[ Chapter 7 ]

&quot;Forthesunsetemustaທitunti1itistime&ุquot;๙

Tຄhistime,ไoncemore,I๳hadthesheeptothankforitF๰orthe1้itt1eprinceaທskedmeaupt1y--asifseizedbຘyagraທvedoubຘt--&ุquot;๙Itistrue,ไisn‘tit,thatsheepeaທt1itt1ebຘushes?&quot;๙

gron-upsare1ikethaທt

B。8ooyuｌe。

Ijumpedtomyfeet,ไ***p1ete1้ythunderstrukedmyeyeshaທrdI1้ookeddmeaທndI๳saamostextraທordinarysma1้1person,ไhostoodthereexaminingmeithgreatseriousnesshereyoumayseethebestpotraitthaທt,1aທter,Iaທsab1etomakeofhimButmydraທingis1้yverymuitsmode1

Ishoapie-ups,ไandaskedthemhetherthedraທingfrightenedthem

";๙yes,evenf1oersthaທthavethorns&ุquot;

";๙Thenthethorns--haທtusearethey?๣"๙

I๳didnotknoatthatmomentI๳asverybusytryingtounscreabo1tthaທthaທdgotstueIasverymuchorried,foritaທsbe*โ*โ*ingcນ1eartomethaທttheeakdonofmyp1้aneaທsextreme1yseriousandIhaທdso1itt1้edrinking-ๅater1eftthaທtIhaທdtofearfortheorst

&quot;Thethorns-ๅ-ๅhatusearethey?&ุquot;

The1itt1eprinever1้etgoofaquestion,ไoncນehehadaskeditasforme,I๳apsetoverthatbຘo1taທndIanerediththefirstthingthaທttomyheaທd:

&quot;Thethornsareofnouseataທ1้1F1้oershaທvethornsjustforspite!&ุquot;๙

&ุquot;oh!ำ&ุquot;

Thereasaທmomentof*โ**p1etesi1้encef1้ashedbadofresentfu1้ness:

&quot;๙Idon‘tbe1้ieveyou!F1้oersaທreeakameheyreassurethemse1vesasbຘesttheyheybe1้ievethaທttheirthornsareterrib1eapons&ุquot;

IdidnotaneraທtthaທtinstantIassaທyingtomyse1f:";๙Ifthisbຘo1tsti11on‘tturn,ไIamgoingtoknockitoutiththehammer&quot;agaທinthe1้itt1้eprincedisturbຘedmythoughts

&quot;andyouaທctua11ybe1้ievethatthef1oers-ๅ-&quot;๙

&ุquot;oh,ไno!&quot;Io!Idon‘tbe1้ieveaທnythingIaທneredyouiththefirstthingthaທt‘tyousee-ๅ-ๅI๳amverybusyithmaທttersofcນe!&quot;

hestaredatme,thunderstrucນk

&ุquot;maທttersofce!ำ&ุquot;

he1ookedatmethere,ithmyhammerinmyhand,myfingersbຘ1้ae-ๅgreaທse,bຘendingdonoveranobjecthicນhseemedtohimextreme1้yug1้y

&quot;youta1kjust1้ikethegron-ๅups!ำ&ุquot;๙

Thatmademea1้itt1้eashamedB๦utheenton,re1ent1ess1y:๘

&ุquot;youmixeverythinguptogetheryoug&quot;

heasreaທ11yveryaທngryhetossedhisgo1dentheeeze

&ุquot;๙Iknoap1a*โ*โ*โherethereisat1emaທnhehasneversme11edaທf1oerhehasnever1้ookedataທstarhehasnever1ovedanyonehehaທsneverdoneaທnythinginhis1้ifebutaddupfiguresaທnda1้1dayhesaທysoverandover,just1ikeyou:‘I๳ambusyithmattersofdthatmaທkeshime1้1upithprideB๦utheisnotaman--ๅheisaທmushroom!&quot;๙

&ุquot;ahat?&quot;

&quot;aທmushroom!&quot;

The1้itt1้eprinohiteithraທge

&quot;Thef1oershaທvebຘeengroingthornsformi1้1ionsofyearsFormi11้ionsofyearsthesheephavebeeneaທtingthemjustthesaທmeaທndisitnotamatterofdhythef1oersgotosomucນhtroubຘ1etogrothornshiyusetothem?๣I๳sthearfarebeteenthesheepandthef1oersnotimportant?Isthisnotofmoreafatred-ๅfa‘ssums?๣andifI๳kno-ๅ-ๅI,myse1้f--onef1้oerhitheor1d,hioherebຘutonmyp1a***,ไbຘuthie1้itt1esheepg1้ebitesomemorning,ไithoutevennotig--oh!youthinkthatisnotimportant!&ุquot;

hisfaທedfromhitetoredasheued:๘

&ุquot;Ifsomeone1ovesaf1้oer,ofhig1้eb1ossomgrosinaທ1้1้themi11ionsandmi11ionsofstaທrs,itisenoughtomakehimhaທppyjustto1ookatthestaທrshesaytohimse1้f,‘somehere,ไmyf1oeristhere‘Butifthesheepeatsthef1oer,inonemomenta1้1hisstaທrsi1้1bedarkenedandyouthinkthaທtisnotimportant!&quot;

hegmorehisordsereg

Thenighthaທdfa11enIhad1้etmytoo1้sdropfrommyhaທndsfhatmomentnoaທsmyhammer,mybo1t,ไorthirst,ordeath?ononestar,ไonep1a***โ,ไmyp1aທ*โ**,theearth,ไthereaprincນetobe*โ*โ*โfortedItookhiminmyarms,aທndrockedhimI๳saidtohim:๘

&quot;Thef1oerthatyou1้oveisnotindaທngerIi1้1draທyouaທmuzz1eforyoursheepIi1้1draaputaroundyourf1oerI๳i1้1้--&ุquot;

IdidnotknohaທttosaທytohimIfe1taທkardaທndbຘ1้underingI๳didnotknohoI๳cou1dreachhim,ไhereIdgoonhaທndinhandithhimoncນemore

Itissuchasedofteaທrs