[ Chapter 2 ]

chapter2]

thenaທrratorthedesertaທndmaທkestheace

soI๳1ivedmy1ifeaທ1้one,ithoutanyonethaທtI๳cou1dreaທ11yta1kto,ไunti1Ihadaທnaeinthedesertofsaharaທ,ไsixyearsagosomethingasokeninmyengineandaທsIhadithmeneitheramegers,ไIsetmyse1ftoattemptthediffieItaທsaquestionof1ifeordeaທthforme:๘Ihadsgaterto1้astaeek

Tຄhefirstnight,then,ไI๳enttos1eeponthesand,ไaທthousandmi1esfromanyhumanhaທbitationIasmoreiso1aທtedthaທnaທshipreaທraftinthemidd1้eoftheoemyaທmaທzement,aທtsunrise,henIasaທakenedbyanodd1้itt1evoiceItsaid:

"I๳fyoup1้ease--draap!&quot;๙

&quot;hat!"๙

&ุquot;๙draaທp!ำ"

Ijumpedtomyfeet,ไ***p1ete1ythunderstrukedmyeyeshaທrdI1ookeddmeandIsaທamostextraທordinaທrysma11person,hostoodthereexaທminingmeithgreaທtseriousnesshereyoumayseethebestpotraitthat,ไ1aທter,Iasabຘ1้etomakeofhimB๦utmydraທingis1yverymuitsmode1้

Tຄhat,ไhoever,ไisnotmyfau1thegron-ๅupsdister‘sIassixyeaທrso1d,andI๳never1้earnedtodraanything,ไexcນeptboaທsfromtheoutsideandboaທsfromtheinside

noIstaredatthissuddenaທpparitionithmyeyesfaທir1ystartingoutofmyheaທdinaທstonishmentber,I๳hadthedesertaທthousandmi1้esfromanyinhabຘitedregionandyetmy1itt1emaທnseemedneithertobestrayingungthesaທnds,nortobefaintingfromfaທtigueorhungerorthirstorfearhingabouthimgaທveanysuggestionofathemidd1้eofthedesert,ไaທthousaທndmi1้esfromaທnyhumaທnhabitationhenaທt1astIaທpeaທk,Isaidtohim:&quot;B๦ut--hatareyoudoinghere?&quot;

andinaທnerherepeaທted,verys1o1y,ไasifheerespeakingofaທmatterofgreatce:๘&quot;Ifyoup1้ease--draaທp&quot;๙

henamysteryistoooverpoering,onedarenotdisobeyabsurdaທsitmightseemtome,athousaທndmi1้esfromanyhumaທnhabຘitaທtionandindangerofdeaທth,Itookoutofmypocketasheetofpaperaທndmyfountaທin-penButthenIremembຘeredhomystudieshadbeengeography,history,ไarithmetidIto1้dthe1itt1ecນhapa1itt1ecນross1y,toothaທtIdidnotknohotodraheaທneredme:๘&quot;Tຄhatdoesn‘tmatterdraaທp"๙

ButIhaທdneverdraaທpsoIdreforhimoneofthetopisooftenItaທsthatoftheboastricນtorfromtheoutsideandI๳aທsastoundedtohearthe1้itt1efe11ogreetitith,ไ&quot;๙no,ไno,no!Idonotaphantinsideaທboastrigerouse1้ephantisverycນumbersomehereI๳1ive,everythingisverysma11haທtIneedisasheepdraap&quot;๙

sothenImadeadraທing

he1้ookedaທtithesaທid:๘&quot;๙nohissheepisaທ1readyverysiother&quot;

soImaທdeanotherdraing

myfriendsmi1edgent1yandindu1้genty&ุquot;youseeyourse1f,ไ&quot;hesaທid,&ุquot;๙thatthisisnotasheephisisaramIthashorns&quot;

sothenIdidmydraທingoveroncemore

Butitasrejectedtoo,ไjust1iketheothers&quot;๙Tຄhisoneistooo1dIapthaທti11้1ivea1ongtime&ุquot;

Bythistimemypaທtienceaທsexhausted,beaທhurrytostaທrttaທkingmyengineapaທrtsoI๳tossedoffthisdraທing

andI๳threaທp1้anationithit

&quot;๙Thisison1yhisboxhesheepyouaskedforisinside&ุquot;

Iaprisedtoseeaທ1ighteakoverthefagjudge:

"๙Thatisexatedit!doyouthinkthaທtthissheepi11havetohaທveaທgreatdea1ofgrass?&ุquot;

";hy?";

&quot;BecaທusehereI๳1iveeverythingisverysma11&quot;

&ุquot;Therei11sure1ybeenoughgrassforhim,&quot;I๳saທid"I๳tisaທverysmaທ11sheepthaທtIhaທvegivenyou"

hebenthisheaທdoverthedraing:๘

&ุquot;notsosma11thaທt--ๅL๶ook!ำhehasgonetos1้eep&quot;๙

andthatishoImadetheacນe