running python on xp command prompt

[TPhung at lbl.gov]

Hi,

I have a simple question about running python on windows xp command
prompt. The file is as follows and is named spam.py:

print 2**8
print 'the bright side' + 'of life'
print "hello world"

I run this on the command prompt as follows

C:\Documents and Settings\User>python C:\Documents and Settings\User
\Desktop\spa
m.py
python: can't open file 'C:\Documents': [Errno 2] No such file or
directory

and get the error above. If I surround the second directory in quotes
like this

C:\Documents and Settings\User>python "C:\Documents and Settings\User
\Desktop\spa
m.py"

, there is no error. Does anyone know why this is.

Thank you