"One day, when I was 6 years old," "I saw a magnificent picture in a nature book about the primeval forest." "It was a picture of a boa constrictor swallowing an animal." "I'm trying to make a sketch of it to show you." "Under this splendid picture, it said;" ""Boa constrictors swallow their prey whole, without chewing it."" "There." ""And then remain stationary for six months digesting it."" "I pondered that deeply." "And after some work, I succeeded in making my first drawing." "I called it Drawing Number One." "I showed my masterpiece to the grownups." "I asked them if it frightened them." "Frighten us?" "Why should we be frightened of a hat?" "A hat?" "It was a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant." "Obviously." "Since the grownups were not able to understand it, I made another, showing the elephant inside the boa constrictor, so they could see it clearly." "My Drawing Number Two." "This time, I was told to stop wasting my time drawing boa constrictors, whether from the inside or the outside, and attend to my studies, which I did." "And that is why, at the age of 6," "I gave up what might have been a magnificent career as a painter." "As I grew up, whenever I'd meet one who seemed to be at all clear-sighted, in order to find out if he was really a person of true understanding," "I would show him my first drawing." "But whoever it was would say;" "It's a hat, it's a hat It's a sort of a kind of hat" "Painted poorly But it surely is a hat" "It's a hat, it's a hat There's no doubt of it, it's a hat" "Top of Papa Is its proper habitat" "My, oh, my, look at that Why, this dummy has drawn a hat" "It's a hat, it's a hat If it's anything, it's a hat" "Why, it's nothing but a common Himalayan mountain hat" "A hat that looks like down upon Which someone must've sat" "Not Picasso or Corot But a very nice chapeau" "Are you kidding?" "It's a hat, you silly brat" "Every grownup was the same Uniformly, they'd exclaim" "It's a hat, it's a hat, it's a hat" "I could see it wasrt won'th Spending time with them on earth" "There were fewer in the sky I decided I would fly" " It's a hat" " It's a hat" " It's a hat" " It's a hat" "It's a hat, it's a hat, it's a hat" "I need air" "Where only stars get in my hair" "And only eagles stop and stare" "I need air" "All the world is mad And I have had my share" "I need air" "I need air" "I need air" "One hour of mortal wear and tear" "Gives my morale moral-de-mer" "Any corner lot That heavers got to spare" "I need air" "I need air" "There's not a sign of life down there" "Just hats and grownups everywhere" "I need air" "Lots of cozy sky That God and I can share" "I need air" "I need air" "Over the years, I came to know many grownups, and my opinion of them never improved." "In time, I stopped showing my drawing and never again mentioned boa constrictors, elephants or stars." "Instead, I would talk about golf, money, politics and neckties." "And everyone was pleased to have met such a sensible man." "So I lived my life alone, without anyone I could really talk to, until a short time ago." "I was testing a new plane, racing it against the clock from Paris to India." "Paris calling flight F-BDXY." "Paris calling flight F-BDXY." "Come in, please, over." "F-BDXY to Paris." "Ground speed: 1 -9-0." "Running ten minutes behind schedule." "Strong headwinds." "Trouble!" " Losing altitude!" " Paris calling flight F-BDXY." "Detail location." "Repeat, detail location." "Detail location." "Repeat, detail location." "Paris calling flight F-BDXY." "Are you there, F-BDXY?" "Where are you?" "If you please, draw me a sheep." "Will you?" " Will I what?" " Will you draw me a sheep?" "Who are...?" "Where did you...?" "How did you...?" "How did you get here?" " What are you doing here?" " Waiting for you to draw me a sheep." "No, no." "Listen to me." " Where did you come from?" " Will you draw me a sheep?" "Don't you know any other words?" "Is that all you can say?" "No." "Will you draw me a sheep?" "When a mystery is too overpowering, one doesn't dare disobey." "A thousand miles from civilization and death at my heels," "I picked up a pad and pencil and began to draw." "Look, I..." "I don't know how to draw." " That doesn't matter." " And I certainly can't draw a sheep." "I've only drawn one thing in my whole life." "Here." "Oh, no." "I don't want an elephant inside a boa constrictor." "A boa constrictor is very dangerous, and an elephant is very cumbersome." "Where I live, everything is very small." "What I need is a sheep." "Do you live in a small town?" "On a small island?" "Where is it very small?" "What sort of object is that?" " What?" " That." "It's called an aeroplane." "It flies." "I was flying in it, but it broke down." "Then you must have dropped from the sky." "That's right." "You too." "How funny." "If you don't mind, I prefer having my misfortunes taken seriously." " What do you mean, "you too"?" " That's a very sick-Iooking sheep." "Is that how you got here?" "In a plane that crashed?" "Could you make another?" " Why?" " Because that one doesn't look well." "This is not the way two strangers get to know each other on the average desert." "This is the way." "Ask me a question." " Where do you come from?" " Good." "To which I reply, "I come from Paris."" "Now I'll ask you a question." " Where do you come from?" " Is Paris on this planet?" "Of course it's on this planet." "I'm sorry, it won't do." " Why not?" " See for yourself." "That's not a sheep." "It's a ram." "It has horns." "Do you think this is all I have to do?" "I have this engine to take apart and fix before my water runs out." "I have no time to draw for a little boy dressed in a coat, carrying a sword, who appears from nowhere in the middle of the Sahara." "There, and that's the last." "There's no horns." "No." "It's not sick." "No." " Well, then?" " It's old." "I'm sorry." "It's only his box." "The sheep you asked for is inside." "That's perfect, exactly the way I wanted it." "It is?" "Good." "Do you think this sheep will need a lot of grass?" " Why?" " I told you." "Where I come from, everything is very small." "Don't worry." "It's a very small sheep." "This sheep isn't so small." "Alas, I couldn't argue with him." "I'd grown too old to see sheep through the walls of boxes." "Is Paris on this planet?" "Of course it is." "Did you forget?" "No, I didn't forget." "But why did you ask?" " Arert you from this planet?" " The thing that's so good about this box is, at night, he can use it as his house." " He's just going to sleep." " Oh, sorry." " Good morning." " Good morning." "Where in God's name could you have come from?" " Do you know what asteroids are?" " What whats are?" " Asteroids." " No." "They're very, very small planets." "The smallest, Asteroid B-61 2, was discovered by a Turkish astronomer in 1 909." "I think you may live on Asteroid B-61 2." "What do you think?" "I think you may live on Asteroid B-61 2." "What do you think?" "What do you think?" "Does that mean they also eat baobab bushes?" " Who?" " The sheep." "Do they also eat flowers?" " Do they?" " Just hold it a minute, will you?" " Do they also eat flowers?" " What?" "Oh, yes, they do." "Except the flowers that have thorns, of course." "No, they even eat the flowers that have thorns." "But the thorns protect them, don't they?" "Maybe from being picked, but not from being eaten." "Then what's the good of having them?" " Having what?" " Thorns." "I don't know." "Spite, I suppose." "Flowers have thorns just for spite." "I don't believe you." "Flowers are weak and helpless, and they know it." "How could they face the world if they didn't believe they were protected?" " What I'm doing here is important." " Important?" "Flowers have been growing thorns for millions of years." "And for millions of years, sheep have been eating them just the same." "Eating them." "And you think that's not important?" " Of course it is." " I know one flower that's unique in all the world." "It grows nowhere but on my planet." "But some morning, a sheep can come along and destroy it with one single bite." "And you think that's not important?" " I suppose so." " What you don't understand is, that if someone loves one flower that grows on one star among all the millions and millions of stars in the sky, it's enough to make him happy to look at the stars." "He can say to himself, "Somewhere my flower's up there."" "But if a sheep eats the flower, in one moment, all the stars will go dark." "And you think that's not important?" "It's not a matter of consequence to you, is it?" "Wait!" "Wait!" "Come back!" "I most humbly apologize." "I was behaving like a grownup." "Your flower is very important." "I swear it." "Come back!" "Please!" "Please come back!" "Where did you go?" "Where did you go?" "Little man, don't you know" "That I'm on your side?" "Why did you go?" "Why did you go?" "Little man, let me show you" "I'm on your side" "This world" "Is an ocean without any shore When you're on your own" "Dawn is the end of the rope When you're all alone" "I've been, I've seen I've known it" "Where can you be?" "Where can you be?" "Hurry back, and you'll see" "That I'm on your side" "Where did you run?" "Why did you run From the one, only one" "Who is on your side?" "Everybody needs a friend" "Come make use of me" "God gave people hands to lend" "Mine are free" "So why stay away?" "Come what may" "I'm on" "Your side" "I missed him." "I wished I'd discovered more about him." "But he'd gone and taken his mystery with him." "Unaccustomed as I am to drawing anything but boa constrictors and elephants," "I decided to make a portrait of him so that I wouldn't forget him." "After all, he was a friend." "And not everyone has a friend." "Least of all me." "I'm hungry." "I have your supper right here." "I waited as long as I could." "I'd advise saving some of that till tomorrow." "That is, of course, unless you're very hungry." "Is this all you have?" "Well, at the moment, yes." "This will be quite enough, thank you." "Needless to say, that problem you outlined, concerning the flower you know." "The one on the star, and your sheep..." "In fact, all flowers and all sheep, that's..." "That's extremely important." "In fact, I can't think of anything that's more important." "Well, I've been giving it a great deal of thought, and I..." "I think I've come up with a solution that will remove your flower from any possibility of danger." "Now, this is my plan." "But this is subject to your approval, of course." "One, to draw a muzzle for your sheep." "Two..." "If you can describe your planet to me in sufficient detail for me to make a drawing of it," "I'll put up a big, strong fence all around your flower." "Would you really do that?" "Smaller." "Smaller." "I have three volcanoes." " How big are they?" " Very big." " Compared to you?" " Knee-high." "I have to clean them out every day." " All by yourself?" " There's no one else." "There are three baobab bushes." "You don't have to draw them." "They don't come up for a while." " Where's your house?" " On the other side." "You don't have to draw that either." "And my flower lives on this side here." "When she first came through the ground," "I was afraid she was going to be a baobab, but then she blossomed." "One bright, yellow morning, she blossomed." " Good morning." " Stop." "What is it?" " Give me a moment to wake up." " I'm sorry." "How beautiful you are." "Yes, I know." "I was born at the same moment as the sun." " Did you know that?" " No." " Did you know you were quite selfish?" " Selfish?" "Instead of thinking of my needs, you're standing there doing what you want to do, which is stare at me." " What is it you need?" " Water." " Water?" " I realize this is a small," " unequipped little planet." " I'll get it for you right away." "I brought her some water." "I brought it every day." "I did everything I could for her." "It's cooler when the sun goes down." "Do you have a glass bowl to put over me?" "That will only make you weaker." "The night air is good for you." "I'm cold!" "I'm cold!" "You promised me a glass bowl." "It's not cold." " Do you love me?" " Yes, I love you very much." "You've made my planet beautiful." "I don't believe it." "If you loved me, you'd know how cold I am." "I promise you, the nights aren't long." "You'll soon get used to it." " Do you love me?" " I'll get the bowl." "I couldn't understand it, and I couldn't understand her." "I loved her, but I was so unappy." "I began to realize I didn't really understand anything." "So I decided to leave my planet and go out into the universe and try to learn something." "I was wrong to leave her." "But at the time, I didn't even understand that." "I was too young." "One morning, I cleaned out my volcanoes, took one last look for baobabs and put my planet in order." "Good morning." " You're all dressed up." " Yes." " You look very handsome." " Thank you." " You're going away, aren't you?" " Yes." " For a long time?" " Perhaps." "I see." "It's my fault you're going, isn't it?" "I've been very foolish, haven't I?" "I wonder who will call on me when you're not here." "There are those two caterpillars, of course." "I don't like them, but one has to put up with them if one wants to meet butterflies." "For anything else, I have my thorns." "Well if you're going... : : : go:" " Goodbye." " Be happy, be happy, be happy" "Forget that I have no one And nowhere to go" "Be happy, be happy, be happy" "Don't think of me in winter All covered with snow" "Be happy, be happy" "Forget that I'll be crying still" "And never" "Will be happy" "Be happy" "Without you" "Stop!" " Where are your papers?" " What papers?" "You can't cross the border without papers." " What border?" " That border there." " You need a visa." "Do you have one?" " No." "Then you can't cross it." "Those are the rules." "Stop!" "You almost backed into another country." "What are you?" "A smuggler?" "A refugee?" "An idealist?" " Speak up." "What are you?" " I'm ignorant." "Well, you might outgrow it." "Now, look..." "My country is too small for both of us, but I have a colonial possession 1 foot to your left." "If your papers are in order, you can settle down there." "Your Majesty, it's such a small planet." "Why do you need borders?" "Why do we need borders?" "Yes." "Why do you need borders?" "You told me to ask questions." "But any child understands why we need borders." " I don't." " Well, of course you don't understand." "You're a child." "How do you expect You can understand" "International things and stuff?" "Scissoring the earth Carving up the land" "Is the business of kings and stuff" "Continentally, you are mentally A silly-billy boy of 2" "How absurd, it's uneard-of You can never think as grownups do" "Why, you Why, you" "Oh, you're a child You're a child" "You're a twerp And that's putting it mild" "You're a speck You're a fleck" "And it's just too tough Pounding grown-up stuff" "In the bean of a green little child" " Try." " What?" "Explain it to me." "I want to learn." "Well..." "Why do borderlines exist?" "Well, first and foremost on the list" "If all the borders were destroyed Tomorrow, I'd be unemployed" "And what would statesmen do for fun If all at once the world was one?" "And one could wander Where he pleases" "Flashing smiles instead of visas" "Why, it could" "It might" "It would" "Oh, go away and grow Come again when you're" "Not a mini-brained punk like this" "You are really too undeveloped For philosophical junk like this" "Too adult is it?" "Difficult is it?" "To get your teeth into?" "Too bewildering for the children And that, of course, means you" "Means you Means you" "You're a child You're a child" "And the kind that can Drive grownups wild" "You're a wee little pea" "Any thought profound That I might expound" "Wort fit into a pineaded child" "Is that clear?" "Now, where are your papers?" " I don't have any." " You can't stay without papers." "Then I'll leave." "Just as well." "You're dangerous." "Where's your passport?" " I don't have a passport." " Then you can't leave." "Come back here!" "Get off this planet!" "Come back here!" "Get off this planet!" "Four hundred million and 997,000 plus six, equals 400,997,006!" "Good day, sir." "Good day." "Five hundred million and ten!" "Five hundred million and ten." "Plus one." "Five hundred million and 32!" "Five hundred million, 32 what?" "Five hundred million and 32 plus three." "Those things." "Five hundred million and 35." " Stars?" " That's it." "Stars." "Five hundred million, 44." " Plus..." " Why are you counting the stars?" "Five hundred million..." "I own them, and I want to see how much I have." "But what good does it do you to own the stars?" " It does me the good of making me rich." " What good is it to be rich?" "Because..." "I don't know." "But how can you own the stars?" "When you find a diamond that doesn't belong to anyone, it's yours." "If you get an idea before anyone else, it's yours." "So I got the idea of owning the stars." "You want to stay here?" "Fine." "You can help me count." "But if I owned a flower, I could do something for it." "What can you do for the stars?" "You wouldn't understand." "You're a child." "Gimme, how can you Gimme, understand" "Gimme, gimme, Financial stuff?" "Gimme, your supply Gimme, my demand" "Mentally is gigantial stuff" "Gimme oodles of Gimme boodles of" "I don't care what But give me more" "You're too poor and immature to know What there are gimme-gimmes for" "Why, you're Why, you're" "You're a child" "You're a child" "You're too darling and dopey and mild" "You're a nit" "Half a wit" "Speaking wisdom-wise Private enterprise" "Is too big For a twig of a child" "Oh, stocks and bonds!" "I've lost me place!" "Now I shall have to start all over again." "Here, add up these figures." "Good afternoon, sir." "I'm searching for knowledge." "Oh, good." "You've come to the right place." "It's been said that I am the greatest historian in history." "That's wonderful, sir." "Who said it?" "I said it." "I wrote it." "I read it." "It's printed." "Consequently, it's fact." "It's history." "And now that you're here," "I shall put you down." "In history, I mean." " Where did you come from?" " From another planet, sir." " What was it called?" " I don't know, sir." "Oh, good, I'll give it a name." "I like making things up." "That's my job, making things up." "I'm an historian." "Let me see." "Planet..." "Alice!" "Do you like that?" "Oh, no, sir." "The planet Alice?" "I don't like it at all." "No wonder you left it." "Here." "Read my latest, an official version of the French Revolution." "The other ones are now totally inoperative." "Is that the truth, sir?" " What?" " The truth." "How do you spell it?" "Never mind, sir." "I don't think I'd better stay." "Right." "Wipe!" "Left." "Left." "Left." "Shoulders back." "Left." "Left." "Left." "Left." "Left." "On your feet, boy." "On your feet." "Where's your arm, boy?" "Where?" " My arm?" " The colors." "The colors." "The flag." "Sir, I don't see anyone." "How could you?" "There's no one there, silly ass." "Get those shoulders back." "Back." "Back!" "Not that much." "Watch it." "Stand easy." "Welcome to the base." "State your business." "I'm trying to learn about life, sir." " Learn about what?" " Life." "Life?" "Oh, life." "That." "Yes, of course." "Company, double-quick march!" "Left, right." "Left, right." "Left, right." "You want to know what life is about?" "Dying!" "That's what it's all about." "Die like a hero, boy." "That's the way to live." "Company, halt!" "Boy, this is your lucky day." "We just happen to have an opening." "There's not a blankety-blank soldier in the whole army." "Just a general, me." "I can outthink the enemy but just can't fight them." "Enemy?" "What enemy?" "There isn't any, dunce!" "You've got to have your army first." "Then you find your enemy." "Company, on your stomachs!" "Crawl!" "Join up, lad." "The army needs you, your country needs you, and most of all, I need you." "Every young man wants to be a soldier." "Speak up, boy." "Any questions?" "Which way is the next planet?" "The next planet?" "Oh, the next planet." "It is called..." "You know, it's that round thing." "It's called..." "Dirt." "No." "Mud." "No." "Earth!" "That's it, Earth." "Bring up the cannon!" " Company, on your..." " Which way is it?" " Which way is what?" " Earth." "Earth?" "Oh, Earth." "That way." "Crawl, men!" "Shoulders back!" "Shoulders down!" "What about it, boy...?" "Come back!" "Who said that?" "Who are you?" "Be my friend." "I'm alone." ""What a queer planet," I thought." "Everyone says the same thing." "Just about." "That was just one year ago, and all I've learned since I left her is that I should never have left her." "All of those little games of hers," "I didn't see all of the affection that was underneath." "One should never listen to flowers, should one?" "I wouldn't know." "My experience is limited." "Oh, I have met a Daisy" "But where we met is hazy" "And I have walked the streets With Marguerites" "And clinging vines beside me" "Oh, I've met a lot of those" "But I never met a Rose" "There's often been a Heather" "An armful altogether" "And I have even met A Violet" "Who almost satisfied me" "Yes, I've met every kind that grows" "But I never met a Rose" "Among the Dahlias" "I often daily" "I left a Lily in the valley" "But now and then, I ponder" "And wonder as I wander" "Among the fields and shrub" "Perhaps the trouble is..." "Who knows?" "That I never met a Rose" "Never, never met a Rose" "Perhaps you werert really looking for one." "Perhaps." "While roaming through the clover" "Could I have passed her over?" "When all is said and done Am I the one to blame?" "Who knows?" "That I never met a Rose" "Never, never met a Rose" "Good morning." "Good morning." "Are you feeling all right?" "Why don't you rest for a little while." "I can't." "We've run out of water." "Unless I can get this thing off the ground..." "But I will." "Don't worry, I will." " I'm not worried." " Good." "We'll get some water from the well." "Well?" "What well?" " Out there." " What?" " Did you see an oasis?" " No, but there must be one out there." "No." "We could get lost and never find water and never make it back to the plane." "No, I'd rather bet on the motor." "At least we know it can work." " Where are you going?" " To the well." "I said we were staying here." "This way." "Why not this way?" "Or that way or that way?" "This way." "Coming?" "This is suicide, don't you understand?" "Suicide." "Then maybe I won't have to find my friend The Snake." " What are you saying?" " It doesn't matter." "It does matter." "What snake?" "I'll tell you about him later." " Tell me now." " You can't draw while you're walking." "The stars are beautiful because of a flower I can't see." "Why is the desert So lovely to see?" "Why is the desert So lovely to see?" "There is a reason Lovely to tell" "Because the desert Is hiding a well" "What makes the desert So lovely at night?" "What makes the desert So lovely at night?" "Millions of reasons" "Tell me just one" "At night, the desert Is hiding the sun" "Look!" "Look!" "It's water." "Why am I happy?" "We're dying of thirst" "Why am I happy?" "We're dying of thirst" " Why are you happy?" " Why do you think?" "Because there's plenty Of water to drink" "Why was the desert So lovely before?" "Why was it lovely But not anymore?" "Water was hiding" "No one could see" "But now the water" "Is hiding in me" " You mustrt forget your promise." " What promise?" "You know, a muzzle for my sheep." "I won't forget." "But first, I want to hear more about that snake." " Now?" " Now." "Very well, then." "I met him in a tree at the edge of the desert, not far from here." "There are some hills here." "He was the first real person I met when I landed here." "And until I met someone else," "I thought everyone on Earth was a snake." "I arrived on the other side of the tree." "Good afternoon." "Good afternoon." "You're talking to the wrong end." "You're a funny animal." "You're nothing but a tail." "Where's the rest?" " I'm not an animal." " What are you?" "What am I?" "I'm a snake." " I'm enchanted." " Well, you should be." "You're all cold and slimy." "Thank you." "It runs in the family." "Could you tell me what I've landed on?" "Yes." "This sunny section of the solar system is called the Sahara." "The name of this planet is Sahara?" "No, no, no, no." "This simmering spot of singing sand is called the Sahara." "The whole silly, stupid, smelly sphere is called the Earth." "Oh, good." "I thought I'd come to the wrong place." "Oh, you have." "Listen." "You look like a nice fellow." "Why don't you take off your sword and stay a while." "You seem like a smart, sensible sort." "Why did you swing down to this sorry, sleazy swamp?" " I'm trying to learn something." " I see." "Well, sir, this speck in space is a scholastic sewer." "All that you can learn here is sorrow." "Sorrow." "If I were you, I'd scram." "I can't, my flock of birds have flown away." " So?" " They brought me here." "I see." "Listen, you are so lucky that you met me." "Why am I lucky?" "Well, you see, if someday, any day, you want to see your own small, sparkling star again," "I may have a solution." "You see, I have this special... sting." "It's almost painless, and it can send you scooting out of this sad slum and sailing into the sweet, sunny, splendiferous sky." "Really?" "If you would like to cure the fever Called life" "Get some relief from all the struggle And strife" "The grandest medicine That I can propose" "Is under your nose" "A snake in the grass" "If you would like a spot Where life never goes" "Where you can leave your body Home in your clothes" "The finest travel agent You'll ever meet" "Is right at your feet" "A snake in the grass" "One sting" "And you can say goodbye To all of your friends" "One sting" "And you'll be singing As your spirit ascends" "All's well that ends" "So any day or night Wherever you are" "If you would like to take A trip to a star" "The quickest transportation Yet known to Man" "Is none other than" "A snake in the grass" "A snake in the grass" "A snake in the grass" "If you would like to leave That inuman race" "And take up residence Out yonder, in space" "When you are ready To go traveling on" "Sit right down upon" "A snake in the grass" "One sting" "Is quite enough to make you Happy and free" "One sting" "And you'll discover How relaxed you can be" "Posthumously" "And while you're wandering through The heavenly blue" "If you should see the Lord come Strolling in view" "Go up and say you bring him Best wishes from his fallen old chum" "A snake in the grass" "A snake in the grass" "A snake in the grass" "One sting." "It's almost painless." "A snake in the grass" "A snake in the grass" "A snake in the grass" "I'll be waiting." "Wait a minute." "Just a moment." "Are you looking for that snake in order to do away with yourself?" "I can't get back to my planet any other way." "It's too far, and my birds have disappeared." "Well, of all the..." "You..." "Now, you listen to me." "That snake's poisoned you against the Earth." " It's not what The Snake said." " He's hated us since the world began." " It's what The Fox said." " I'll tell you right now, you're not going to allow yourself to be poisoned." "Is that clear?" " What fox?" " The fox I met after I met The Snake." "I see." "You certainly got yourself mixed up with a strange crowd." "All right, let's have it." " Where did you meet The Fox?" " In a garden of roses." "How many roses in the garden, 50, 100, 500?" "I don't know how many roses, but if it's too difficult to draw..." "No." "No." "Not at all." "Let's get every detail of this whole sordid nonsense out in the open." "When she finds out there are millions of flowers that look just like her, it will break her heart." "Good morning." "I thought I was rich." "I thought I had the most unique flower in all the world." "But all I had was a common rose." "A common rose and three volcanoes that came up to my knees." "And one of them was extinct at that." "That doesn't make me a very great prince, does it?" "Good morning." "Good morning." "You're a prince?" "Yes." "I'm a fox." "I'm sad." "Would you play with me?" " No." " Why not?" "It'll be fun." "Where are the others?" " What others?" " The other hunters." "There's no one here but me." "Please play with me." "I won't harm you." " Then why do you have a gun?" " I don't have a gun." " You must." "You're a human being." " I'm from another planet." " Arert there guns on your planet?" " No." "Really?" " Are there hunters on your planet?" " No." " Any chickens?" " No." " Oh, well, nothing's perfect." " Let's play hide-and-seek." "I can't play with you." " I'm not tamed." " What do you mean, "tamed"?" "Can't you stay put?" "I'm getting dizzy." "Sorry." "I just don't wish to become extinct." "Do you mean, if I move, you will disappear again?" " Of course." " Why?" "You're a human." "I'm a fox." "I hunt chickens, you hunt foxes." " But I don't." " You're a human, and you also lie." "But I don't lie." "Then you're inuman." "To be tamed..." "Let me know before you move." "See if this clears it up." "Underneath the prince, you're a little boy." "Just like a million other little boys." "I'm a fox." "Just like a million other foxes." "But if you tame me I won't be like all the other foxes, and you won't be like the little boys." "I'll be unique to you, and you to me." " You understand?" " Sort of." " Where are you?" " You moved." "I'm sorry, it won't happen again." "I have a very monotonous life." "I hunt chickens." "Men hunt me." "They come, I hide." "They leave, I come out." "That's all." "But if you tamed me, everything would be different." " Even the wheat fields." " The wheat fields?" "Of course." "I don't like bread, so I don't care about wheat." "Wheat is the color of gold." "Like your hair." "So if you tamed me, I'd start to care about wheat" "Like your hair." "So if you tamed me, I'd start to care about wheat because it would remind me of you." "I'm going to sit down." "What would I have to do?" "Well, every day, you would come and sit where you're sitting now." "You'd always come at the same time." "At, let's say, 4 in the afternoon." "I could start to get excited about..." "Oh, about 3:00." "If you came at any old time, I couldn't get keyed up." "But what would I do at 4:00?" " Nothing." " Nothing?" "Of course not." "If you did, I'd get frightened and I wouldn't come out." "It's like this." "At first, I'll hide behind the trees." "Trembling as I do in winter." "In time" "I'll start to feel at ease" "Show my face" "And we'll" " Beginter - "Beginter"?" "Get closer." "And closer." "And closer." "We'll go a glance at a time" "A small advance at a time" "We'll be afraid a bit And shy a bit" "Avoid each other's eye a bit" "Less often each day The ice will soften each day" "As we get closer And closer and closer" "We'll go a blush at a time A happy flush at a time" "Begin to laugh a bit And stare a bit" "And walk around on air a bit As gaily we grow" "As night and daily we grow" "A little closer And closer and closer" "And then one day" "There'll come a day" "A Christmas Eve Midsummer Day" "A moment when Right there and then" "We're gonna touch" "Then we'll jump miles at a time A million smiles at a time" "Begin to love a lot And live a lot" "And give and give and give a lot" "Away we will go And every day we will grow" "A little closer and closer" "And closer and closer And closer and closer" "And closer and closer All the time" "And then one day" "There will come a day" "A Christmas Eve" "Midsummer Day" "A moment when" "Right there and then" "We're gonna touch" "Begin to laugh a bit and stare a bit And walk around on air a bit" "As gaily we grow As night and daily we grow" "A little closer and closer And closer" "Away we will go And every day we will grow" " A little closer" " And closer" " And closer" " And closer" "And closer and closer" "And closer and closer All the time" "After I tamed him, we stayed together for quite a while." "But then one day, I had to say goodbye." "I think I'm going to cry." "I didn't want to make you unappy, but you asked me to tame you." " I know." " Then I haven't done you much good." " It's all been a waste of time." " No." "Because you wasted so much time on me you made me feel very important." "But now I feel sort of responsible for you." "I should have warned you that would happen." "You always feel responsible for what you've tamed." "The moment he said that, I understood everything." "He wasrt like all the other foxes in the world anymore." "I tamed him, and now he was unique, at least to me." "And my flower wasrt like all those other flowers, because I had fetched her a screen and put a glass bowl over her at night and listened when she grumbled, and now she was my rose." "And I was responsible for her, and I had to go back and take care of her." "I brought you a present." "It's a secret." "So I wrote it down." "The last time I saw him, he was sitting in a wheat field." "What was the secret?" "It's only with the heart that one can see clearly." "What's essential is invisible to the eye." "It works!" "Eureka!" "It works!" "I need air!" "It works." "It works!" "Wait." "Don't." "My God." "What have you done?" "No." "Don't." "I'm glad you've repaired your engine." "Now you can go back home." " Yes." " I, too, am going back home." "You must keep your promise." " What promise?" " You know, a muzzle for my sheep." "I'm responsible for this flower." "Please." "You promised." "You also forgot the fence." "It's a very nice muzzle and fence." "Thank you." "You're cold as ice." "Are you afraid?" "Please leave me." "I can't." "I won't." "I don't want you to suffer." "I'll look as if I'm dead, but it won't be true." "It's just that it's too far to carry this body with me." "You understand, don't you?" "This part of me will be like an old, abandoned shell." "There's nothing sad about old shells, is there?" "My star is so small I can't show you where it is." "I'm going back there now, but before I do, I want to give you something." "All I want is to hear you laugh again." "You will hear me laugh." "More than you ever did before, because on one of those stars," "I'll be laughing, but you won't know which one." "So they'll all be laughing, all the stars." "It will be like a bell that's hanging from every star in the sky." "There now, that's all." "Little Prince" "From who knows where" "Was it a star?" "Was it a prayer?" "With every smile You clear the air" "So I can see" "Oh, Little Prince Don't take your smile" "Away from me" "When you came My day was done" "And then your laugh Turned on the sun" "Oh, Little Prince" "Now, to my wonder and surprise" "All the hopes and dreams I lived among" "When this heart of mine Was wise and young" "Shine for me again" "Little Prince" "In your eyes" "Please, Little Prince" "Don't take your smile away from me" "When you came My day was done" "And then your laugh Turned on the sun" "Oh, Little Prince" "Now, to my wonder and surprise" "All the hopes and dreams I lived among" "When this heart of mine Was wise and young" "Shine for me again" "Little Prince" "In your eyes" "Where are you?" "I won't leave without you!" "Oh, my God." "It never happened." "He wasrt here." "It never happened."