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　alone；　a　thousand　miles　from　any　inhabited　region？　You　were　on　the　your　back　to　the　place　where　you　landed？〃　
The　little　prince　flushed　again。　

And　I　added；　with　some　hesitancy：
〃Perhaps　it　was　because　of　the　anniversary？〃　

The　little　prince　flushed　once　more。　He　never　answered　questions　but　when　one　flushes　does　that　not　mean　〃Yes〃？　
〃Ah；〃　I　said　to　him；　〃I　am　a　little　frightened〃　

But　he　interrupted　me。　
〃Now　you　must　work。　You　must　return　to　your　engine。　I　will　be　waiting　for　you　here。　e　back　tomorrow　evening。。。〃
But　I　was　not　reassured。　I　remembered　the　fox。　One　runs　the　risk　of　weeping　a　little；　if　one　lets　himself　be　tamed。。。
　
　
　
　
＇　Chapter　26　＇

　　the　little　prince　converses　with　the　snake；　the　little　prince　consoles　the　narrator；　the　little　prince　returns　to　his　pla


Beside　the　well　there　was　the　ruin　of　an　old　stone　wall。　When　I　came　back　from　my　work；　the　next　evening；　I　saw　from　some　distance　away　my　little　price　sitting　on　top　of　a　wall；　with　his　feet　dangling。　And　I　heard　him　say：　
〃Then　you　don‘t　remember。　This　is　not　the　exact　spot。〃　

Another　voice　must　have　answered　him；　for　he　replied　to　it：　
〃Yes；　yes！　It　is　the　right　day；　but　this　is　not　the　place。〃　

I　continued　my　walk　toward　the　wall。　At　no　time　did　I　see　or　hear　anyone。　The　little　prince；　however；　replied　once　again：　
〃Exactly。　You　will　see　where　my　track　begins；　in　the　sand。　You　have　nothing　to　do　but　wait　for　me　there。　I　shall　be　there　tonight。〃　
I　was　only　twenty　metres　from　the　wall；　and　I　still　saw　nothing。　
After　a　silence　the　little　prince　spoke　again：　
〃You　have　good　poison？　You　are　sure　that　it　will　not　make　me　suffer　too　long？〃　
I　stopped　in　my　tracks；　my　heart　torn　asunder；　but　still　I　did　not　understand。　
〃Now　go　away；〃　said　the　little　prince。　〃I　want　to　get　down　from　the　wall。〃

　
I　dropped　my　eyes；　then；　to　the　foot　of　the　wall　and　I　leaped　into　the　air。　There　before　me；　facing　the　little　prince；　was　one　of　those　yellow　snakes　that　take　just　thirty　seconds　to　bring　your　life　to　an　end。　Even　as　I　was　digging　into　my　pocked　to　get　out　my　revolver　I　made　a　running　step　back。　But；　at　the　noise　I　made；　the　snake　let　himself　flow　easily　across　the　sand　like　the　dying　spray　of　a　fountain；　and；　in　no　apparent　hurry；　disappeared；　with　a　light　metallic　sound；　among　the　stones。　

I　reached　the　wall　just　in　time　to　catch　my　little　man　in　my　arms；　his　face　was　white　as　snow。　
〃What　does　this　mean？〃　I　demanded。　〃Why　are　you　talking　with　snakes？〃　

I　had　loosened　the　golden　muffler　that　he　always　wore。　I　had　moistened　his　temples；　and　had　given　him　some　water　to　drink。　And　now　I　did　not　dare　ask　him　any　more　questions。　He　looked　at　me　very　gravely；　and　put　his　arms　around　my　neck。　I　felt　his　heart　beating　like　the　heart　of　a　dying　bird；　shot　with　someone‘s　rifle。。。　
〃I　am　glad　that　you　have　found　what　was　the　matter　with　your　engine；〃　he　said。　〃Now　you　can　go　back　home〃
〃How　do　you　know　about　that？〃　
I　was　just　ing　to　tell　him　that　my　work　had　been　successful；　beyond　anything　that　I　had　dared　to　hope。　He　made　no　answer　to　my　question；　but　he　added：　
〃I；　too；　am　going　back　home　today。。。〃　
Then；　sadly　
〃It　is　much　farther。。。　it　is　much　more　difficult。。。〃　

I　realised　clearly　that　something　extraordinary　was　happening。　I　was　holding　him　close　in　my　arms　as　if　he　were　a　little　child；　and　yet　it　seemed　to　me　that　he　was　rushing　headlong　toward　an　abyss　from　which　I　could　do　nothing　to　restrain　him。。。　

His　look　was　very　serious；　like　some　one　lost　far　away。　
〃I　have　your　sheep。　And　I　have　the　sheep‘s　box。　And　I　have　the　muzzle。。。〃　And　he　gave　me　a　sad　smile。　
I　waited　a　long　time。　I　could　see　that　he　was　reviving　little　by　little。　
〃Dear　little　man；〃　I　said　to　him；　〃you　are　afraid。。。〃　
He　was　afraid；　there　was　no　doubt　about　that。　But　he　laughed　lightly。
〃I　shall　be　much　more　afraid　this　evening。。。〃　
Once　again　I　felt　myself　frozen　by　the　sense　of　something　irreparable。　And　I　knew　that　I　could　not　bear　the　thought　of　never　hearing　that　laughter　any　more。　For　me；　it　was　like　a　spring　of　fresh　water　in　the　desert。　
〃Little　man；〃　I　said；　〃I　want　to　hear　you　laugh　again。〃　
But　he　said　to　me：　
〃Tonight；　it　will　be　a　year。。。　my　star；　then；　can　be　found　right　above　the　place　where　I　came　to　the　Earth；　a　year　ago。。。〃　
〃Little　man；〃　I　said；　〃tell　me　that　it　is　only　a　bad　dream　this　affair　of　the　snake；　and　the　meetingplace；　and　the　star。。。〃　
But　he　did　not　answer　my　plea。　He　said　to　me；　instead：　〃The　thing　that　is　important　is　the　thing　that　is　not　seen。。。〃　
〃Yes；　I　know。。。〃　
〃It　is　just　as　it　is　with　the　flower。　If　you　love　a　flower　that　lives　on　a　star；　it　is　sweet　to　look　at　the　sky　at　night。　All　the　stars　are　abloom　with　flowers。。。〃　
〃Yes；　I　know。。。〃　
〃It　is　just　as　it　is　with　the　water。　Because　of　the　pulley；　and　the　rope；　what　you　gave　me　to　drink　was　like　music。　You　remember　how　good　it　was。〃　
〃Yes；　I　know。。。〃　
〃And　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。　And；　besides；　I　am　going　to　make　you　a　present。。。〃　
He　laughed　again。　
〃Ah；　little　prince；　dear　little　prince！　I　love　to　hear　that　laughter！〃　
〃That　is　my　present。　Just　that。　It　will　be　as　it　was　when　we　drank　the　water。。。〃　
〃What　are　you　trying　to　say？〃　
〃All　men　have　the　stars；〃　he　answered；　〃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。　You　you　alone　will　have　the　stars　as　no　one　else　has　them〃　
〃What　are　you　trying　to　say？〃　
〃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　will　have　stars　that　can　laugh！〃　
And　he　laughed　again。
〃And　when　your　sorrow　is　forted　（time　soothes　all　sorrows）　you　will　be　content　that　you　have　known　me。　You　will　always　be　my　friend。　You　will　want　to　laugh　with　me。　And　you　will　sometimes　open　your　window；　so；　for　that　pleasure。。。　and　your　friends　w　ill　be　properly　astonished　to　see　you　laughing　as　you　look　up　at　the　sky！　Then　you　will　say　to　them；　‘Yes；　the　stars　always　make　me　laugh！‘　And　they　will　think　you　are　crazy。　It　will　be　a　very　shabby　trick　that　I　shall　have　played　on　you。。。〃　
And　he　laughed　again。　
〃It　will　be　as　if；　in　place　of　the　stars；　I　had　given　you　a　great　number　of　little　bells　that　knew　how　to　laugh。。。〃　
And　he　laughed　again。　Then　he　quickly　became　serious：　
〃Tonight　you　know。。。　do　not　e；〃　said　the　little　prince。　
〃I　shall　not　leave　you；〃　I　said。　
〃I　shall　look　as　if　I　were　suffering。　I　shall　look　a　little　as　if　I　were　dying。　It　is　like　that。　Do　not　e　to　see　that。　It　is　not　worth　the　trouble。。。〃　
〃I　shall　not　leave　you。〃　
But　he　was　worried。　
〃I　tell　you　it　is　also　because　of　the　snake。　He　must　not　bite　you。　Snakes　they　are　malicious　creatures。　This　one　might　bite　you　just　for　fun。。。〃　
〃I　shall　not　leave　you。〃　
But　a　thought　came　to　reassure　him：　
〃It　is　true　that　they　have　no　more　poison　for　a　second　bite。〃　

　That　night　I　did　not　see　him　set　out　on　his　way。　He　got　away　from　me　without　making　a　sound。　When　I　succeeded　in　catching　up　with　him　he　was　walking　along　with　a　quick　and　resolute　step。　He　said　to　me　merely：　
〃Ah！　You　are　there。。。〃　
And　he　took　me　by　the　hand。　But　he　was　still　worrying。　
〃It　was　wrong　of　you　to　e。　You　will　suffer。　I　shall　look　as　if　I　were　dead；　and　that　will　not　be　true。。。〃　
I　said　nothing。　
〃You　understand。。。　it　is　too　far。　I　cannot　carry　this　body　with　me。　It　is　too　heavy。〃　
I　said　nothing。　
〃But　it　will　be　like　an　old　abandoned　shell。　There　is　nothing　sad　about　old　shells。。。〃　
I　said　nothing。　
He　was　a　little　discouraged。　But　he　made　one　more　effort：
〃You　know；　it　will　be　very　nice。　I；　too；　shall　look　at　the　stars。　All　the　stars　will　be　wells　with　a　rusty　pulley。　All　the　stars　will　pour　out　fresh　water　for　me　to　drink