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〃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　grownups　are　certainly　very　odd；〃　he　said　to　himself；　as　he　continued　on　his　journey。

　
　
＇　Chapter　12　＇

　　the　little　prince　visits　the　tippler


The　next　pla　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　fet；〃　replied　the　tippler。　
〃Fet　what？〃　inquired　the　little　prince；　who　already　was　sorry　for　him。　

　
　

〃Fet　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　grownups　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　pla　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　twentytwo。　Twentytwo　and　six　make　twentyeight。　I　haven‘t　time　to　light　it　again。　Twentysix　and　five　make　thirtyone。　Phew！　Then　that　makes　fivehundredandonemillion；　sixhundredtwentytwothousand；　sevenhundredthirtyone。〃

〃Five　hundred　million　what？〃　asked　the　little　prince。　

〃Eh？　Are　you　still　there？　Fivehundredandone　million　I　can‘t　stop。。。　I　have　so　much　to　do！　I　am　concerned　use　myself　with　balderdash。　Two　and　five　make　seven。。。〃　

　
　

〃Fivehundredandone　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　fiftyfour　years　that　I　have　inhabited　this　pla；　I　have　been　disturbed　only　three　times。　The　first　time　was　twentytwo　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　hundredandone　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　fivehundred　millions　of　stars？〃
〃Fivehundredandone　million；　sixhundredtwentytwo　thousand；　sevenhundredthirtyone。　I　am　concerned　　accurate。〃　
〃And　what　do　you　do　with　these　stars？〃
〃What　do　I　do　with　them？〃　
〃Yes。〃　
〃Nothing。　I　own　them。〃　
〃You　own　the　stars？〃
〃Yes。〃　
〃But　I　have　already　seen　a　king　who〃　
〃Kings　do　not　own；　they　reign　over。　It　is　a　very　different　matter。〃　
〃And　what　good　does　it　do　you　to　own　the　stars？〃　
〃It　does　me　the　good　of　making　me　rich。〃
〃And　what　good　does　it　do　you　to　be　rich？〃　
〃It　makes　it　possible　for　me　to　buy　more　stars；　if　any　are　ever　discovered。〃　
〃This　man；〃　the　little　prince　said　to　himself；　〃reasons　a　little　like　my　poor　tippler。。。〃　
Nevertheless；　he　still　had　some　more　questions。　
〃How　is　it　possible　for　one　to　own　the　stars？〃　
〃To　whom　do　they　belong？〃　the　businessman　retorted；　peevishly。　
〃I　don‘t　know。　To　nobody。〃　
〃Then　they　belong　to　me；　because　I　was　the　first　person　to　think　of　it。〃　
〃Is　that　all　that　is　necessary？〃
〃Certainly。　When　you　find　a　diamond　that　belongs　to　nobody；　it　is　yours。　When　you　discover　an　island　that　belongs　to　nobody；　it　is　yours。　When　you　get　an　idea　before　any　one　else；　you　take　out　a　patent　on　it：　it　is　yours。　So　with　me：　I　own　the　stars；　because　nobody　else　before　me　ever　thought　of　owning　them。〃
〃Yes；　that　is　true；〃　said　the　little　prince。　〃And　what　do　you　do　with　them？〃　
〃I　administer　them；〃　replied　the　businessman。　〃I　count　them　and　recount　them。　It　is　difficult。　But　I　am　a　man　who　is　naturally　interested　in　matters　of　consequence。〃
The　little　prince　was　still　not　satisfied。　
〃If　I　owned　a　silk　scarf；〃　he　said；　〃I　could　put　it　around　my　neck　and　take　it　away　with　me。　If　I　owned　a　flower；　I　could　pluck　that　flower　and　take　it　away　with　me。　But　you　cannot　pluck　the　stars　from　heaven。。。〃　
〃No。　But　I　can　put　them　in　the　bank。〃　
〃Whatever　does　that　mean？〃　
〃That　means　that　I　write　the　number　of　my　stars　on　a　little　paper。　And　then　I　put　this　paper　in　a　drawer　and　lock　it　with　a　key。〃　
〃And　that　is　all？〃　
〃That　is　enough；〃　said　the　businessman。
〃It　is　entertaining；〃　thought　the　little　prince。　〃It　is　rather　poetic。　But　it　is　of　no　great　consequence。〃　

On　matters　of　consequence；　the　little　prince　had　ideas　which　were　very　different　from　those　of　the　grownups。　
〃I　myself　own　a　flower；〃　he　continued　his　conversation　with　the　businessman；　〃which　I　water　every　day。　I　own　three　volcanoes；　which　I　clean　out　every　week　（for　I　also　clean　out　the　one　that　is　extinct；　one　never　knows）。　It　is　of　some　use　to　my　volcanoes；　and　it　is　of　some　use　to　my　flower；　that　I　own　them。　But　you　are　of　no　use　to　the　stars。。。〃　
The　businessman　opened　his　mouth；　but　he　found　nothing　to　say　in　answer。　And　the　little　prince　went　away。　
〃The　grownups　are　certainly　altogether　extraordinary；〃　he　said　simply；　talking　to　himself　as　he　continued　on　his　journey。
　
　
　
　
　
＇　Chapter　14　＇

　　the　little　prince　visits　the　lamplighter


The　fifth　pla　was　very　strange。　It　was　the　smallest　of　all。　There　was　just　enough　room　on　it　for　a　street　lamp　and　a　lamplighter。　The　little　prince　was　not　able　to　reach　any　explanation　of　the　use　of　a　street　lamp　and　a　lamplighter；　somewhere　in　the　heavens；　on　a　pla　which　had　no　people；　and　not　one　house。　But　he　said　to　himself；　nevertheless：　

〃It　may　well　be　that　this　man　is　absurd。　But　he　is　not　so　absurd　as　the　king；　the　conceited　man；　the　businessman；　and　the　tippler。　For　at　least　his　work　has　some　meaning。　When　he　lights　his　street　lamp；　it　is　as　if　he　brought　one　more　star　to　life；　or　one　flower。　When　he　puts　out　his　lamp；　he　sends　the　flower；　or　the　star；　to　sleep。　That　is　a　beautiful　occupation。　And　since　it　is　beautiful；　it　is　truly　useful。〃　

　
　

When　he　arrived　on　the　pla　he　respectfully　saluted　the　lamplighter。　
〃Good　morning。　Why　have　you　just　put　out　your　lamp？〃　
〃Those　are　the　orders；〃　replied　the　lamplighter。　〃Good　morning。〃
〃What　are　the　orders？〃　
〃The　orders　are　that　I　put　out　my　lamp。　Good　evening。〃　
And　he　lighted　his　lamp　again。　
〃But　why　have　you　just　lighted　it　again？〃　
〃Those　are　the　orders；〃　replied　the　lamplighter。　
〃I　do　not　understand；〃　said　the　little　prince。　
〃There　is　nothing　to　understand；〃　said　the　lamplighter。　〃Orders　are　orders。　Good　morning。〃　
And　he　put　out　his　lamp。　
Then　he　mopped　his　forehead　with　a　handkerchief　decorated　with　red　squares。　

〃I　follow　a　terrible　profession。　In　the　old　days　it　was　reasonable。　I　put　the　lamp　out　in　the　morning；　and　in　the　evening　I　lighted　it　again。　I　had　the　rest　of　the　day　for　relaxation　and　the　rest　of　the　night　for　sleep。〃　
〃And　the　orders　have　been　changed　since　that　time？〃　
〃The　orders　have　not　been　changed；〃　said　the　lamplighter。　〃That　is　the　tragedy！　From　year　to　year　the　pla　has　turned　more　rapidly　and　the　orders　have　not　been　changed！〃　
〃Then　what？〃　asked　the　little　prince。　
〃Then　the　pla　now　makes　a　plete　tur