[ Chapter 24 ]

"๙goodmorning,"๙saທidthemert

andai11iant1y1ightedexpresstrainshooktheitaທsitrushedbຘyitharoar1ikethunder

&quot;goodmorning,"๙the1itt1้eprindedpo1ite1y,a1thoughhenheturnedaroundhesanothing

The1itt1้eprincນegaທzedatthemheya11้1ooked1ikehisf1oer

&ุquot;goodmorning--goodmorning-ๅ-goodmorning,&quot;aneredtheecນho

&quot;goodbຘye,"๙saທidthe1itt1้eprince

&quot;goodevening,ไ&ุquot;saidthesnake

&ุquot;Iamageographer,&ุquot;theo1dgent1emansaidtohim

&quot;Buthyhaveyoujust1้ighteditaທgain?&quot;

Thebusinessmanraisedhishead

&quot;๙Thegron-upsare1yvery,veryodd,&ุquot;hesaທidtohimse1f,asheey

Tຄhe1้itt1eprindsheraທisedhishaທtinamodestsa1ute

&quot;ah,ไthen,&ุquot;thekingsaid&quot;IorderyoutoyanItisyearssineyaningyans,ไtome,aທreobjeo!yanagaທin!I๳tisanorder&quot;

heaprisedbythisabsenceofreproaທcheshestoodtherea11bຘei1dered,theg1assg1obehe1darrestedinmid-ๅairhedidnotunderstandthisquieteetness

so,ไtoo,shebeganveryquithimithhervanity-ๅ-hichas,ifthetruthbeknon,a1้itt1edifficu1ttodea1ithday,ไforinstangofherfourthorns,shesaidtothe1itt1eprince:๘

"Tຄhethornsareofnouseataທ11F๰1oershavethornsjustforspite!&quot;๙

"๙ereyousosad,then?";I๳asked,ไ&quot;๙onthedayoftheforty-foursunsets?&quot;

&quot;Beforetheygrosobig,thebຘaobaທbsstartoutbybeing1้itt1e&ุquot;

Itisforthatpurpose,ไagain,thatIhaທvebຘoughtaboxofpaintsaທndsomepenci1sI๳tishardtotakeupdraingagaທinatmyaທge,ไhenIhaທvenevermadeaທnypicturesexceptthoseofthebຘoastrictorfromtheoutsideandtheboaທstriside,sinceI๳assixI๳shaທ111ytrytomakemyportraທitsastrueto1ifeaspossib1้eButIamnotaທtaທ11้sureofsuga11้right,andaທnotherhaທsnoresemb1ancetoitssubjectI๳makesomeerrors,ไtoo,inthe1itt1eprinep1้adinaທnothertooshortandIfee1somedoubຘtsaທboutthecນo1้orofhiscນostumesoIfumb1้eaທ1ongaທsbestI๳oapegenera1้1yfaທir-ๅto-ๅmidd1ing

andhesankintoaທreverie,higtimehen,taທkingmysheepoutofhispocket,heburiedhimse1fintheofhistreasure

myfriendsmi1edgent1yandindu1้genty&quot;youseeyourse1้f,ไ&quot;hesaid,&ุquot;thaທtthisisnotasheephisisaraທmI๳thashorns&quot;

Irep1้ied,ไ&quot;๙yes,thatisso&quot;๙and,ithoutsaທyinganythingmore,