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To Leon Werth
I ask the indulgence of the children who may read this book for dedicating it to a grown-up. I have a serious reason: he is the best friend I have in the world. I have another reason: this grown-up understands everything
even books about children. I have a third reason: he lives in France where he is hungry and cold. He needs cheering up. If all these reasons are not enough
I will dedicate the book to the child from whom this grown-up grew. All grown-ups were once children-- although few of them remember it. And so I correct my dedication:
To Leon Werth
when he was a little boy
[ Chapter 1 ]
- we are introduced to the narrator
a pilot
and his ideas about grown-ups
Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book
called True Stories from Nature
about the primeval forest. It was a picture of a boa constrictor in the act of swallowing an animal. Here is a copy of the drawing.
In the book it said: "Boa constrictors swallow their prey whole
without chewing it. After that they are not able to move
and they sleep through the six months that they need for digestion."
I pondered deeply
then
over the adventures of the jungle. And after some work with a colored pencil I succeeded in making my first drawing. My Drawing Number One. It looked like this:
I showed my masterpiece to the grown-ups
and asked them whether the drawing frightened them.
But they answered: "Frighten? Why should any one be frightened by a hat?"
My drawing was not a picture of a hat. It was a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant. But since the grown-ups were not able to understand it
I made another drawing: I drew the inside of the boa constrictor
so that the grown-ups could see it clearly. They always need to have things explained. My Drawing Number Two looked like this:
The grown-ups' response
this time
was to advise me to lay aside my drawings of boa constrictors
whether from the inside or the outside
and devote myself instead to geography
history
arithmetic and grammar. That is why
at the age of six
I gave up what might have been a magnificent career as a painter. I had been disheartened by the failure of my Drawing Number One and my Drawing Number Two. Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves
and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.
So then I chose another profession
and learned to pilot airplanes. I have flown a little over all parts of the world; and it is true that geography has been very useful to me. At a glance I can distinguish China from Arizona. If one gets lost in the night
such knowledge is valuable.
In the course of this life I have had a great many encounters with a great many people who have been concerned with matters of consequence. I have lived a great deal among grown-ups. I have seen them intimately
close at hand. And that hasn't much improved my opinion of them.
Whenever I met one of them who seemed to me at all clear-sighted
I tried the experiment of showing him my Drawing Number One
which I have always kept. I would try to find out
so
if this was a person of true understanding. But
whoever it was
he
or she
would always say:
That is a hat.
Then I would never talk to that person about boa constrictors
or primeval forests
or stars. I would bring myself down to his level. I would talk to him about bridge
and golf
and politics
and neckties. And the grown-up would be greatly pleased to have met such a sensible man.
[ Chapter 2 ]
- the narrator crashes in the desert and makes the acquaintance of the little prince
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 in 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.
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. Thus you can imagine my amazement
at sunrise
when I was awakened by an odd little voice. It 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.
That
however
is not my fault. The grown-ups discouraged me in my painter's career when I was six years old
and I never learned to draw anything
except boas from the outside and boas from the inside.
Now I stared at this sudden apparition with my eyes fairly starting out of my head in astonishment. Remember
I had crashed in the desert a thousand miles from any inhabited region. And yet my little man seemed neither to be straying uncertainly among the sands
nor to be fainting from fatigue or hunger or thirst or fear. Nothing about him gave any suggestion of a child lost in the middle of the desert
a thousand miles from any human habitation. When at last I was able to speak
I said to him:
But-- what are you doing here?
And in answer he repeated
very slowly
as if he were speaking of a matter of great consequence: "If you please-- draw me a sheep..."
When a mystery is too overpowering
one dare not disobey. Absurd as it might seem to me
a thousand miles from any human habitation and in danger of death
I took out of my pocket a sheet of paper and my fountain-pen. But then I remembered how my studies had been concentrated on geography
history
arithmetic
and grammar
and I told the little chap (a little crossly
too) that I did not know how to draw. He answered me:
That doesn't matter. Draw me a sheep...
But I had never drawn a sheep. So I drew for him one of the two pictures I had drawn so often. It was that of the boa constrictor from the outside. And I was astounded to hear the little fellow greet it with
No
no
no! I do not want an elephant inside a boa constrictor. A boa constrictor is a very dangerous creature
and an elephant is very cumbersome. Where I live
everything is very small. What I need is a sheep. Draw me a sheep.
So then I made a drawing.
He looked at it carefully
then he said:
No. This sheep is already very sickly. Make me another.
So I made another drawing.
My friend smiled gently and indulgenty.
You see yourself
he said
that this is not a sheep. This is a ram. It has horns.
So then I did my drawing over once more.
But it was rejected too
just like the others.
This one is too old. I want a sheep that will live a long time.
By this time my patience was exhausted
because I was in a hurry to start taking my engine apart. So I tossed off this drawing.
And I threw out an explanation with it.
This is only his box. The sheep you asked for is inside.
I was very surprised to see a light break over the face of my young judge:
That is exactly the way I wanted it! Do you think that this sheep will have to have a great deal of grass?
Why?
Because where I live everything is very small...
There will surely be enough grass for him
I said. "It is a very small sheep that I have given you."
He bent his head over the drawing:
Not so small that-- Look! He has gone to sleep...
And that is how I made the acquaintance of the little prince.
[ Chapter 3 ]
- the narrator learns more about from where the little prince came
It took me a long time to learn where he came from. The little prince
who asked me so many questions
never seemed to hear the ones I asked him. It was from words dropped by chance that
little by little
everything was revealed to me.
The first time he saw my airplane
for instance (I shall not draw my airplane; that would be much too complicated for me)
he asked me:
What is that object?
That is not an object. It flies. It is an airplane. It is my airplane.
And I was proud to have him learn that I could fly.
He cried out
then:
What! You dropped down from the sky?
Yes
I answered
modestly.
Oh! That is funny!
And the little prince broke into a lovely peal of laughter
which irritated me very much. I like my misfortunes to be taken seriously.
Then he added:
So you
too
come from the sky! Which is your planet?
At that moment I caught a gleam of light in the impenetrable mystery of his presence; and I demanded
abruptly:
Do you come from another planet?
But he did not reply. He tossed his head gently
without taking his eyes from my plane:
It is true that on that you can't have come from very far away...
And he sank into a reverie
which lasted a long time. Then
taking my sheep out of his pocket
he buried himself in the contemplation of his treasure.
You can imagine how my curiosity was aroused by this half-confidence about the "other planets." I made a great effort
therefore
to find out more on this subject.
My little man
where do you come from? What is this 'where I live
' of which you speak? Where do you want to take your sheep?
After a reflective silence he answered:
The thing that is so good about the box you have given me is that at night he can use it as his house.
That is so. And if you are good I will give you a string
too
so that you can tie him during the day
and a post to tie him to.
But the little prince seemed shocked by this offer:
Tie him! What a queer idea!
But if you don't tie him
I said
he will wander off somewhere
and get lost.
My friend broke into another peal of laughter:
But where do you think he would go?
Anywhere. Straight ahead of him.
Then the little prince said
earnestly:
That doesn't matter. Where I live
everything is so small!
And
with perhaps a hint of sadness
he added:
Straight ahead of him
nobody can go very far...
[ Chapter 4 ]
- the narrator speculates as to which asteroid from which the little prince came
I had thus learned a second fact of great importance: this was that the planet the little prince came from was scarcely any larger than a house!
But that did not really surprise me much. I knew very well that in addition to the great planets-- such as the Earth
Jupiter
Mars
Venus-- to which we have given names
there are also hundreds of others
some of which are so small that one has a hard time seeing them through the telescope. When an astronomer discovers one of these he does not give it a name
but only a number. He might call it
for example
Asteroid 325.
I have serious reason to believe that the planet from which the little prince came is the asteroid known as B-612.
This asteroid has only once been seen through the telescope. That was by a Turkish astronomer
in 1909.
On making his discovery
the astronomer had presented it to the International Astronomical Congress
in a great demonstration. But he was in Turkish costume
and so nobody would believe what he said.
Grown-ups are like that...
Fortunately
however
for the reputation of Asteroid B-612
a Turkish dictator made a law that his subjects
under pain of death
should change to European costume. So in 1920 the astronomer gave his demonstration all over again
dressed with impressive style and elegance. And this time everybody accepted his report.
If I have told you these details about the asteroid
and made a note of its number for you
it is on account of the grown-ups and their ways. When you tell them that you have made a new friend
they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you
What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies?
Instead
they demand: "How old is he? How many brothers has he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make?" Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.
If you were to say to the grown-ups: "I saw a beautiful house made of rosy brick
with geraniums in the windows and doves on the roof
they would not be able to get any idea of that house at all. You would have to say to them:
I saw a house that cost $20
000." Then they would exclaim: "Oh
what a pretty house that is!"
Just so
you might say to them: "The proof that the little prince existed is that he was charming
that he laughed
and that he was looking for a sheep. If anybody wants a sheep
that is a proof that he exists." And what good would it do to tell them that? They would shrug their shoulders
and treat you like a child. But if you said to them: "The planet he came from is Asteroid B-612
then they would be convinced
and leave you in peace from their questions.
They are like that. One must not hold it against them. Children should always show great forbearance toward grown-up people.
But certainly
for us who understand life
figures are a matter of indifference. I should have liked to begin this story in the fashion of the fairy-tales. I should have like to say:
Once upon a time there was a little prince who lived on a planet that was scarcely any bigger than himself
and who had need of a sheep..."
To those who understand life
that would have given a much greater air of truth to my story.
For I do not want any one to read my book carelessly. I have suffered too much grief in setting down these memories. Six years have already passed since my friend went away from me
with his sheep. If I try to describe him here
it is to make sure that I shall not forget him. To forget a friend is sad. Not every one has had a friend. And if I forget him
I may become like the grown-ups who are no longer interested in anything but figures...
It is for that purpose
again
that I have bought a box of paints and some pencils. It is hard to take up drawing again at my age
when I have never made any pictures except those of the boa constrictor from the outside and the boa constrictor from the inside
since I was six. I shall certainly try to make my portraits as true to life as possible. But I am not at all sure of success. One drawing goes along all right
and another has no resemblance to its subject. I make some errors
too
in the littl e prince's height: in one place he is too tall and in another too short. And I feel some doubts about the color of his costume. So I fumble along as best I can
now good
now bad
and I hope generally fair-to-middling.
In certain more important details I shall make mistakes
also. But that is something that will not be my fault. My friend never explained anything to me. He thought
perhaps
that I was like himself. But I
alas
do not know how to see sheep through t he walls of boxes. Perhaps I am a little like the grown-ups. I have had to grow old.
[ Chapter 5 ]
- we are warned as to the dangers of the baobabs
As each day passed I would learn
in our talk
something about the little prince's planet
his departure from it
his journey. The information would come very slowly
as it might chance to fall from his thoughts. It was in this way that I heard
on the third day
about the catastrophe of the baobabs.
This time
once more
I had the sheep to thank for it. For the little prince asked me abruptly-- as if seized by a grave doubt-- "It is true
isn't it
that sheep eat little bushes?"
Yes
that is true.
Ah! I am glad!
I did not understand why it was so important that sheep should eat little bushes. But the little prince added:
Then it follows that they also eat baobabs?
I pointed out to the little prince that baobabs were not little bushes
but
on the contrary
trees as big as castles; and that even if he took a whole herd of elephants away with him
the herd would not eat up one single baobab.
The idea of the herd of elephants made the little prince laugh.
We would have to put them one on top of the other
he said.
But he made a wise comment:
Before they grow so big
the baobabs start out by being little.
That is strictly correct
I said. "But why do you want the sheep to eat the little baobabs?"
He answered me at once
Oh
come
come!
as if he were speaking of something that was self-evident. And I was obliged to make a great mental effort to solve this problem
without any assistance.
Indeed
as I learned
there were on the planet where the little prince lived-- as on all planets-- good plants and bad plants. In consequence
there were good seeds from good plants
and bad seeds from bad plants. But seeds are invisible. They sleep deep in the heart of the earth's darkness
until some one among them is seized with the desire to awaken. Then this little seed will stretch itself and begin-- timidly at first-- to push a charming little sprig inoffensively upward toward the sun. If it is only a sprout of radish or the sprig of a rose-bush
one would let it grow wherever it might wish. But when it is a bad plant
one must destroy it as soon as possible
the very first instant that one recognizes it.
Now there were some terrible seeds on the planet that was the home of the little prince; and these were the seeds of the baobab. The soil of that planet was infested with them. A baobab is something you will never
never be able to get rid of if you attend to it too late. It spreads over the entire planet. It bores clear through it with its roots. And if the planet is too small
and the baobabs are too many
they split it in pieces...
It is a question of discipline
the little prince said to me later on. "When you've finished your own toilet in the morning
then it is time to attend to the toilet of your planet
just so
with the greatest care. You must see to it that you pull up regularly all the baobabs
at the very first moment when they can be distinguished from the rosebushes which they resemble so closely in their earliest youth. It is very tedious work
the little prince added
but very easy."
And one day he said to me: "You ought to make a beautiful drawing
so that the children where you live can see exactly how all this is. That would be very useful to them if they were to travel some day. Sometimes
he added
there is no harm in putting off a piece of work until another day. But when it is a matter of baobabs
that always means a catastrophe. I knew a planet that was inhabited by a lazy man. He neglected three little bushes..."
So
as the little prince described it to me
I have made a drawing of that planet. I do not much like to take the tone of a moralist. But the danger of the baobabs is so little understood
and such considerable risks would be run by anyone who might get lost on an asteroid
that for once I am breaking through my reserve. "Children
I say plainly
watch out for the baobabs!"
My friends
like myself
have been skirting this danger for a long time
without ever knowing it; and so it is for them that I have worked so hard over this drawing. The lesson which I pass on by this means is worth all the trouble it has cost me.
Perhaps you will ask me
Why are there no other drawing in this book as magnificent and impressive as this drawing of the baobabs?
The reply is simple. I have tried. But with the others I have not been successful. When I made the drawing of the baobabs I was carried beyond myself by the inspiring force of urgent necessity.
[ Chapter 6 ]
- the little prince and the narrator talk about sunsets
Oh
little prince! Bit by bit I came to understand the secrets of your sad little life... For a long time you had found your only entertainment in the quiet pleasure of looking at the sunset. I learned that new detail on the morning of the fourth day
w hen you said to me:
I am very fond of sunsets. Come
let us go look at a sunset now.
But we must wait
I said.
Wait? For what?
For the sunset. We must wait until it is time.
At first you seemed to be very much surprised. And then you laughed to yourself. You said to me:
I am always thinking that I am at home!
Just so. Everybody knows that when it is noon in the United States the sun is setting over France.
If you could fly to France in one minute
you could go straight into the sunset
right from noon. Unfortunately
France is too far away for that. But on your tiny planet
my little prince
all you need do is move your chair a few steps. You can see the day end and the twilight falling whenever you like...
One day
you said to me
I saw the sunset forty-four times!
And a little later you added:
You know-- one loves the sunset
when one is so sad...
Were you so sad
then?
I asked
on the day of the forty-four sunsets?
But the little prince made no reply.
[ Chapter 7 ]
- the narrator learns about the secret of the little prince's life
On the fifth day-- again
as always
it was thanks to the sheep-- the secret of the little prince's life was revealed to me. Abruptly
without anything to lead up to it
and as if the question had been born of long and silent meditation on his problem
he demanded:
A sheep-- if it eats little bushes
does it eat flowers
too?
A sheep
I answered
eats anything it finds in its reach.
Even flowers that have thorns?
Yes
even flowers that have thorns.
Then the thorns-- what use are they?
I did not know. At that moment I was very busy trying to unscrew a bolt that had got stuck in my engine. I was very much worried
for it was becoming clear to me that the breakdown of my plane was extremely serious. And I had so little drinking-water left that I had to fear for the worst.
The thorns-- what use are they?
The little prince never let go of a question
once he had asked it. As for me
I was upset over that bolt. And I answered with the first thing that came into my head:
The thorns are of no use at all. Flowers have thorns just for spite!
Oh!
There was a moment of complete silence. Then the little prince flashed back at me
with a kind of resentfulness:
I don't believe you! Flowers are weak creatures. They are na飗e. They reassure themselves as best they can. They believe that their thorns are terrible weapons...
I did not answer. At that instant I was saying to myself: "If this bolt still won't turn
I am going to knock it out with the hammer." Again the little prince disturbed my thoughts.
And you actually believe that the flowers--
Oh
no!
I cried. "No
no no! I don't believe anything. I answered you with the first thing that came into my head. Don't you see-- I am very busy with matters of consequence!"
He stared at me
thunderstruck.
Matters of consequence!
He looked at me there
with my hammer in my hand
my fingers black with engine-grease
bending down over an object which seemed to him extremely ugly...
You talk just like the grown-ups!
That made me a little ashamed. But he went on
relentlessly:
You mix everything up together... You confuse everything...
He was really very angry. He tossed his golden curls in the breeze.
I know a planet where there is a certain red-faced gentleman. He has never smelled a flower. He has never looked at a star. He has never loved any one. He has never done anything in his life but add up figures. And all day he says over and over
just like you: 'I am busy with matters of consequence!' And that makes him swell up with pride. But he is not a man-- he is a mushroom!
A what?
A mushroom!
The little prince was now white with rage.
The flowers have been growing thorns for millions of years. For millions of years the sheep have been eating them just the same. And is it not a matter of consequence to try to understand why the flowers go to so much trouble to grow thorns which are never of any use to them? Is the warfare between the sheep and the flowers not important? Is this not of more consequence than a fat red-faced gentleman's sums? And if I know-- I
myself-- one flower which is unique in the world
which grows nowhere but on my planet
but which one little sheep can destroy in a single bite some morning
without even noticing what he is doing-- Oh! You think that is not important!
His face turned from white to red as he continued:
If some one loves a flower
of which just one single blossom grows in all the millions and millions of stars
it is enough to make him happy just to look at the stars. He can say to himself
'Somewhere
my flower is there...' But if the sheep eats the flower
in one moment all his stars will be darkened... And you think that is not important!
He could not say anything more. His words were choked by sobbing.
The night had fallen. I had let my tools drop from my hands. Of what moment now was my hammer
my bolt
or thirst
or death? On one star
one planet
my planet
the Earth
there was a little prince to be comforted. I took him in my arms
and rocked him. I said to him:
The flower that you love is not in danger. I will draw you a muzzle for your sheep. I will draw you a railing to put around your flower. I will--
I did not know what to say to him. I felt awkward and blundering. I did not know how I could reach him
where I could overtake him and go on hand in hand with him once more.
It is such a secret place
the land of tears.
[ Chapter 8 ]
- the rose arrives at the little prince's planet
I soon learned to know this flower better. On the little prince's planet the flowers had always been very simple. They had only one ring of petals; they took up no room at all; they were a trouble to nobody. One morning they would appear in the grass
and by night they would have faded peacefully away. But one day
from a seed blown from no one knew where
a new flower had come up; and the little prince had watched very closely over this small sprout which was not like any other small sprouts on his planet. It might
you see
have been a new kind of baobab.
The shrub soon stopped growing
and began to get ready to produce a flower. The little prince
who was present at the first appearance of a huge bud
felt at once that some sort of miraculous apparition must emerge from it. But the flower was not satisfied to complete the preparations for her beauty in the shelter of her green chamber. She chose her colours with the greatest care. She adjusted her petals one by one. She did not wish to go out into the world all rumpled
like the field poppies. It was only in the full radiance of her beauty that she wished to appear. Oh
yes! She was a coquettish creature! And her mysterious adornment lasted for days and days.
Then one morning
exactly at sunrise
she suddenly showed herself.
And
after working with all this painstaking precision
she yawned and said:
Ah! I am scarcely awake. I beg that you will excuse me. My petals are still all disarranged...
But the little prince could not restrain his admiration:
Oh! How beautiful you are!
Am I not?
the flower responded
sweetly. "And I was born at the same moment as the sun..."
The little prince could guess easily enough that she was not any too modest-- but how moving-- and exciting-- she was!
I think it is time for breakfast
she added an instant later. "If you would have the kindness to think of my needs--"
And the little prince
completely abashed
went to look for a sprinkling-can of fresh water. So
he tended the flower.
So
too
she began very quickly to torment him with her vanity-- which was
if the truth be known
a little difficult to deal with. One day
for instance
when she was speaking of her four thorns
she said to the little prince:
Let the tigers come with their claws!
There are no tigers on my planet
the little prince objected. "And
anyway
tigers do not eat weeds."
I am not a weed
the flower replied
sweetly.
Please excuse me...
I am not at all afraid of tigers
she went on
but I have a horror of drafts. I suppose you wouldn't have a screen for me?
A horror of drafts-- that is bad luck
for a plant
remarked the little prince
and added to himself
This flower is a very complex creature...
At night I want you to put me under a glass globe. It is very cold where you live. In the place I came from--
But she interrupted herself at that point. She had come in the form of a seed. She could not have known anything of any other worlds. Embarassed over having let herself be caught on the verge of such a na飗e untruth
she coughed two or three times
in order to put the little prince in the wrong.
The screen?
I was just going to look for it when you spoke to me...
Then she forced her cough a little more so that he should suffer from remorse just the same.
So the little prince
in spite of all the good will that was inseparable from his love
had soon come to doubt her. He had taken seriously words which were without importance
and it made him very unhappy.
I ought not to have listened to her
he confided to me one day. "One never ought to listen to the flowers. One should simply look at them and breathe their fragrance. Mine perfumed all my planet. But I did not know how to take pleasure in all her grace. This tale of claws
which disturbed me so much
should only have filled my heart with tenderness and pity."
And he continued his confidences:
The fact is that I did not know how to understand anything! I ought to have judged by deeds and not by words. She cast her fragrance and her radiance over me. I ought never to have run away from her... I ought to have guessed all the affection that lay behind her poor little strategems. Flowers are so inconsistent! But I was too young to know how to love her...
[ Chapter 9 ]
- the little prince leaves his planet
I believe that for his escape he took advantage of the migration of a flock of wild birds. On the morning of his departure he put his planet in perfect order. He carefully cleaned out his active volcanoes. He possessed two active volcanoes; and they were very convenient for heating his breakfast in the morning. He also had one volcano that was extinct. But
as he said
One never knows!
So he cleaned out the extinct volcano
too. If they are well cleaned out
volcanoes burn slowly and steadily
without any eruptions. Volcanic eruptions are like fires in a chimney.
On our earth we are obviously much too small to clean out our volcanoes. That is why they bring no end of trouble upon us.
The little prince also pulled up
with a certain sense of dejection
the last little shoots of the baobabs. He believed that he would never want to return. But on this last morning all these familiar tasks seemed very precious to him. And when he watered the flower for the last time
and prepared to place her under the shelter of her glass globe
he realised that he was very close to tears.
Goodbye
he said to the flower.
But she made no answer.
Goodbye
he said again.
The flower coughed. But it was not because she had a cold.
I have been silly
she said to him
at last. "I ask your forgiveness. Try to be happy..."
He was surprised by this absence of reproaches. He stood there all bewildered
the glass globe held arrested in mid-air. He did not understand this quiet sweetness.
Of course I love you
the flower said to him. "It is my fault that you have not known it all the while. That is of no importance. But you-- you have been just as foolish as I. Try to be happy... let the glass globe be. I don't want it any more."
But the wind--
My cold is not so bad as all that... the cool night air will do me good. I am a flower.
But the animals--
Well
I must endure the presence of two or three caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies. It seems that they are very beautiful. And if not the butterflies-- and the caterpillars-- who will call upon me? You will be far away... as for the large animals-- I am not at all afraid of any of them. I have my claws.
And
na飗ely
she showed her four thorns. Then she added:
Don't linger like this. You have decided to go away. Now go!
For she did not want him to see her crying. She was such a proud flower...
[ Chapter 10 ]
- the little prince visits the king
He found himself in the neighborhood of the asteroids 325
326
327
328
329
and 330. He began
therefore
by visiting them
in order to add to his knowledge.
The first of them was inhabited by a king. Clad in royal purple and ermine
he was seated upon a throne which was at the same time both simple and majestic.
Ah! Here is a subject
exclaimed the king
when he saw the little prince coming.
And the little prince asked himself:
How could he recognize me when he had never seen me before?
He did not know how the world is simplified for kings. To them
all men are subjects.
Approach
so that I may see you better
said the king
who felt consumingly proud of being at last a king over somebody.
The little prince looked everywhere to find a place to sit down; but the entire planet was crammed and obstructed by the king's magnificent ermine robe. So he remained standing upright
and
since he was tired
he yawned.
It is contrary to etiquette to yawn in the presence of a king
the monarch said to him. "I forbid you to do so."
I can't help it. I can't stop myself
replied the little prince
thoroughly embarrassed. "I have come on a long journey
and I have had no sleep..."
Ah
then
the king said. "I order you to yawn. It is years since I have seen anyone yawning. Yawns
to me
are objects of curiosity. Come
now! Yawn again! It is an order."
That frightens me... I cannot
any more...
murmured the little prince
now completely abashed.
Hum! Hum!
replied the king. "Then I-- I order you sometimes to yawn and sometimes to--"
He sputtered a little
and seemed vexed.
For what the king fundamentally insisted upon was that his authority should be respected. He tolerated no disobedience. He was an absolute monarch. But
because he was a very good man
he made his orders reasonable.
If I ordered a general
he would say
by way of example
if I ordered a general to change himself into a sea bird
and if the general did not obey me
that would not be the fault of the general. It would be my fault.
May I sit down?
came now a timid inquiry from the little prince.
I order you to do so
the king answered him
and majestically gathered in a fold of his ermine mantle.
But the little prince was wondering... The planet was tiny. Over what could this king really rule?
Sire
he said to him
I beg that you will excuse my asking you a question--
I order you to ask me a question
the king hastened to assure him.
Sire-- over what do you rule?
Over everything
said the king
with magnificent simplicity.
Over everything?
The king made a gesture
which took in his planet
the other planets
and all the stars.
Over all that?
asked the little prince.
Over all that
the king answered.
For his rule was not only absolute: it was also universal.
And the stars obey you?
Certainly they do
the king said. "They obey instantly. I do not permit insubordination."
Such power was a thing for the little prince to marvel at. If he had been master of such complete authority
he would have been able to watch the sunset
not forty-four times in one day
but seventy-two
or even a hundred
or even two hundred times
with out ever having to move his chair. And because he felt a bit sad as he remembered his little planet which he had forsaken
he plucked up his courage to ask the king a favor:
I should like to see a sunset... do me that kindness... Order the sun to set...
If I ordered a general to fly from one flower to another like a butterfly
or to write a tragic drama
or to change himself into a sea bird
and if the general did not carry out the order that he had received
which one of us would be in the wrong?
the king demanded. "The general
or myself?"
You
said the little prince firmly.
Exactly. One much require from each one the duty which each one can perform
the king went on. "Accepted authority rests first of all on reason. If you ordered your people to go and throw themselves into the sea
they would rise up in revolution. I have the right to require obedience because my orders are reasonable."
Then my sunset?
the little prince reminded him: for he never forgot a question once he had asked it.
You shall have your sunset. I shall command it. But
according to my science of government
I shall wait until conditions are favorable.
When will that be?
inquired the little prince.
Hum! Hum!
replied the king; and before saying anything else he consulted a bulky almanac. "Hum! Hum! That will be about-- about-- that will be this evening about twenty minutes to eight. And you will see how well I am obeyed."
The little prince yawned. He was regretting his lost sunset. And then
too
he was already beginning to be a little bored.
I have nothing more to do here
he said to the king. "So I shall set out on my way again."
Do not go
said the king
who was very proud of having a subject. "Do not go. I will make you a Minister!"
Minister of what?
Minster of-- of Justice!
But there is nobody here to judge!
We do not know that
the king said to him. "I have not yet made a complete tour of my kingdom. I am very old. There is no room here for a carriage. And it tires me to walk."
Oh
but I have looked already!
said the little prince
turning around to give one more glance to the other side of the planet. On that side
as on this
there was nobody at all...
Then you shall judge yourself
the king answered. "that is the most difficult thing of all. It is much more difficult to judge oneself than to judge others. If you succeed in judging yourself rightly
then you are indeed a man of true wisdom."
Yes
said the little prince
but I can judge myself anywhere. I do not need to live on this planet.
Hum! Hum!" said the king. "I have good reason to believe that somewhere on my planet there is an old rat. I hear him at night. You can judge this old rat. From time to time you will condemn him to death. Thus his life will depend on your justice. But you will pardon him on each occasion; for he must be treated thriftily. He is the only one we have."
I
replied the little prince
do not like to condemn anyone to death. And now I think I will go on my way.
No
said the king.
But the little prince
having now completed his preparations for departure
had no wish to grieve the old monarch.
If Your Majesty wishes to be promptly obeyed
he said
he should be able to give me a reasonable order. He should be able
for example
to order me to be gone by the end of one minute. It seems to me that conditions are favorable...
As the king made no answer
the little prince hesitated a moment. Then
with a sigh
he took his leave.
I made you my Ambassador
the king called out
hastily.
He had a magnificent air of authority.
The grown-ups are very strange
the little prince said to himself
as he continued on his journey.
[ Chapter 11 ]
- the little prince visits the conceited man
The second planet was inhabited by a conceited man.
Ah! Ah! I am about to receive a visit from an admirer!
he exclaimed from afar
when he first saw the little prince coming.
For
to conceited men
all other men are admirers.
Good morning
said the little prince. "That is a queer hat you are wearing."
It is a hat for salutes
the conceited man replied. "It is to raise in salute when people acclaim me. Unfortunately
nobody at all ever passes this way."
Yes?
said the little prince
who did not understand what the conceited man was talking about.
Clap your hands
one against the other
the conceited man now directed him.
The little prince clapped his hands. The conceited man raised his hat in a modest salute.
This is more entertaining than the visit to the king
the little prince said to himself. And he began again to clap his hands
one against the other. The conceited man against raised his hat in salute.
After five minutes of this exercise the little prince grew tired of the game's monotony.
And what should one do to make the hat come down?
he asked.
But the conceited man did not hear him. Conceited people never hear anything but praise.
Do you really admire me very much?
he demanded of the little prince.
What does that mean-- 'admire'?
To admire mean that you regard me as the handsomest
the best-dressed
the richest
and the most intelligent man on this planet.
But you are the only man on your planet!
Do me this kindness. Admire me just the same.
I admire you
said the little prince
shrugging his shoulders slightly
but what is there in that to interest you so much?
And the little prince went away.
The grown-ups are certainly very odd
he said to himself
as he continued on his journey.
[ Chapter 12 ]
- the little prince visits the tippler
The next planet was inhabited by a tippler. This was a very short visit
but it plunged the little prince into deep dejection.
What are you doing there?
he said to the tippler
whom he found settled down in silence before a collection of empty bottles and also a collection of full bottles.
I am drinking
replied the tippler
with a lugubrious air.
Why are you drinking?
demanded the little prince.
So that I may forget
replied the tippler.
Forget what?
inquired the little prince
who already was sorry for him.
Forget that I am ashamed
the tippler confessed
hanging his head.
Ashamed of what?
insisted the little prince
who wanted to help him.
Ashamed of drinking!
The tippler brought his speech to an end
and shut himself up in an impregnable silence.
And the little prince went away
puzzled.
The grown-ups are certainly very
very odd
he said to himself
as he continued on his journey.
[ Chapter 13 ]
- the little prince visits the businessman
The fourth planet belonged to a businessman. This man was so much occupied that he did not even raise his head at the little prince's arrival.
Good morning
the little prince said to him. "Your cigarette has gone out."
Three and two make five. Five and seven make twelve. Twelve and three make fifteen. Good morning. Fifteen and seven make twenty-two. Twenty-two and six make twenty-eight. I haven't time to light it again. Twenty-six and five make thirty-one. Phew! Then that makes five-hundred-and-one-million
six-hundred-twenty-two-thousand
seven-hundred-thirty-one.
Five hundred million what?
asked the little prince.
Eh? Are you still there? Five-hundred-and-one million-- I can't stop... I have so much to do! I am concerned with matters of consequence. I don't amuse myself with balderdash. Two and five make seven...
Five-hundred-and-one million what?
repeated the little prince
who never in his life had let go of a question once he had asked it.
The businessman raised his head.
During the fifty-four years that I have inhabited this planet
I have been disturbed only three times. The first time was twenty-two years ago
when some giddy goose fell from goodness knows where. He made the most frightful noise that resounded all over the place
and I made four mistakes in my addition. The second time
eleven years ago
I was disturbed by an attack of rheumatism. I don't get enough exercise. I have no time for loafing. The third time-- well
this is it! I was saying
then
five -hundred-and-one millions--
Millions of what?
The businessman suddenly realized that there was no hope of being left in peace until he answered this question.
Millions of those little objects
he said
which one sometimes sees in the sky.
Flies?
Oh
no. Little glittering objects.
Bees?
Oh
no. Little golden objects that set lazy men to idle dreaming. As for me
I am concerned with matters of consequence. There is no time for idle dreaming in my life.
Ah! You mean the stars?
Yes
that's it. The stars.
And what do you do with five-hundred millions of stars?
Five-hundred-and-one million
six-hundred-twenty-two thousand
seven-hundred-thirty-one. I am concerned with matters of consequence: I am accurate