English
thenarratorlearnsaboutthesecretofthelittleprince'slife
Onthefifthday--again,asalways,itwasthankstothesheep--thesecretofthelittleprince'slifewasrevealedtome.Abruptly,withoutanythingtoleaduptoit,andasifthequestionhadbeenbornoflongandsilentmeditationonhisproblem,hedemanded:
"Asheep--ifiteatslittlebushes,doesiteatflowers,too?"
"Asheep,"Ianswered,"eatsanythingitfindsinitsreach."
"Evenflowersthathavethorns?"
"Yes,evenflowersthathavethorns."
"Thenthethorns--whatusearethey?"
Ididnotknow.AtthatmomentIwasverybusytryingtounscrewaboltthathadgotstuckinmyengine.Iwasverymuchworried,foritwasbecomingcleartomethatthebreakdownofmyplanewasextremelyserious.AndIhadsolittledrinking-waterleftthatIhadtofearfortheworst.
"Thethorns--whatusearethey?"
Thelittleprinceneverletgoofaquestion,oncehehadaskedit.Asforme,Iwasupsetoverthatbolt.AndIansweredwiththefirstthingthatcameintomyhead:
"Thethornsareofnouseatall.Flowershavethornsjustforspite!"
"Oh!"
Therewasamomentofcompletesilence.Thenthelittleprinceflashedbackatme,withakindofresentfulness:
"Idon'tbelieveyou!Flowersareweakcreatures.Theyarenaive.Theyreassurethemselvesasbesttheycan.Theybelievethattheirthornsareterribleweapons..."
Ididnotanswer.AtthatinstantIwassayingtomyself:"Ifthisboltstillwon'tturn,Iamgoingtoknockitoutwiththehammer."Againthelittleprincedisturbedmythoughts.
"Andyouactuallybelievethattheflowers--"
"Oh,no!"Icried."No,nono!Idon'tbelieveanything.Iansweredyouwiththefirstthingthatcameintomyhead.Don'tyousee--Iamverybusywithmattersofconsequence!"
Hestaredatme,thunderstruck.
"Mattersofconsequence!"
Helookedatmethere,withmyhammerinmyhand,myfingersblackwithengine-grease,bendingdownoveranobjectwhichseemedtohimextremelyugly...
"Youtalkjustlikethegrown-ups!"
Thatmademealittleashamed.Buthewenton,relentlessly:
"Youmixeverythinguptogether...Youconfuseeverything..."
Hewasreallyveryangry.Hetossedhisgoldencurlsinthebreeze.
"Iknowaplanetwherethereisacertainred-facedgentleman.Hehasneversmelledaflower.Hehasneverlookedatastar.Hehasneverlovedanyone.Hehasneverdoneanythinginhislifebutaddupfigures.Andalldayhesaysoverandover,justlikeyou:'Iambusywithmattersofconsequence!'Andthatmakeshimswellupwithpride.Butheisnotaman--heisamushroom!"
"Awhat?"
"Amushroom!"
Thelittleprincewasnowwhitewithrage.
"Theflowershavebeengrowingthornsformillionsofyears.Formillionsofyearsthesheephavebeeneatingthemjustthesame.Andisitnotamatterofconsequencetotrytounderstandwhytheflowersgotosomuchtroubletogrowthornswhichareneverofanyusetothem?Isthewarfarebetweenthesheepandtheflowersnotimportant?Isthisnotofmoreconsequencethanafatred-facedgentleman'ssums?AndifIknow--I,myself--oneflowerwhichisuniqueintheworld,whichgrowsnowherebutonmyplanet,butwhichonelittlesheepcandestroyinasinglebitesomemorning,withoutevennoticingwhatheisdoing--Oh!Youthinkthatisnotimportant!"
Hisfaceturnedfromwhitetoredashecontinued:
"Ifsomeonelovesaflower,ofwhichjustonesingleblossomgrowsinallthemillionsandmillionsofstars,itisenoughtomakehimhappyjusttolookatthestars.Hecansaytohimself,'Somewhere,myfloweristhere...'Butifthesheepeatstheflower,inonemomentallhisstarswillbedarkened...Andyouthinkthatisnotimportant!"
Hecouldnotsayanythingmore.Hiswordswerechokedbysobbing.
Thenighthadfallen.Ihadletmytoolsdropfrommyhands.Ofwhatmomentnowwasmyhammer,mybolt,orthirst,ordeath?Ononestar,oneplanet,myplanet,theEarth,therewasalittleprincetobecomforted.Itookhiminmyarms,androckedhim.Isaidtohim:
"Theflowerthatyouloveisnotindanger.Iwilldrawyouamuzzleforyoursheep.Iwilldrawyouarailingtoputaroundyourflower.Iwill--"
Ididnotknowwhattosaytohim.Ifeltawkwardandblundering.IdidnotknowhowIcouldreachhim,whereIcouldovertakehimandgoonhandinhandwithhimoncemore.
Itissuchasecretplace,thelandoftears.
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