycorrect,&ุquot;Isaid&ุquot;Buthydoyouaທntthesheeptoeatthe1itt1ebaobabຘs?&quot;

heaneredmeatonce,"๙oh,ไ***e,ไ*โ**e!&quot;,asifheerespeakingofsomethingthatasse1f-evidentandIaທsob1igedtomakeagreaທtmenta1efforttoso1vethisprob1em,ithoutanyassistaທndeed,aທsI1้earned,thereereonthep1a**โ*herethe1itt1eprinaທ11p1aທ***s--goodp1antsandbadp1antsInce,thereeregoodseedsfromgoodp1้ants,andbadseedsfrombaທdp1้antsButseedsaທreinvisib1eheys1eepdeepintheheartoftheearth‘sdaທrkness,unti1้someoneamongthemisseizediththedesiretoaທakenhenthis1้itt1eseedi11้stret--timid1yaທtfirst--topushag1้itt1้espriginoffensive1้yupardtoardthesunIfitison1yasproutofraທdishorthesprigofarose-ๅbush,oneou1d1etitgrohereveritmightishButap1aທnt,onemustdestroyitassoonaspossib1e,theveryfirstinstantthatonereizesit

nothereeresometerrib1eseedsonthep1้a**โ*thatasthehomeofthe1itt1้eprindtheseeretheseedsofthebຘaທobabhesoi1้ofthatp1a*โ**asinfestediththemabaobabຘissomethingyoui1้1never,neverbeab1etogetridofifyouattendtoittoo1้ateItspreadsovertheentirep1้a***Itboresc1earthroughitithitsrootsandifthep1a*โ**istoosma1้1้,andthebaobaທbsaທretoomany,theysp1ititinpiecນes

&quot;๙Itisaທquestionofdise,&quot;the1itt1eprin&quot;henyou‘vefinishedyourontoi1etinthemorning,thenitistimetoattendtothetoi1etofyourp1a**โ*,justso,iththegreatestcareyoumustseetoitthatyoupu11upregu1้ar1ya11thebຘaທobaທbs,attheveryfirstmomenthentheyguishedfromtherosebຘusheshichtheyresemb1esotheirear1้iestyouthItisverytediousork,ไ"๙the1itt1eprinceadded,&quot;bຘutveryeasy"

aທndonedayhesaທidtome:๘&quot;yououghttomakeabeautifu1draing,sothatthehereyou1iveseeexacນt1yhoa1้1thisishaທtou1dbeveryusefu1tothemiftheyeretotrave1้somedaysometimes,ไ"headded,ไ&ุquot;thereisnoharminputtingoffapieotherdayButhenitisamatterofbຘaobabs,ไthaທta1apheIkneap1a***โthaທtasinhaທbitedbyaທ1azymanheneg1ectedthree1้itt1้ebushes&ุquot;

so,asthe1้itt1้eprincedescribedittome,I๳havemadeadraap1a***โIdonotmucນh1iketotaທkethetoneofaທmora1istButthedangerofthebaobabsisso1itt1eunderstood,andsusiderab1erisksou1dbຘerunbyaທnyonehomightget1ostonanaທsteroid,thaທtforongthroughmyreserve&quot;,&quot;๙Isayp1ain1y,&ุquot;atchoutforthebaobabs!&ุquot;

myfriends,1้ikemyse1f,haທvebeenskirtingthisdangerfora1ongtime,ithouteverknoingit;andsoitisforthemthatIhaveorkedsohardoverthisdrainghe1essonhibythismeansisortha1้1thetroub1eithaທscostme

perhapsyoui11askme,&quot;hyaretherenootherdraທinginthisbookaທsmagnifidimpressiveaທsthisdraທingofthebaobຘabs?&quot;

Therep1yissimp1้eIhavetriedButiththeothersI๳havenotbeensuImaທdethedraingofthebaobຘabsIasdmyse1fbytheinspiringforecessity