Chapter 2

           SoIlivedallalone,withoutanyoneIcouldreallytalkto,untilIhadtomakeacrashlandingintheSaharaDesertsixyearsago. Somethinginmyplane’senginehadbroken. SinceIhadneitheramechanicnorpassengersintheplanewithme,Iwaspreparingtoundertakethedifficultrepairjobbymyself. Formeitwasamatteroflifeordeath: Ihadonlyenoughdrinkingwaterforeightdays. 

           Thefirstnight,then,Iwenttosleeponthesandathousandmilesfromanyinhabitedcountry. Iwasmoreisolatedthanamanshipwreckedonaraftinthemiddleoftheocean. SoyoucanimaginemysurprisewhenIwasawakenedatdaybreakbyafunnylittlevoicesaying, "Please..."drawmeasheep... 

           "What?" 

           "Drawmeasheep..." 

           IleapedupasifIhadbeenstruckbylightning. Irubbedmyeyeshard. Istared. AndIsawanextraordinarylittlefellowstaringbackatmeveryseriously. Hereisthebestportrait1managedtomakeofhim,lateron. 

           Butofcoursemydrawingismuchlessattractivethanmymodel. Thisisnotmyfault. Mycareerasapainterwasdiscouragedattheageofsixbythegrown-ups,andIhadneverlearnedtodrawanythingexceptboaconstrictors,outsideandinside. 

           SoIstaredwide-eyedatthisapparition. Don’tforgetthatIwasathousandmilesfromanyinhabitedterritory. Yetthislittlefellowseemedtobeneitherlostnordyingofexhaustion,hunger,orthirst;nordidheseemscaredtodeath. Therewasnothinginhisappearancethatsuggestedachildlostinthemiddleofthedesertathousandmilesfromanyinhabitedterritory.