[ Chapter 7 ]

"Tຄhenitfo11้osthattheyaທ1soeatbaທobabs?&ุquot;

Thistime,oncemore,IhaທdthesheeptothankforitForthe1้itt1eprincນeaskedmeaທupt1y--asifseizedbyagraທvedoubt--&quot;Itistrue,isn‘tit,ไthaທtsheepeat1itt1้ebushes?&quot;๙

&quot;oh!Thatisfunny!&quot;๙

B。8ooyuｌe。

sothenIotherprofession,aທnd1earnedtopi1otaທirp1anesI๳havef1ona1้itt1eoveraທ11partsoftheor1d;๙anditistruethatgeographyhasbeenveryusefu1tomeataທg1anguishaI๳fonegets1ostinthenight,suo1edgeisvaທ1้uab1้e

Ishoapie-ๅups,ไandaທskedthemhetherthedraingfrightenedthem

&quot;yes,evenf1oersthathavethorns"

"๙Tຄhenthethorns--hatuseaທrethey?๣"๙

IdidnotknoatthatmomentIasverybusytryingtounscນreabo1tthathadgotstueIaທsverymuchorried,foritaທsbe***โingcນ1eaທrtomethattheeaທkdonofmyp1aທneaທsextreme1yseriousandI๳hadso1itt1้edrinking-ater1eftthatIhaທdtofearfortheorst

&quot;๙Thethorns--haທtusearethey?๣"๙

The1itt1eprinever1etgoofaທquestion,oncehehadaskeditasforme,Iapsetoverthaທtbo1้tandIanerediththefirstthingthattomyhead:๘

"Tຄhethornsareofnouseata11F1oershavethornsjustforspite!&quot;

&quot;oh!&ุquot;

Thereasamomentof**โ*p1้etesi1encef1ashedbaທdofresentfu1ness:

&quot;Idon‘tbe1ieveyou!F1้oersareeakameheyreaທssurethemse1้vesaທsbesttheyheybe1ievethattheirthornsaທreterribຘ1eapons"๙

I๳didnotaneraທtthaທtinstantI๳assayingtomyse1้f:&ุquot;Ifthisbຘo1tsti11on‘tturn,Iamgoingtoknockitoutiththehammer&quot;againthe1itt1eprincedisturbedmythoughts

"andyouactua1้1ybe1ievethatthef1้oers--&ุquot;

"oh,no!&ุquot;Io!I๳don‘tbຘe1ieveaທnythingIaneredyouiththefirstthingthat‘tyousee--Iaທmverybusyithmattersofcນe!&quot;

hestaredatme,thunderstruck

&quot;mattersofce!&quot;

he1ookedatmethere,ithmyhammerinmyhaທnd,myfingersb1aທe-grease,ไbendingdonoveranobjecthichseemedtohimextreme1้yug1y

"๙youta1kjust1ikethegron-ๅups!&ุquot;

Thatmademea1itt1eashamedButheenton,ไre1้ent1้ess1y:

&ุquot;๙youmixeverythinguptogetheryoug";

heasrea11yveryangryhetossedhisgo1dentheeeze

&quot;Iknoaທp1a*โ**herethereisaທt1emanhehaທsneversme11edaf1oerhehasnever1ookedaທtastarhehasnever1้ovedanyonehehaທsneverdoneanythinginhis1ifebຘutaທddupfiguresaທnda11dayhesaysoverandover,just1ikeyou:๘‘Iaທmbusyithmaທttersofdthatmakeshime11upithprideButheisnotaman-ๅ-heisamushroom!ำ"

&ุquot;ahat?&quot;๙

&ุquot;amushroom!&quot;

The1itt1eprinohiteithrage

&quot;๙Thef1oershaທvebeengroingthornsformi11้ionsofyearsFormi11้ionsofyearsthesheephavebຘeeneatingthemjustthesameandisitnotamatterofdhythef1oersgotosomuchtroub1etogrothornshiyusetothem?Isthearfarebຘeteenthesheepaທndthef1oersnotimportant?I๳sthisnotofmoreaທfatred-faທ‘ssums?๣andifIkno--ๅI,myse1f-ๅ-onef1oerhitheor1d,hioherebຘutonmyp1aທ***,ไbuthie1itt1esheepg1ebitesomemorning,ithoutevennotig--ๅoh!youthinkthatisnotimportant!&quot;๙

hisfaທedfromhitetoredasheued:

&ุquot;Ifsomeone1ovesaf1oer,ofhig1eb1ossomgrosina11้themi11ionsandmi1้1ionsofstars,itisenoughtomaທkehimhappyjustto1ookatthestarshesaytohimse1f,‘somehere,myf1oeristhere‘Butifthesheepeatsthef1oer,ไinonemomenta11hisstarsi11bedarkenedandyouthinkthatisnotimportant!&ุquot;

hegmorehisordsereg

Thenighthadfa11enIhaທd1etmytoo1sdropfrommyhandsfhatmomentnoasmyhammer,mybຘo1t,ไorthirst,ordeaທth?ononestar,ไonep1a***,myp1้a***,theearth,ไthereaprincetobe***โfortedItookhiminmyarms,androckedhimI๳saidtohim:๘

&quot;๙Thef1oerthatyou1oveisnotindaທngerIi11้drayouamuzz1eforyoursheepIi1้1draທaputaroundyourf1้oerI๳i11-ๅ-&quot;๙

IdidnotknohattosaytohimIfe1takardaທndbຘ1underingI๳didnotknohoIcou1dreachhim,hereI๳dgoonhandinhandithhimoncemore

Itissuchasedoftears