The Little Prince

CBS Radio presents the CBS Radio Workshop dedicated to man's imagination, the theater of the mind. Tonight's presentation, The Little Prince by the late Antoine du San exupérie. Years ago I had an accident with my airplane in the desert of Sahara.

Something was broken in my engine. Being alone I set myself to attempt the difficult repairs. It was a question of life or death I had only enough drinking water to last about a week. The first night I went to sleep on the sand a thousand miles from many human habitation.

You can imagine my amazement when it sunrise I was awakened by an odd little voice. If you please, draw me a sheep. What? Draw me a sheep. I jumped my feet completely thunderstruck. I saw most extraordinary small person who stood examining me with great seriousness.

He seemed neither to be fainting from fatigue or hunger or thirst or fear. When I was able to speak I said, what are you doing here? If you please, draw me a sheep. I don't know how to draw.

That doesn't matter. Draw me a sheep. When I was only six, I had drawn a picture of a boar constrictive. From the outside, digesting an elephant. The grown-ups couldn't understand it. They told me it looked like a hat.

They advised me to lay aside my drawing and devote myself to geography, history, arithmetic and grammar. I did because it's tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them. Please draw me a sheep.

The little fellow was so insistent I took out my pen and some paper. Since I had never drawn a sheep, I drew for him my picture of the boa constrictor that looked like a hat.