Saint-Ex

Dedicated to Leon Wilt

Please forgive me for giving this book to an adult. I have a legitimate reason: this adult is my best friend in the world. I have another reason: this adult knows everything; Even children's books can be read. I have a third reason; The adult lives in France, where he suffers from cold and hunger. He really needs someone to comfort him. If these reasons are not enough, I will dedicate this book to the child who used to be an adult. Every adult starts with a child. (However, how many people remember this? Therefore, I changed my dedication to:

Dedicated to Leon Wilt when he was a little boy.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

When I was only six years old, I saw a wonderful illustration in a book called "True Story" describing the primeval forest, which showed a python swallowing a big beast. At the top of this page is a copy of this painting.

The book says: "these pythons swallow their prey without chewing, and then they can't move any more;" They digest these foods during their six-month sleep. "

At that time, I thought about many adventures in the jungle, so I also drew my first picture with a colored pencil. My first work. Here's the thing:

I showed my masterpiece to adults, and I asked them if my painting scared them.

They answered me, "What's so terrible about a hat?"

What I drew was not a hat, but a python digesting an elephant. So I drew a picture of the belly of a python for adults to understand. These adults always need to explain. My second work is like this:

Adults advised me to put aside these pictures of boa constrictors with their bellies open or closed, or to focus on geography, history, arithmetic and grammar. In this way, at the age of six, I gave up my wonderful career as a painter. The failure of my works No.1 and No.2 made me very depressed. These adults don't know anything themselves, and they have to keep explaining to them. This really bored the children.

Later, I had to choose another career. I learned to fly a plane. I almost flew all over the world. Indeed, geography has helped me a lot. I can tell China from Arizona at a glance. This is very useful if you get lost at night.

In this way, in my life, I have contacted many serious people. I have lived among adults for a long time. I watched them carefully, but it didn't change my opinion of them.

When I met an adult with a slightly sober mind, I took out the No.1 work I had kept to test him. I wonder if he really has the ability to understand. However, the answer is always: "This is a hat." I won't talk to him about pythons, virgin forests or stars. I just need to get used to their level and talk to them about bridge, golf, politics and ties. Therefore, adults are happy to know a reasonable person like me.

I lived alone like this, without anyone to really talk to, until a fault occurred in the Sahara desert six years ago. Something has damaged my engine. At that time, because I didn't bring a mechanic or passengers, I wanted to complete the difficult maintenance work alone. This is a matter of life and death for me. I only have enough water for a week.

The first night, I slept in this big desert far away from human fireworks. I'm much more lonely than the victims who fell on the raft in the sea. And at dawn the next day, when a strange little voice woke me up, you can imagine how surprised I was. This little voice said:

"Would you please draw me a sheep?"

"ah!"

"Draw me a sheep ..."

I stood up, as if I had been thundered. I rubbed my eyes hard and looked at them carefully. I saw a strange little guy staring at me seriously. This is the best portrait I painted for him later. But, of course, my painting can't compare with his appearance. It's not my fault. When I was six years old, adults made me lose the courage to pursue a career as a painter. I never learned to draw again, except for pythons with open bellies and closed bellies.

I stared at the little guy who suddenly appeared with my eyes wide open in surprise. Don't forget, I was far away from the crowd. And this little guy gave me the impression that he didn't look lost, tired, hungry or scared. He is nothing like a child lost in the desert. When I was finally able to speak in surprise again, I said to him:

"Well, what are you doing here?"

But he took his time as if there was something important, and repeatedly said to me:

"Please ... draw me a sheep ..."

When a mysterious thing kills you, you dare not ignore its domination. In this deserted desert, facing the danger of death, although such a move made me feel ridiculous, I still took out a piece of paper and a pen. Then I remembered that I had only studied geography, history, arithmetic and grammar, and I was a little unhappy to tell the little guy that I couldn't draw. He answered me and said:

"Never mind, draw me a sheep!"

Because I've never drawn a sheep, I'll redraw the boa constrictor in the two pictures I can only draw.

"No, no! I don't want a python. It has an elephant in its belly. "

I was stunned by his words. He went on to say, "Pythons are too dangerous, and elephants take up too much space. I live in a small place, and I need a sheep. Draw me a sheep. "

I drew it for him.

He looked intently, and then said:

"I don't want it. This sheep has been very ill. Draw me another one. "

I drew again.

The friend smiled naively and politely refused. "Look, you didn't draw a lamb, but a ram with long horns."

So I drew another one.

This painting, like the previous one, was rejected again.

"This is too old. I want a sheep that can live long. "

I am impatient. Because I was in a hurry to repair the engine, I sketched this picture and said to him in a hurry:

"This is a box. The sheep you want is inside. "

At this moment, I was very surprised to see my little judge smiling. He said:

"This is just what I want ... Do you think this sheep needs a lot of grass?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because my place is small ..."

"I drew you a very small lamb, and the place is small enough to feed it."

He put his head close to the photo.

"It's not as small as you said ... look! It fell asleep ... "

In this way, I met the little prince

Roman numeral 3

It took me a long time to find out where he came from. The little prince asked me many questions, but he didn't seem to hear at all. Some words he inadvertently revealed made me gradually understand his origin. For example, when he first saw my plane (I won't draw my plane because this picture is too complicated for me), he asked me:

"What is this?"

"This is not a thing. It can fly. This is an airplane. It's my plane. "

I proudly told him that I could fly. So he was surprised to say:

"Why? Did you fall from the sky? "

"yes". I replied humbly.

"ah? This is really funny. "

At this moment, the little prince gave a clear laugh. This makes me very unhappy. I ask others to take my misfortune seriously. Then, he added:

"So, you are from heaven! What planet are you from? "

Then, I vaguely found the secret clue of where he came from; So, I suddenly asked:

"Are you from another planet?"

But he didn't answer my question. He looked at my plane, nodded slightly, and said:

"Yes, you can't see this thing from far away ..."

Having said that, he fell into a long meditation. Then, I took out the lamb I drew from my pocket and looked at his baby spellbound.

You can imagine how curious I am about the vague word "other planets". So I tried to learn more.

"Where are you from, my little guy? Where is your home? Where are you taking my lamb? "

He thought for a moment, and then answered me:

"Fortunately, the box you gave me can be used as a lamb's house at night."

"Of course. If you are obedient, I will draw you another rope to tie it during the day. Add another string. "

My suggestion seems a little offensive to the little prince.

"What a strange idea to tie it up."

"If you don't tie it, it will run around and then it will get lost."

My friend smiled again:

"Where do you want it to go?"

"No matter where. It has been running forward ... "

At this moment, the little prince solemnly said:

"It doesn't matter. I am very small there. "

Then, slightly sadly, he added:

"Go straight ahead, it's not far ..."

I also learned another important thing, that is, the planet where his hometown is located is not much bigger than a house.

This didn't surprise me too much. I know there are hundreds of other planets besides the Earth, Jupiter, Mars and Venus. Some of them are so small that they are hard to see even with a telescope. When an astronomer finds one of the stars, he will give it a number, for example, calling it "asteroid 325".

I have important reasons to believe that the planet from which the little prince comes is asteroid B6 12. This asteroid was only seen once by a Turkish astronomer through a telescope in 1909.

At that time, he gave an important demonstration of his discovery at an international conference of astronomers. But no one believed him because of the clothes he was wearing. Adults are like this.

Fortunately, a dictator in Turkey forced his people to wear European-style clothes for the sake of the reputation of asteroid B6 12, or he would be executed. 1920, astronomers dressed in very beautiful clothes put forward new arguments. Everyone agrees with him this time.

I'll tell you these details about asteroid B6 12, and tell you its number, because these adults. These adults like numbers. When you tell adults about a new friend of yours, they never ask you substantive questions. They never say, "What's his voice like? What kind of games does he like? Does he collect butterfly specimens? " But they ask you, "How old is he? How many brothers? How much do you weigh How much does his father earn? " They think this is their way of meeting friends. If you say to adults, "I see a beautiful house made of rose bricks, with geraniums on the windows and pigeons on the roof …", they can't imagine how good this house is. You must say to them, "I see a house worth 100 thousand francs." Then they exclaimed, "What a beautiful house!"

If you say to them, "The evidence of the existence of the little prince is that he is beautiful. He smiled and wanted a sheep. He wants a lamb, which proves his existence. " They will shrug their shoulders and treat you like a child! However, if you tell them that "the planet from which the little prince comes is an asteroid B6 12", they will be convinced and won't pester you with a lot of questions. That's what they do. Children should be generous to adults, and don't blame adults.

Of course, for those of us who know life, we don't care about those numbers! I really want to start this story like a fairy tale. I really want to say:

"Once upon a time, there was a little prince who lived on a planet as big as his body. He wants to have a friend ... "For people who know life, that's true.

I don't like people reading my books rashly. I felt very sad when I told these past events. My friend left with his lamb for six years. I try my best to describe him here in order not to forget him. It's sad to forget a friend Not all people have friends. Besides, I may become as interested in numbers as those adults. It is for this reason that I bought a box of paint and some pencils. At my age, I've never tried anything except drawing a boa constrictor with an abdomen closed and an abdomen opened when I was six years old. Now, it's really hard to draw again! Of course, I must make these paintings as realistic as possible, but I'm not sure myself. One picture is ok, but the other picture is not. And the size of my body. My painting is a little inaccurate. The little prince painted too big in one place and too small in another. I'm not sure about the color of his clothes. So I groped, tried, changed and drew a sketch. I may have drawn some important details wrong. Please forgive me. Because my friend never explains. He thinks I'm just like him. Unfortunately, you can't see the lamb through the box. I'm probably a bit like an adult. I must be getting old.

V

Every day I learn something about the little prince's planet, his departure and travel. These are all obtained by accident from various reactions. In this way, on the third day, I learned about the tragedy of baobab trees.

This time because of the sheep, suddenly the little prince seemed very worried and asked me:

"Is it true that sheep eat small shrubs?"

"Yes, it's true."

"Oh, I'm so happy."

I don't understand why it is so important for sheep to eat small shrubs. But the little prince added:

"So, they also eat baobabs?"

I told the little prince that baobab is not a small shrub, but a tree as big as a church; Even if you bring back a group of elephants, you can't chew a baobab tree.

The idea of a herd of elephants made the little prince laugh:

"That will have to stack these elephants together."

He wisely said:

"The baobab tree was small at first before it grew up."

"yes. But why do you want your sheep to eat baobabs? "

He answered me: "alas! Of course! " It seems that this is self-evident. But I have to try my best to understand this problem myself.

It turns out that on the little prince's planet, like all other planets, there are good grass and bad grass; Therefore, beneficial grass seeds, there are poisonous grass seeds, but grass seeds are invisible. They slept in the dirt until one of them suddenly wanted to wake up ... so it stretched out and began to grow a beautiful and lovely seedling shyly towards the sun. If it is a radish or a rose, let it grow freely. If it is a rotten seedling, once it is identified, it should be pulled out immediately. Because on the little prince's planet, there are some terrible seeds … These are baobab seeds. There are many such seeds in the soil there. And the seedlings of a baobab tree, if pulled out too late, can never be taken off. It will occupy the whole planet. Its roots can penetrate the whole planet. If the planet is small and there are many baobabs, it will tear the whole planet to pieces.

"This is a matter of discipline." The little prince explained to me later. "When you wash and dress in the morning, you must carefully wash and dress this planet, and you must stipulate that baobab seedlings should be pulled out on time. This kind of seedling is almost as young as a rose seedling. Once you can tell, you should unplug it. This is a very boring job, but it is very relaxed. "

One day, he advised me to draw a beautiful picture with my heart, so that the children in my hometown would be deeply impressed by it. He also said to me: "If they travel abroad one day, it will be very useful for them. Sometimes, it does no harm for people to put off their work until later, but when it comes to pulling out baobab seedlings, it will definitely lead to great disaster. I met a planet where there lived a lazy guy who spared three young trees ... "

So, I drew this planet according to the instructions of the little prince. I have always been reluctant to speak in a Taoist tone, but not everyone knows the danger of baobabs. It is very dangerous for people who are lost in asteroids, so this time, I rashly broke my habit of not teaching people. I said, "children, be careful of those baobabs!" " "In order to alert my friends to this danger-they have been exposed to this danger for a long time like me, but they didn't realize its danger-I spent a lot of time painting this painting. The lesson I have given is of great significance, and it is worthwhile to spend some time. You may ask, why are none of the other paintings in this book as spectacular as this one? The answer is simple: I tried to draw something else better, but I failed. When I draw baobab trees, there is a longing that inspires me.

five

Ah! Little prince, in this way, I gradually understand your melancholy life. For a long time in the past, your only pleasure was watching the gentle sunset. I learned this new detail in the early hours of the fourth day. You said to me at that time:

"I like watching the sunset. Let's go and watch the sunset! "

"But wait ..."

"Wait for what?"

"When the sun goes down"

At first, you looked surprised, and then you laughed at your stupidity. You said to me:

"I always thought it was in my hometown!"

Indeed, as we all know, it's noon in America and the sun is setting in France. As long as you arrive in France within one minute, you can see the sunset. It is a pity that France is so far away. On an asteroid like you, all you have to do is move your chair a few steps. In this way, you can always see the sunset you want to see. ...

"One day, I saw forty-three sunsets."

After a while, you say again:

"You know, when people are very depressed, they always like the sunset."

"Forty-three times a day, why are you so depressed?"

The little prince didn't answer.

On the fifth day, it was still about sheep, which revealed the secret of the little prince's life to me. As if after thinking silently for a long time, what is the result, he suddenly asked me absently:

"If sheep eat small shrubs, will they also eat flowers?"

"It eats everything it touches." "Do you eat flowers with thorns?"

"Eat if there is a thorn!"

"So what's the use of stabbing?"

I don't know how to answer. I was busy unloading a thread that was too tightly screwed from the engine. I found that the machine failure seemed very serious and the drinking water was almost finished. I am worried that the worst may happen, and I am very anxious.

"So what's the use of stabbing?"

Once the little prince asks a question, he will never let it go. This damn screw annoyed me, so I casually answered him:

"The thorns are useless, but the flowers are not performing well."

"Oh!"

But after he was silent for a while, he said to me discontentedly:

"I don't believe it! Flowers are weak and simple, and they always want to protect themselves, thinking that thorns can show their strength ... "

I was silent. I thought at that time, if this screw points at me again, I will knock it off with a hammer. The little prince came to disturb my thoughts again:

"But do you think flowers ..."

"Come on, come on! I didn't think of anything! I answered you off the cuff. I have serious things to do. " He looked at me in surprise.

"serious business?"

He looked at me with a hammer in my hand, my fingers were covered with oil, and I fell on something he thought was ugly.

"You talk just like those adults!"

This makes me a little embarrassed. But he said sharply and mercilessly:

"You can't say anything ... you mix everything up!"

He was really annoyed. Shaking his head, his blond hair trembled with the wind.

"I have been to a planet where there lived a red-faced gentleman. He has never smelled flowers. He has never seen a star. He has never liked anyone. He did nothing but settle accounts. He always says all day like you:' I have serious business, I am a serious person'. This filled him with pride. He is hardly human, he is a mushroom. "

"What is it?"

"It's a mushroom!"

The little prince turned pale with anger.

"Flowers have been stinging for millions of years, and sheep have been eating flowers for millions of years. Isn't it serious to find out why you go to so much trouble to make useless thorns for yourself? Is the war between sheep and flowers not important? Isn't this more important than the explanation of Mr. Big Fat Red Face? If I know the only flower in the world, it only exists on my planet and nowhere else, and a little sheep destroys it at once, isn't it important? "

His face turned red with anger, and then he went on to say:

"If someone falls in love with a unique flower among hundreds of millions of stars, looking at these stars is enough to make him feel happy. He can say to himself,' My flower is on one of the stars …', but if the sheep eats this flower, in his opinion, all the stars will go out at once! Isn't that important? ! "

He couldn't go on, and suddenly he burst into tears. Night has fallen. I put down my tools. I left the hammer, screws, hunger, thirst and death behind me. On a planet, on a planet, on my planet, on the earth, there is a little prince who needs comfort! I held him in my arms. I shook him and said to him, "The flower you love is not dangerous … I will draw a cover for your lamb … I will draw a pair of armor for your flower … I …" I didn't know what to say. I feel awkward. I don't know how to reach his realm, how to enter his realm again ... Alas, the world of tears is so mysterious!

eight

I soon learned more about this flower. On the little prince's planet, there used to be some simple flowers with only one petal. These flowers are so small that they don't take up space at all and never bother anyone. They bloom on the grass in the morning and wither at night. I don't know where a seed came from, but suddenly it germinated one day. The little prince watched this unusual sapling very carefully: it may be a new kind of baobab tree. However, the seedlings soon stopped growing and began to blossom. Seeing a big bud growing on this seedling, the little prince felt that a miracle would appear from this bud. However, this flower hid in its green room and spent a long time dressing itself up. She carefully chose her future color, dressed slowly and matched her petals piece by piece. She didn't want to be born wrinkled like Yu Meiren. She wants to come into this world with dazzling beauty. Yes, she's cute. She spent many days dressing up as a fairy. Then, one morning, just as the sun rose, she turned it on.

She carefully prepared for such a long time, but said with a yawn:

"I just woke up. I'm really sorry. Look at my hair ... "

At this moment, the little prince could no longer control his admiration:

"You are so beautiful!"

The flowers said slowly:

"Yes, I was born at the same time as the sun ..."

The little prince is not modest to see this flower, but she is really beautiful.

Then she said, "It's time for breakfast. Please also consider preparing some for me ... "

The little prince was very embarrassed, so he took a watering can and brought a basin of clear cold water to water the flowers.

So, in this way, this flower tortured the little prince with her sensitive and suspicious vanity. For example, one day, she told the little prince about her four thorns:

"Tiger, let it open its paws!"

The little prince praised her: "There are no tigers on my planet, and tigers don't eat grass."

The flower whispered, "I am not a grass."

"I'm so sorry."

"I'm not afraid of tigers, but I hate touliu. You have no screen? "

The little prince thought, "I hate percolation ... it's really unlucky for a plant." This flower is really not easy to serve ... "

"You have to protect me at night. Your place is too cold. I have a bad time here, where I used to live ... "

But she didn't go on. She appeared in the form of seeds. Where has she seen other worlds? She was found to have fabricated such a clumsy lie. She was a little ashamed and angry and coughed two or three times. Her this recruit is a kind of accusation to the little prince, she said:

"Where's the screen?"

"I'll get it. But what you just said is ... "

So the flowers let go of their voices and coughed a few times, still making the little prince regret his mistake.

Although the little prince once really liked this flower, it immediately made him doubt her origin. The little prince took some unimportant words too seriously, and as a result, he was very upset.

One day, he told me, "I shouldn't have listened to her. I shouldn't have listened to those flowers. Just look at them and smell them. " My flowers make my planet fragrant, but I won't enjoy them. About tiger claws, it should have made me feel sympathy, but it annoyed me ... "

He also told me:

"At that time, I didn't understand anything! I should judge her by her behavior, not by her words. She makes my life fragrant and colorful. I really shouldn't have run out without her. I should have guessed the warmth behind her poor little trick. How contradictory flowers are! I am too young to love her.

ion exchange

I think the little prince probably took advantage of the migration of a group of migratory birds to escape. On the morning of his departure, he tidied up his planet and cleaned up the active volcanoes on it. He has two active volcanoes, so it is convenient to get up early in the morning to keep warm. He also has an extinct volcano, and he also cleans it. He thought, maybe it will come alive! After cleaning, they can burn slowly and regularly without sudden explosion. A volcanic eruption is like a flame in a chimney. Of course, on our planet, we are too small to clean up volcanoes, so volcanoes bring us a lot of trouble.

The little prince also pulled out the last few baobab seedlings. He's a little sad. He thought he would never come back. On this day, these chores made him feel particularly cordial. When he waters the flowers for the last time, he will cherish her. He found himself on the verge of tears.

"Goodbye." He said to the flowers.

But the flowers didn't answer him.

"Goodbye." He said it again.

The flowers coughed for a while. But not because of a cold.

She finally said to him, "I was really stupid just now." Please forgive me. I hope you can be happy. To his surprise, the flowers didn't complain to him at all. He stood there at a loss and held up the cover. He couldn't understand why she was so gentle and quiet.

"Really, I love you." The flower said to him, "But because of my fault, you didn't pay attention." It has nothing to do with it. However, you are as stupid as me. I hope you can be happy in the future. Put the lid aside, I don't need it anymore. "

"What if the wind comes?"

"My cold is not that bad ... the cool breeze at night is good for me. I am a flower. "

"If there are bugs and beasts? ……"

"If I want to know butterflies, I can't stand two or three inchworms. It is said that this is beautiful. Who else will come to see me? You're going to fly away. As for big animals, I'm not afraid. I have claws. "

So, she naively revealed her four thorns and said:

"Don't be so goofing around. How annoying! Now that you have decided to leave here, go! "

She was afraid that the little prince would see her cry. She is a very proud flower. ...

In the nearby universe, there are several asteroids such as 325, 326, 327, 328, 329 and 330. He began to visit these planets, trying to find something to do and study there.

There lived a king on the first star ball. The king sat on a very simple but dignified throne, wearing a big dress made of purple and black fur on a white background.

When he saw the little prince, he shouted:

"Ah, here comes another topic."

The little prince thought, "He has never seen me. How can he know me? "

How did he know that in the eyes of those kings, the world was simple: everyone was a subject.

The king was very proud because he finally became someone's king. He said to the little prince, "Come closer and let me have a good look at you."

The little prince looked around, trying to find a place to sit down, but the whole planet was filled with the king's gorgeous white and black fur robe. He had to stand there, but he yawned because he was tired.

The king said to him, "yawning in front of the king is against etiquette." I forbid you to yawn. "

The little prince said shamefully, "There is nothing I can do. I have come all the way here and haven't slept yet. "

The king said, "well, I order you to yawn." I haven't seen anyone yawn in years. Yawning is a new thing for me. Come on, yawn again! This is an order. "

"It makes me a little nervous … I can't yawn …" The little prince said with a red face.

"well! Hmm! " The king replied, "Then I ... command you to yawn, and ..."

He mumbled, showing a little irritation.

Because all the king wants is for his majesty to be respected He can't stand disobeying his orders. He is an absolute monarch. However, he is very kind and all orders are rational.

He often said, "If I turn a general into a seabird and the general doesn't obey my orders, it's not the general's fault, but mine."