Once when I was six years old I saw a beautiful picture in a book about the primeyal forest called True Storie It showed a boa constrictor swallowing an animal Here is a copy of the drawing.
The book stated: "Boa constrictors swallow their prey whole without chewing it whereupon they can no longer move and sleep for six months digesting it.' I then reflected deeply upon the adventures in the jungle and in turn succeeded in making my first
I showed my masterpiece to the grown-ups and asked them if my drawing frightened them. They answered: Why should anyone be frightened by a hat?' My drawing did not represent a hat. It was supposed to be a boa constrictor digesting an elephant. So I made another drawing of the inside of the boa constrictor to enable the grown-ups to understand They always need explanations. My drawing No. 2 looked like this:
or the outside, and to devote myself instead to geography, history, arithmetic and grammar. Thus it was that I gave up a magnificent career as a painter at the age of six. I had been disappointed by the lack of success of my drawing No. I and my drawing No. 2. Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves it is rather for children to have to explain things to them time and again. So I had to choose another job and I learnt to pilot aeroplanes. I flew more or less all over the world. And indeed geography has been extremely useful to me. I am able to distinguish between China and Arizona at a glance. It is extremely helpful if one gets lost in the night.
As a result of which I have been in touch, through out my life, with all kinds of serious people. I have spent a lot of time with grown-ups. I have seen them at very close quarters which I'm afraid has not greatly enhanced my opinion of them Whenever I met one who seemed reasonably clear- sighted to me, I showed them my drawing No I, which I had kept, as an experiment. I wanted to find out whether he or she was truly understanding. But the answer was always: "It is a hat.' So I gave up mentioning boa constrictors or primeval forests or stars. I would bring myself down to his or her level and talk about bridge, golf, politics and neckties. And the grown-up would be very pleased to have miet such a sensible person.