oncewheniwassixyearsoldisawagnificentpictureinabook,calledtruestoriesfronature,abouttheprivalforest.itwasapictureofaboaconstrictorintheactofswallowingananil.hereisacopyofthedrawing.
inthebookitsaid:”boaconstrictorsswallowtheirpreywhole,withoutchewingit.afterthattheyarenotabletove,andtheysleepthroughthesixnthsthattheyneedfordigesn
.”ipondereddeeply,then,overtheadventuresofthejungle.andaftersoworkwithacoloredpenciliseededinkingfirstdrawing.drawingnuerone.itlookedlikethis:
ishowedsterpiecetothegrownups,andaskedthewhetherthedrawingfrightenedthe
buttheyanswered:”frightenwhyshouldanyonebefrightenedbyahat”drawingwasnotapictureofahat.itwasapictureofaboaconstrictordigestinganelephant.butsincethegrownupswerenotabletounderstandit,ideanotherdrawing:idrewtheinsideoftheboaconstrictor,sothatthegrownupscouldseeitclearly.theyalwaysneedtohavethingsexined.drawingnuertwolookedlikethis:
thegrownupsresponse,thisti,wastoadvisetoyasidedrawingsofboaconstrictors,whetherfrotheinsideortheoutside,anddevoteselfinsteadtogeography,history,arithticandgraar.thatiswhy,attheageofsix,igaveupwhatghthavebeenagnificentcareerasapainter.ihadbeendisheartenedbythefailureofdrawingnueroneanddrawingnuertwo.grownupsneverunderstandanythingbytheelves,anditistiresoforchildrentobealwaysandforeverexiningthingstothe
sothenichoseanotherprofesn,andleaedtopilotairnes.ihaveflownalittleoverallpartsoftheworld;anditistruethatgeographyhasbeenveryefulto.atanceicandistinguishchinafroarizona.ifonegetslostinthenight,suchknowledgeisvaluable.
inthecourseofthislifeihavehadagreatnyencounterswithagreatnypeoplewhohavebeenconceedwithttersofconsequence.ihavelivedagreatdealanggrownups.ihaveseentheintitely,closeathand.andthathasntchirovedopinofthe
wheneveritoneofthewhoseedtoatallclearsighted,itriedtheexperintofshowinghidrawingnuerone,whichihavealwayskept.iwouldtrytofindout,so,ifthiswasapersonoftrueunderstanding.but,whoeveritwas,he,orshe,wouldalwayssay:”thatisahat.”theniwouldnevertalktothatpersonaboutboaconstrictors,orprivalforests,orstars.iwouldbringselfdowntohislevel.iwouldtalktohiaboutbridge,andgolf,andpolitics,andneckties.andthegrownupwouldbegreatlypleasedtohavetsuchasensiblen.