So I lived my life alone, without anyone that I could really talk to, until I had an accident with my plane in the Desert of Sahara, six years ago. Something was broken i n my engine. And as I had with me neither a mechanic nor any passengers, I set myself to attempt the difficult repairs all alone. It was a question of life or death for me; I had scarcely enough drinking water to last a week.

就这样，我一个人孤独的活着，因为我找不到真正可以谈心的人。然而，六年前，我在撒哈拉沙漠发生的飞行意外，改变了一切。那次，我的飞机引擎出了点毛病，当时既没有机械师在旁边，也没有半个路人经过，我只好自己试着修修了。这可是生死关头啊：我的饮用水已撑不到8天了。

The first night, then, I went to sleep on the sand, a thousand miles from any human habitation. I was more isolated than a shipwrecked sailor on a raft in the middle of the ocean.

我在那里的第一天晚上，想到要睡在方圆千里之内都渺无人迹的地方，就觉得，比一个因为船难攀着浮木漂在海中的水手，还要孤立无援。

Thus you can imagine my amazement,  at sunrise, when I was awakened by an odd little voice.  said:

"If you please-draw me a sheep!"

"What!"

"Draw me a sheep!"

I jumped to my feet,completely thunderstruck. I blinked my eyes hard. I looked carefully all around me. And I saw a most extraordinary small person, who stood there examining me with great seriousness. Here you may see the best potrait that, later, I was able to make of him. But my drawing is certainly very much less charming than its model.

所以，你可以想象，第二天早上，当我被那个奇怪又微弱的声音吵醒时，我有多惊讶了。那个声音说：

“拜托——帮我画一只绵羊。”

“什么!"

"帮我画一只绵阳。”

我像是被闪电击中一样，跳了起来。

我揉揉眼睛，看了看。我看到一个十分奇特的小人，正睁大眼睛看着我。这儿有一张他的画像，是我后来尽了最大努力画的。不过，他本人要比这张画像好看多了。