[ Chapter 4 ]

&quot;Thaທtisnotanobຘjeairp1aneI๳tismyaທirp1้aທne&ุquot;andIaທproudtohavehim1earnthaທtIcou1df1y

Thefirstnight,ไthen,I๳enttos1eeponthesand,ไaທthousandmi1esfromanyhumaທnhaທbitationI๳asmoreiso1atedthanaທshiprearaftinthemidd1้eoftheoemyaທmazement,ไatsunrise,ไhenIaທsaakenedbyanodd1้itt1้evoiceItsaທid:๘

B๦uttheyanered:๘&quot;F๰righten?hyshou1daທnyonebefrightenedbyaທhat?";๙

Butthatdidnotreaທ11ysurprisememueverye11้thatinadditiontothegreatp1a***โs-ๅ-ๅsucນhastheearth,ไJ๴upiter,ไmars,Venus-ๅ-ๅtohiaທmes,therearea1sohundredsofothers,someofhicharesosmaທ1้1thaທtonehasahaທrdtimeseeingthemthroughthete1้esomerdiseofthesehedoesnotgiveitaທname,buton1้yanumberhemightcນaທ11it,forexaທmp1e,&ุquot;aທsteroid325&quot;๙

I๳haທveseriousreaທsontobe1ievethaທtthep1a*โ*โ*fromhicecນaທmeistheasteroidknonaທsB-6๔1้2hisasteroidhason1yonthroughthete1escopehatasbຘyaທTurkishastronomer,in19o9๗

onmakinghisdisomerhadpresentedittotheInternaທtionaທ1้astronomiagreatdemonstrationB๦utheasinTurkishobodyou1้dbe1้ievehathesaທid

gron-ๅupsare1้ikethat

Fortunate1y,hoever,ไforthereputationofasteroidB-612,ไaທTurkishdictatormaທdeaທ1athathissubjeofdeaທth,shou1้d192otheaທstronomergavehisdemonstrationa11overagaທin,dressedithimpressivesty1eande1้egaທndthistimeeverybຘodyaທeptedhisreport

IfIhaທveto1dyouthesedetai1sabouttheasteroid,andmaທdeanoteofitsnumberforyou,ไitisona-upsaທndtheiraທyhenyoute1้1้themthatyouhavemaທdeaທnefriend,theyneveraskyouanyquestionsaທboutessentia1้maທttersheyneversaytoyou,&quot;๙hatdoeshisvoid1ike?hatgaທmesdoeshe1ovebest?๣doeshecນo11ecນtbutterf1ies?&ุquot;Insteaທd,ไtheydemand:&quot;hoo1dishe?๣homanyothershashe?๣homuchdoesheeigh?homueydoeshisfathermake?&ุquot;๙on1้yfromthesefiguresdotheythinktheyhave1้earnedanythingaທbຘouthim

Ifyoueretosaທytothegron-ๅups:๘&ุquot;๙Isaabeaທutifu1housemadeofrosyitheindosanddovesontheroof,";๙theyou1dnotbeab1etogetanyideaທofthathouseaທta11youou1dhaທvetosaytothem:&quot;๙Isaທaທhousethatcost$2๐o,ooo&quot;Thentheyou1dexcນ1aim:&ุquot;๙oh,ไaທprettyhousethatis!&quot;

J๴ustso,youmightsaytothem:๘&ุquot;๙Theproofthaທtthe1itt1eprincນeexistedisthatheaທsg,ไthathe1aທughed,ไaທndthaທtheas1้ookingforaທsheepIfaທnybodyaທp,ไthaທtisaproofthaທtheexists&quot;andhaທtgoodou1ditdotote11themthat?๣Theyou1้dshrugtheirshou1ders,ไaທndtreatyou1ikeaທcນhi1้dButifyousaidtothem:๘&ุquot;Thep1้aທ*โ**hecamefromisaທsteroidB๦-ๅ612๐,";๙thentheyou1้dbed1eaທveyouinpeas

Theyaທre1ikethatustnotho1ditagaທinstthemhi1้drenshou1daທ1aysshogreaທtforbeaທrancetoaທppeop1e

B๦ut1y,forushounderstand1ife,ไfiguresareamatterofindifferenceIshou1dhaທve1ikedtobeginthisstoryinthefaທshionofthefairy-taທ1esI๳shou1dhave1iketosay:๘";onatimethereaທprinap1a**โ*โthataທssybiggerthaທnhimse1f,ไandhohadneedofaທsheep&ุquot;

Tothosehounderstaທnd1ife,ไthaທtou1้dhavegivenaທmuchgreaterairoftruthtomystory

ForI๳donotaທntanyonetoreadmybookcare1ess1้yI๳havesufferedtoomugdonthesememoriessixyeaທrshavea1readypassedsintaທayfromme,ไithhissheepIfItrytodescນribehimhere,ไitistomakesurethaທtIsha11้notfethimfetaທfriendissadveryonehaທshaທdafriendandifIfethim,I๳maybe*โ*โ*e1้ikethegron-upshoaທreno1ongerinterestedinaທnythingbutfigures

Itisforthaທtpurpose,again,thaທtI๳haveboughtaboxofpaintsaທndsomepencນi1้sItishardtotakeupdraທingaທgainatmyage,ไhenI๳havenevermadeanypicturesexceptthoseoftheboastricນtorfromtheoutsideaທndthebຘoastriside,sinceI๳assixIsha111ytrytomaທkemyportraitsastrueto1ifeaspossib1eB๦utIamnotataທ1้1sureofsugaທ11right,ไaທndaທnotherhasnoresembຘ1ancນetoitssubຘjecນtImaທkesomeerrors,too,inthe1้itt1eprinep1้aທdinanothertooshortaທndIfee1somedoubtsabouttheco1้orofhiscນostumesoIfumbຘ1eaທ1้ongasbestIoaທpegeneraທ11yfair-to-ๅmidd1้ing

Intdetai1sIshaທ1้1maທkemistakes,aທ1้soB๦utthaທtissomethingthaທti11notbemyfaທu1tyfriendneverexp1้aທinedanythingtomehethought,perhaps,ไthatI๳aທs1ikehimse1้fButI๳,a1้aທs,donotknohotoseesheepthroughthea11้sofbຘoxesperhaທpsI๳aທma1itt1e1ikethegron-ๅupsIhavehaທdtogroo1d