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〃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；　e　from　the　sky！　Which　is　your　pla？〃　
At　that　moment　I　caught　a　gleam　of　light　in　the　imperable　mystery　of　his　presence；　and　I　demanded；　abruptly：　〃Do　you　e　from　another　pla？〃　
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　e　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　halfconfidence　about　the　〃other　plas。〃　I　made　a　great　effort；　therefore；　to　find　out　more　on　this　subject。
〃My　little　man；　where　do　you　e　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　pla　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　plas　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　pla　from　which　the　little　prince　came　is　the　asteroid　known　as　B612。　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。
Grownups　are　like　that。。。　

　
　

Fortunately；　however；　for　the　reputation　of　Asteroid　B612；　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　grownups　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　grownups：　〃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　pla　he　came　from　is　Asteroid　B612；〃　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　grownup　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　fairytales。　I　should　have　like　to　say：　〃Once　upon　a　time　there　was　a　little　prince　who　lived　on　a　pla　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　fet　him。　To　fet　a　friend　is　sad。　Not　every　one　has　had　a　friend。　And　if　I　fet　him；　I　may　bee　like　the　grownups　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　fairtomiddling。　

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　grownups。　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　pla；　his　departure　from　it；　his　journey。　The　information　would　e　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　ment：　
〃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；　e；　e！〃；　as　if　he　were　speaking　of　something　that　was　selfevident。　And　I　was　obliged　to　make