1977我不记得了
1999（旧版）

-weareintroducedtothenarrator,apilot,andhisideasaboutgrown-ups

OncewhenIwassixyearsoldIsawamagnificentpictureinacalledTrueStoriesfromNature,abouttheprimevalforest.Itwasapictureofaboaconstrictorintheactofswallowingananimal.Hereisacopyofthedrawing.

Intheitsaid:Boaconstrictorsswallowtheirpreywhole,withoutchewingit.Afterthattheyarenotabletomove,andtheysleepthroughthesixmonthsthattheyneedfordigestion.

Ipondereddeeply,then,overtheadventuresofthejungle.AndaftersomeworkwithacoloredpencilIsucceededinmakingmyfirstdrawing.MyDrawingNumberOne.Itlookedlikethis:

Ishowedmymasterpiecetothegrown-ups,andaskedthemwhetherthedrawingfrightenedthem.

Buttheyanswered:Frighten?Whyshouldanyonebefrightenedbyahat?

Mydrawingwasnotapictureofahat.Itwasapictureofaboaconstrictordigestinganelephant.Butsincethegrown-upswerenotabletounderstandit,Imadeanotherdrawing:Idrewtheinsideoftheboaconstrictor,sothatthegrown-upscouldseeitclearly.Theyalwaysneedtohavethingsexplained.MyDrawingNumberTwolookedlikethis:

Thegrown-upsresponse,thistime,wastisemetolayasidemydrawingsofboaconstrictors,whetherfromtheinsideortheoutside,anddevotemyselfinsteadtogeography,history,arithmeticandgrammar.Thatiswhy,attheageofsix,Igaveupwhatmighthavebeenamagnificentcareerasapainter.IhadbeendisheartenedbythefailureofmyDrawingNumberOneandmyDrawingNumberTwo.Grown-upsneverunderstandanythingbythemselves,anditistiresomeforchildrentobealwaysandforeverexplainingthingstothem.

SothenIchoseanotherprofession,andlearnedtopilotairplanes.Ihaveflownalittleoverallpartsoftheworld;anditistruethatgeographyhasbeenveryusefultome.AtaglanceIcandistinguishChinafromArizona.Ifonegetslostinthenight,suchknowledgeisvaluable.

InthecourseofthislifeIhavehadagreatmanyencounterswithagreatmanypeoplewhohavebeenconcernedwithmattersofconsequence.Ihavelivedagreatdealamonggrown-ups.Ihaveseenthemintimately,closeathand.Andthathasntmuchimprovedmyopinionofthem.

WheneverImetoneofthemwhoseemedtomeatallclear-sighted,ItriedtheexperimentofshowinghimmyDrawingNumberOne,whichIhavealwayskept.Iwouldtrytofindout,so,ifthiswasapersonoftrueunderstanding.But,whoeveritwas,he,orshe,wouldalwayssay:

Thatisahat.

ThenIwouldnevertalktothatpersonaboutboaconstrictors,orprimevalforests,orstars.Iwouldbringmyselfdowntohislevel.Iwouldtalktohimaboutbridge,andgolf,andpolitics,andneckties.Andthegrown-upwouldbegreatlypleasedtohavemetsuchasensibleman.

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