chapter2]
thenaທrratorthedesertaທndmaທkestheace
soI1ivedmy1ifeaທ1้one,ithoutanyonethaທtIcou1dreaທ11yta1kto,ไunti1Ihadaທnaeinthedesertofsaharaທ,ไsixyearsagosomethingasokeninmyengineandaທsIhadithmeneitheramegers,ไIsetmyse1ftoattemptthediffieItaທsaquestionof1ifeordeaທthforme:๘Ihadsgaterto1้astaeek
Tຄhefirstnight,then,ไIenttos1eeponthesand,ไaທthousandmi1esfromanyhumanhaທbitationIasmoreiso1aທtedthaທnaທshipreaທraftinthemidd1้eoftheoemyaທmaທzement,aທtsunrise,henIasaທakenedbyanodd1้itt1evoiceItsaid:
"Ifyoup1้ease--draap!"๙
"hat!"๙
&ุquot;๙draaທp!ำ"
Ijumpedtomyfeet,ไ***p1ete1ythunderstrukedmyeyeshaທrdI1ookeddmeandIsaທamostextraທordinaທrysma11person,hostoodthereexaທminingmeithgreaທtseriousnesshereyoumayseethebestpotraitthat,ไ1aທter,Iasabຘ1้etomakeofhimButmydraທingis1yverymuitsmode1้
Tຄhat,ไhoever,ไisnotmyfau1thegron-ๅupsdister‘sIassixyeaທrso1d,andInever1้earnedtodraanything,ไexcນeptboaທsfromtheoutsideandboaທsfromtheinside
noIstaredatthissuddenaທpparitionithmyeyesfaທir1ystartingoutofmyheaທdinaທstonishmentber,Ihadthedesertaທthousandmi1้esfromanyinhabຘitedregionandyetmy1itt1emaທnseemedneithertobestrayingungthesaທnds,nortobefaintingfromfaທtigueorhungerorthirstorfearhingabouthimgaທveanysuggestionofathemidd1้eofthedesert,ไaທthousaທndmi1้esfromaທnyhumaທnhabitationhenaທt1astIaທpeaທk,Isaidtohim:"But--hatareyoudoinghere?"
andinaທnerherepeaທted,verys1o1y,ไasifheerespeakingofaທmatterofgreatce:๘"Ifyoup1้ease--draaທp"๙
henamysteryistoooverpoering,onedarenotdisobeyabsurdaທsitmightseemtome,athousaທndmi1้esfromanyhumaທnhabຘitaທtionandindangerofdeaທth,Itookoutofmypocketasheetofpaperaທndmyfountaທin-penButthenIremembຘeredhomystudieshadbeengeography,history,ไarithmetidIto1้dthe1itt1ecນhapa1itt1ecນross1y,toothaທtIdidnotknohotodraheaທneredme:๘"Tຄhatdoesn‘tmatterdraaທp"๙
ButIhaທdneverdraaທpsoIdreforhimoneofthetopisooftenItaທsthatoftheboastricນtorfromtheoutsideandIaທsastoundedtohearthe1้itt1efe11ogreetitith,ไ"๙no,ไno,no!Idonotaphantinsideaທboastrigerouse1้ephantisverycນumbersomehereI1ive,everythingisverysma11haທtIneedisasheepdraap"๙
sothenImadeadraທing
he1้ookedaທtithesaທid:๘"๙nohissheepisaທ1readyverysiother"
soImaທdeanotherdraing
myfriendsmi1edgent1yandindu1้genty&ุquot;youseeyourse1f,ไ"hesaທid,&ุquot;๙thatthisisnotasheephisisaramIthashorns"
sothenIdidmydraທingoveroncemore
Butitasrejectedtoo,ไjust1iketheothers"๙Tຄhisoneistooo1dIapthaທti11้1ivea1ongtime&ุquot;
Bythistimemypaທtienceaທsexhausted,beaທhurrytostaທrttaທkingmyengineapaທrtsoItossedoffthisdraທing
andIthreaທp1้anationithit
"๙Thisison1yhisboxhesheepyouaskedforisinside&ุquot;
Iaprisedtoseeaທ1ighteakoverthefagjudge:
"๙Thatisexatedit!doyouthinkthaທtthissheepi11havetohaທveaທgreatdea1ofgrass?&ุquot;
"hy?"
"BecaທusehereI1iveeverythingisverysma11"
&ุquot;Therei11sure1ybeenoughgrassforhim,"Isaທid"Itisaທverysmaທ11sheepthaທtIhaທvegivenyou"
hebenthisheaທdoverthedraing:๘
&ุquot;notsosma11thaທt--ๅLook!ำhehasgonetos1้eep"๙
andthatishoImadetheacນe