The journey

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 … Do you believe me? (if:visits > 1)[I am sure you do] [[Yes->Child]] (if:visits <= 1)[[No->Proof]]

Ok, let us get back to our story... 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->Baobab]] [[love->Love]]

What kind of proof do you need? [[(1)->Child]] 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. [[(2)->Asteroid]] The planet he came from is Asteroid B-612

This asteroid has only once been seen through the telescope. That was by a Turkish astronomer, in 1909. Now that I have told you these details about the asteroid, and made a note of its number for you. Do you believe me [[now->Grown-up]]?

Yep, it's easy to feel the air of truth...for a person of true understanding. But, most of the time, (link-reveal:"grown-ups are not like that. ")[ 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 soundlike? 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. They are like that.] [[One must not hold it against them ->Talk]] But certainly, for us (link-reveal:"who understand life ") [= (text-colour:red) [numbers and figures are a matter of indifference.] [[continue ->Sheep]]

(link:"You sound like a grown-up! ") [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 2 million dollars." Then they would exclaim: "Oh, what a pretty house that is!" Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about it.] Grown-ups are like that. One must not hold it against them. Children should always show great forbearance toward [[grown-up people->Talk]].

Just remember: one should never talk to the grown-ups about boa constrictors, or primeval forests, or stars. One would talk to them about bridge, and golf, and politics. And the grown-up would be greatly pleased to have met such a sensible person. However, even grown-ups sometimes want to add to their [[knowledge.->Travel]]

This planet 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 you coming. And you are asking yourself: "How could he recognize me when he had never seen me before?". You do not know how the world is simplified for kings. To them, all men are subjects. (link:"But you are wondering... ") [The planet was tiny. Over what could this king really rule? "Sire," you 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. The king made a gesture, which took in his planet, the other planets, and all the stars. "And the stars obey you?" "Certainly they do," the king said. "They obey instantly. I do not permit insubordination."] (link:"Do you believe him? Test his power! Ask him to order the sun to set!" ) [King replied: "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. You shall have your sunset. I shall command it. But, according to my science of government, I shall (css: "color: red;")[wait until conditions are favorable]. 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!"] [[Do you want to be obeyed?->Favorable]] Do you want to see the sunset [[forty-four times->Sunset]] times? [[back ->Travel]]

This planet is 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 little prince coming. For, to conceited men, all other men are admirers. (link:"What a queer hat he is wearing! ")["It is a hat for salutes," the conceited man explains. "It is to raise in salute when people acclaim me." Unfortunately, nobody at all-but you-ever passes this way.] Do you whish to indulge a conceited man? Become one of his [[admirers->Admire]]!

The next planet is inhabited by a tippler, settled down in silence before a collection of empty bottles and also a collection of full bottles. (link:"Why is he drinking? ") ["So that I may forget," explayns the tippler. (css: "color: lightblue;")[Forget what?] "Forget that I am ashamed!" (css: "color: lightblue;") [Ashamed of what?] "Ashamed of drinking!"] In the situation like this, the only solution is to go [[back->Travel]]

This planet belongs to a businessman. This man is so much occupied that he did not even raise his head at your (t8n:"rumble")+(link-reveal:"arrival. ")[= "Three and two make five. Five and seven make twelve. Twelve and three make fifteen. Fifteen and seven make twenty-two. Twenty-two and six make twenty-eight. Twenty-six and five make thirty-one. Phew! Then that makes (link-reveal:"five-hundred-and-one million, six-hundred-twenty-two-thousand, seven-hundred-thirty-one. ")[= (css: "color: lightblue;")[Five hundred million what? Millions of what?] "Millions of those little objects, which one sometimes sees in the sky." Flies? 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." (link:"Does he own the stars? ") [Yes. All five-hundred-and-one million, six-hundred-twenty-two thousand, seven-hundred-thirty-one.] (link:"What does he do with them? ") [I administer them," explains the businessman. "I count them and recount them. It is difficult. But I am a man who is naturally interested in matters of consequence. Then I write the number of my stars on a little paper. And then I put this paper in adrawer and lock it with a key. That is enough!"] (link:"Are the thing you own of any use to you? Are you of any use to the things you own? ") [If not, than owning them is entertaining, it is rather poetic. But it is of no great consequence.] [[back->Travel]]

This planet is inhabited by an old gentleman who wrote voluminous books. He is (css: "color: brown;")[a geographer]. A geographer is a scholar who knows the location of all the seas, rivers, towns, mountains, and deserts.For him, you are (css: "color: brown;")[an explorer]. A planet is very beautiful. Has it any oceans? Has it any mountains? And towns, and rivers, and deserts? The geographer couldn't tell that. For he is a geographer, not an explorer, he haven't a single explorer on his planet. The geographer is much too important to go loafing about. (link:"He does not leave his desk. ") [= But he receives the explorers in his study. He asks them questions, and he notes down what they recall of their travels. And if the recollections of any one among them seem interesting to him, the geographer orders an inquiry [[into... ->Moral]]

It's easy: Wait until conditions are favorable! [[back->Asteroid325]]

A sheep is important: sheeps eat little bushes. Then it follows that they also eat baobabs. Wait, but baobabs are not little bushes, but, on the contrary, trees as big as castles; even a whole herd of elephants would not eat upone single baobab. This is true, but (link-reveal:"remember:") [= (text-colour:red)[before they grow so big, the baobabs start out by being little.] [[continue->Planet]]

On the planet (link-reveal:"where the little prince lived ") [known to grown-ups as an asteroid B-612] there were—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 (css: "color: red;")[rose-bush], one would let it grow wherever it might wish. But when it is a [[bad plant->BadPlant]], one must destroy it as soon as possible, the very first instant that one recognizes it.

On the little prince's planet the flowers had always been (link-reveal:"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 (link-reveal:"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->Emerge]] from it.

(link-reveal:"On an asteroid B-612 ") [(it's actully the planet where the little prince lived, whether to believe me ot not)] one can watch sunsets (link-reveal:"many times. ") [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 the tiny planet, 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 loves the sunset, when one is so sad...like the little prince ([[Why?->Love]]) [[I am not sad->Asteroid325]]

The little prince loved (link-reveal:"the flower. ")[ 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->Rose]] is there..." But if the sheep eats the flower, in one moment all his stars will be darkened...

The liitle prince's flower was a very complex creature... She began very quickly to torment him with her vanity—which was, if the truth be known, a little difficult to deal with. 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. He decided to run away from her. For his escape he took advantage of the migration of a flock of wild birds. [[No! He would never leave his flower!->Goodbuy]] [[I would do the same. He should not stay!->Goodbuy]] [[I wish I coud go somewhere too ->Travel]]

On the morning of his departure the little prince put his planet (link-reveal:"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. 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, he realized that he was very close to tears. (link-reveal:"Goodbye, he said to the flower. ") [But she made no answer. "Goodbye," he said again. "I have been silly," she said to him, at last. "I ask your forgiveness. Try to be happy... Of course I love you, 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..." Then she added: "Don't linger like this. You have decided to go away. [[Now go->Nearbuy]]!" For she did not want him to see her crying. She was such a proud flower...]

Would you like to go on a trip? It's the best way to learn! [[Asteroid 325->Asteroid325]] [[Asteroid 326->Asteroid326]] [[Asteroid 327->Asteroid327]] [[Asteroid 328->Asteroid328]] [[Asteroid 329->Asteroid329]] [[Asteroid B-612->Planet]] [[The little prince's jorney->Earth]]

The little prince found himself in the neighborhood of the asteroids 325, 326, 327, 328, and 329. He began,therefore, by visiting them, in order to add to his knowledge. You can visit them too, if you have not done this before. [[You can visit them too->Travel]] [[Need a planet with a good reputation to visit?->Earth]]

When the little prince arrived on the Earth, he was very much surprised not to see any people. He was beginning to be afraid he had come to the wrong planet, when (css: "color: yellow;")[a coil of gold], the color of the moonlight, flashed across the sand. "Good evening," said the little prince courteously."Good evening," said the snake. "What planet is this on which I have come down?" asked the little prince. "This is the Earth; this is Africa," the snake answered. "Ah! Then there are no people on the Earth?" "This is the desert. There are no people in the desert. The Earth is large," said the snake. The little prince sat down on a stone, and raised his eyes toward the sky. "I wonder," he said, "whether the stars are set alight in heaven so that one day each one of us may find his own again... Look at my planet. It is right there above us. But how far away it is!" "It is beautiful," the snake said. "What has brought you here?" "I have been having some trouble with a flower," said the little prince. "Ah!" said the snake. (link-reveal:"And they were both silent. ") [The little prince gazed at him for a long time. "You are a funny animal," he said at last. "You are no thicker than a finger... You haven't even any feet. You cannot even travel..." "I can carry you farther than any ship could take you," said the snake. He twined himself around the little prince's ankle, like a golden bracelet. "Whomever I touch, I send back to the earth from whence he came," the snake spoke again. "But you are innocent and true, and you come from a star..." "You move me to pity—you are so weak on this Earth made of granite," the snake said. "I can help you, some day, if you grow too homesick for your own planet. I can-" "Oh! I understand you very well," said the little prince. "But why do you always speak in riddles?" "I solve them all," said the snake. And they were both silent] [[continue->Garden]]

Eventually, after walking for a long time through sand, and rocks, and snow, the little prince at last came upon a road. And all roads lead to the abodes of men. He was standing before a garden, all a-bloom with (css: "color: red;")[roses]. The little prince gazed at them. They all looked like (link-reveal:"his flower. ") ["Who are you?" he demanded, thunderstruck. "We are roses," the roses said. And he was overcome with sadness. His flower had told him that she was the only one of her kind in all the universe. And here were five thousand of them, all alike, in one single garden! "I thought that I was rich, with a flower that was unique in all the world; and all I had was a common rose. A common rose, and three volcanoes that come up to my knees— and one of them perhaps extinct forever... That doesn't make me a very great prince..."] And he lay down in the grass and [[cried.->Fox]]

It was then that (css: "color: orange;")[the fox] appeared. "Good morning," said the fox. "Good morning," the little prince responded politely, although when he turned around he saw nothing. "I am right here," the voice said, "under the apple tree." "Who are you?" asked the little prince, and added, "You are very pretty to look at." "I am a fox," the fox said. "Come and play with me," proposed the little prince. "I am so unhappy." "I cannot play with you," the fox said. "I am not tamed." "Ah! Please excuse me," said the little prince. But, after some thought, he added: "What does that mean—[['tame'->Tame]]?"

"It is an act too often neglected," said the fox. (link:"It means to establish ties. ") [To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world..." "I am beginning to understand," said the little prince.] The fox gazed at the little prince, for a long time. "Please—tame me!" he said. "I want to, very much," the little prince replied. "But I have not much time. I have friends to discover, and a great many things to understand." "One only understands the things that one tames," said the fox. If you want a friend, tame me..." So the little prince tamed the fox. And when the hour of his departure drew near-"Ah," said the fox, "I shall cry." "It is your own fault," said the little prince. "I never wished you any sort of harm; but you wanted me to tame you..." "Yes, that is so," said the fox. "But now you are going to cry!" said the little prince. "Then it has done you no good at all!" "It has done me good," said the fox and then he added: "Go and look again at the roses. You will understand now that yours is unique in all the world. Then come back to say goodbye to me, and I will make you a present of a [[secret->Secret]]."

The little prince went away, to look again at (css: "color: red;")[the roses.] "You are not at all like my rose," he said. "As yet you are nothing. No one has tamed you, and you have tamed no one. You are like my fox when I first knew him. He was only a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But I have made him my friend, and now he is unique in all the world." And the roses were very much embarrassed. (css: "color: yellow;")["You are beautiful, but you are empty]," he went on. "One could not die for you. To be sure, an ordinary passerby would think that my rose looked just like you—the rose that belongs to me. But in herself alone she is more important than all the hundreds of you other roses." And he went back to meet the fox. "Goodbye," he said. "Goodbye," said the fox. "And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: "It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important. Men have forgotten this truth," said the fox. "But you must not forget it. (css: "color: red;")[You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed]. You are responsible for your rose...Remember [[forever->Forever]]

What is essential is invisible to the eye. It is only with (css: "color: red;")[the heart] that one can see [[rightly->Beauty]]

(link:"Do you now believe in the little prince? Are you tamed by him? ") [For tonight, it will be a year... his star, then, can be found right above the place where he came to the Earth, a year ago... He has to go.] Listen to his voice: "At night you will look up at the stars. Where I live everything is so small that I cannot show you where my star is to be found. It is better, like that. My star will just be one of the stars, for you. And so you will love to watch all the stars in the heavens . . . they will all be your friends. (link:"Think for a second. ")[(live:1s)[All men have the stars, but they are not the same things for different people. For some, who are travelers, the stars are guides. For others they are no more than little lights in the sky. For others, who are scholars, they are problems. For my businessman they were wealth. But all these stars are silent.(stop:)]] In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars were laughing, when you look at the sky at night... You-[[only you->End]]-will have stars that can laugh!

The stars are beautiful, because of a flower that cannot be seen. What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well... [[The eyes are blind->Departure]]. One must look with the heart...

Now there were some terrible seeds on the planet that was the home of the little prince; and these were the seeds of (link-reveal:"the baobab. ")[ 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...] 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 but very easy. Unfortunately, [[sheeps eat flowers too->Love]], even flowers that have thorns.

The End [[Start Again->Start]]

To admire means that you regard somebody as the handsomest, the best-dressed, the richest, and the most intelligent person on the planet. What if he is the only man on this planet? Do him this kindness. Admire him just the same! Do you want to be [[admired->Suggestion]]? [[back->Travel]]

Never hear anything but praise! Ignore everything else! This is what all conceited people do. [[back->Admire]]

... (link-reveal:"that explorer's moral character. ") [It's because an explorer who told lies would bring disaster on the books of the geographer.] Then, when the moral character of the explorer is shown to be good, an inquiry is ordered into his discovery. None goes to see it, that would be too complicated. But one requires the explorer to furnish proofs. For example, if the discovery in question is that of a large mountain, one requires that large stones be brought back from it. One should not compromize Geographies, for they are the books which, of all books, are most concerned with matters of consequence. They never become old-fashioned. It is very rarely that a mountain changes its position. It is very rarely that an ocean empties itself of its waters. Geographers write of eternal things. Geographers do not record flowers, for they are [[ephemeral ->Ephemeral]]. Yet, geographers can recommend you where to go next. For example, the planet [[Earth->Earth]] has a good reputation. The little prince, for example, followed-up.

'Ephemeral' means 'which is in danger of speedy disappearance'. Are ephemeral things matters of consequence for you? Is there anything elase that matters? [[back->Moral]]

But the flower was not satisfied to complete the preparations for her beauty in the shelter of her green chamber. She chose her colors with the greatest care. She dressed herself slowly. 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. And her mysterious adornment (link-reveal:"lasted for days and days. ") [Then one morning, exactly at sunrise, she suddenly showed herself. How beariful she was!] [[continue -> Character]]