AseachdaypassedIwouldlearn,inourtalk,somethingaboutthelittleprince'splanet,hisdeparturefromit,hisjourney.Theinformationwouldcomeveryslowly,asitmightchancetofallfromhisthoughts.ItwasinthiswaythatIheard,onthethirdday,aboutthecatastropheofthebaobabs.
Thistime,oncemore,Ihadthesheeptothankforit.Forthelittleprinceaskedmeabruptly--asifseizedbyagravedoubt--"Itistrue,isn'tit,thatsheepeatlittlebushes?"
Ipointedouttothelittleprincethatbaobabswerenotlittlebushes,but,onthecontrary,treesasbigascastles;andthatevenifhetookawholeherdofelephantsawaywithhim,theherdwouldnoteatuponesinglebaobab.
Heansweredmeatonce,"Oh,come,come!",asifhewerespeakingofsomethingthatwasself-evident.AndIwasobligedtomakeagreatmentalefforttosolvethisproblem,withoutanyassistance.
Indeed,asIlearned,therewereontheplanetwherethelittleprincelived--asonallplanets--goodplantsandbadplants.Inconsequence,thereweregoodseedsfromgoodplants,andbadseedsfrombadplants.Butseedsareinvisible.Theysleepdeepintheheartoftheearth'sdarkness,untilsomeoneamongthemisseizedwiththedesiretoawaken.Thenthislittleseedwillstretchitselfandbegin--timidlyatfirst--topushacharminglittlespriginoffensivelyupwardtowardthesun.Ifitisonlyasproutofradishorthesprigofarose-bush,onewouldletitgrowwhereveritmightwish.Butwhenitisabadplant,onemustdestroyitassoonaspossible,theveryfirstinstantthatonerecognizesit.
Nowthereweresometerribleseedsontheplanetthatwasthehomeofthelittleprince;andtheseweretheseedsofthebaobab.Thesoilofthatplanetwasinfestedwiththem.Abaobabissomethingyouwillnever,neverbeabletogetridofifyouattendtoittoolate.Itspreadsovertheentireplanet.Itboresclearthroughitwithitsroots.Andiftheplanetistoosmall,andthebaobabsaretoomany,theysplititinpieces...
"Itisaquestionofdiscipline,"thelittleprincesaidtomelateron."Whenyou'vefinishedyourowntoiletinthemorning,thenitistimetoattendtothetoiletofyourplanet,justso,withthegreatestcare.Youmustseetoitthatyoupullupregularlyallthebaobabs,attheveryfirstmomentwhentheycanbedistinguishedfromtherosebusheswhichtheyresemblesocloselyintheirearliestyouth.Itisverytediouswork,"thelittleprinceadded,"butveryeasy."
Andonedayhesaidtome:"Yououghttomakeabeautifuldrawing,sothatthechildrenwhereyoulivecanseeexactlyhowallthisis.Thatwouldbeveryusefultothemiftheyweretotravelsomeday.Sometimes,"headded,"thereisnoharminputtingoffapieceofworkuntilanotherday.Butwhenitisamatterofbaobabs,thatalwaysmeansacatastrophe.Iknewaplanetthatwasinhabitedbyalazyman.Heneglectedthreelittlebushes..."
So,asthelittleprincedescribedittome,Ihavemadeadrawingofthatplanet.Idonotmuchliketotakethetoneofamoralist.Butthedangerofthebaobabsissolittleunderstood,andsuchconsiderableriskswouldberunbyanyonewhomightgetlostonanasteroid,thatforonceIambreakingthroughmyreserve."Children,"Isayplainly,"watchoutforthebaobabs!"
Myfriends,likemyself,havebeenskirtingthisdangerforalongtime,withouteverknowingit;andsoitisforthemthatIhaveworkedsohardoverthisdrawing.ThelessonwhichIpassonbythismeansisworthallthetroubleithascostme.
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