English
thelittleprincevisitstheking
Hefoundhimselfintheneighborhoodoftheasteroids325,326,327,328,329,and330.Hebegan,therefore,byvisitingthem,inordertoaddtohisknowledge.
Thefirstofthemwasinhabitedbyaking.Cladinroyalpurpleandermine,hewasseateduponathronewhichwasatthesametimebothsimpleandmajestic.
"Ah!Hereisasubject,"exclaimedtheking,whenhesawthelittleprincecoming.
Andthelittleprinceaskedhimself:
"Howcouldherecognizemewhenhehadneverseenmebefore?"
Hedidnotknowhowtheworldissimplifiedforkings.Tothem,allmenaresubjects.
"Approach,sothatImayseeyoubetter,"saidtheking,whofeltconsuminglyproudofbeingatlastakingoversomebody.
Thelittleprincelookedeverywheretofindaplacetositdown;buttheentireplanetwascrammedandobstructedbytheking'smagnificenterminerobe.Soheremainedstandingupright,and,sincehewastired,heyawned.
"Itiscontrarytoetiquettetoyawninthepresenceofaking,"themonarchsaidtohim."Iforbidyoutodoso."
"Ican'thelpit.Ican'tstopmyself,"repliedthelittleprince,thoroughlyembarrassed."Ihavecomeonalongjourney,andIhavehadnosleep..."
"Ah,then,"thekingsaid."Iorderyoutoyawn.ItisyearssinceIhaveseenanyoneyawning.Yawns,tome,areobjectsofcuriosity.Come,now!Yawnagain!Itisanorder."
"Thatfrightensme...Icannot,anymore..."murmuredthelittleprince,nowcompletelyabashed.
"Hum!Hum!"repliedtheking."ThenI--Iorderyousometimestoyawnandsometimesto--"
Hesputteredalittle,andseemedvexed.
Forwhatthekingfundamentallyinsisteduponwasthathisauthorityshouldberespected.Hetoleratednodisobedience.Hewasanabsolutemonarch.But,becausehewasaverygoodman,hemadehisordersreasonable.
"IfIorderedageneral,"hewouldsay,bywayofexample,"ifIorderedageneraltochangehimselfintoaseabird,andifthegeneraldidnotobeyme,thatwouldnotbethefaultofthegeneral.Itwouldbemyfault."
"MayIsitdown?"camenowatimidinquiryfromthelittleprince.
"Iorderyoutodoso,"thekingansweredhim,andmajesticallygatheredinafoldofhiserminemantle.
Butthelittleprincewaswondering...Theplanetwastiny.Overwhatcouldthiskingreallyrule?
"Sire,"hesaidtohim,"Ibegthatyouwillexcusemyaskingyouaquestion--"
"Iorderyoutoaskmeaquestion,"thekinghastenedtoassurehim.
"Sire--overwhatdoyourule?"
"Overeverything,"saidtheking,withmagnificentsimplicity.
"Overeverything?"
Thekingmadeagesture,whichtookinhisplanet,theotherplanets,andallthestars.
"Overallthat?"askedthelittleprince.
"Overallthat,"thekinganswered.
Forhisrulewasnotonlyabsolute:itwasalsouniversal.
"Andthestarsobeyyou?"
"Certainlytheydo,"thekingsaid."Theyobeyinstantly.Idonotpermitinsubordination."
Suchpowerwasathingforthelittleprincetomarvelat.Ifhehadbeenmasterofsuchcompleteauthority,hewouldhavebeenabletowatchthesunset,notforty-fourtimesinoneday,butseventy-two,orevenahundred,oreventwohundredtimes,withouteverhavingtomovehischair.Andbecausehefeltabitsadasherememberedhislittleplanetwhichhehadforsaken,hepluckeduphiscouragetoaskthekingafavor:
"Ishouldliketoseeasunset...domethatkindness...Orderthesuntoset..."
"IfIorderedageneraltoflyfromoneflowertoanotherlikeabutterfly,ortowriteatragicdrama,ortochangehimselfintoaseabird,andifthegeneraldidnotcarryouttheorderthathehadreceived,whichoneofuswouldbeinthewrong?"thekingdemanded."Thegeneral,ormyself?"
"You,"saidthelittleprincefirmly.
"Exactly.Onemuchrequirefromeachonethedutywhicheachonecanperform,"thekingwenton."Acceptedauthorityrestsfirstofallonreason.Ifyouorderedyourpeopletogoandthrowthemselvesintothesea,theywouldriseupinrevolution.Ihavetherighttorequireobediencebecausemyordersarereasonable."
"Thenmysunset?"thelittleprinceremindedhim:forheneverforgotaquestiononcehehadaskedit.
"Youshallhaveyoursunset.Ishallcommandit.But,accordingtomyscienceofgovernment,Ishallwaituntilconditionsarefavorable."
"Whenwillthatbe?"inquiredthelittleprince.
"Hum!Hum!"repliedtheking;andbeforesayinganythingelseheconsultedabulkyalmanac."Hum!Hum!Thatwillbeabout--about--thatwillbethiseveningabouttwentyminutestoeight.AndyouwillseehowwellIamobeyed."
Thelittleprinceyawned.Hewasregrettinghislostsunset.Andthen,too,hewasalreadybeginningtobealittlebored.
"Ihavenothingmoretodohere,"hesaidtotheking."SoIshallsetoutonmywayagain."
"Donotgo,"saidtheking,whowasveryproudofhavingasubject."Donotgo.IwillmakeyouaMinister!"
"Ministerofwhat?"
"Minsterof--ofJustice!"
"Butthereisnobodyheretojudge!"
"Wedonotknowthat,"thekingsaidtohim."Ihavenotyetmadeacompletetourofmykingdom.Iamveryold.Thereisnoroomhereforacarriage.Andittiresmetowalk."
"Oh,butIhavelookedalready!"saidthelittleprince,turningaroundtogiveonemoreglancetotheothersideoftheplanet.Onthatside,asonthis,therewasnobodyatall...
"Thenyoushalljudgeyourself,"thekinganswered."thatisthemostdifficultthingofall.Itismuchmoredifficulttojudgeoneselfthantojudgeothers.Ifyousucceedinjudgingyourselfrightly,thenyouareindeedamanoftruewisdom."
"Yes,"saidthelittleprince,"butIcanjudgemyselfanywhere.Idonotneedtoliveonthisplanet.
"Hum!Hum!"saidtheking."Ihavegoodreasontobelievethatsomewhereonmyplanetthereisanoldrat.Ihearhimatnight.Youcanjudgethisoldrat.Fromtimetotimeyouwillcondemnhimtodeath.Thushislifewilldependonyourjustice.Butyouwillpardonhimoneachoccasion;forhemustbetreatedthriftily.Heistheonlyonewehave."
"I,"repliedthelittleprince,"donotliketocondemnanyonetodeath.AndnowIthinkIwillgoonmyway."
"No,"saidtheking.
Butthelittleprince,havingnowcompletedhispreparationsfordeparture,hadnowishtogrievetheoldmonarch.
"IfYourMajestywishestobepromptlyobeyed,"hesaid,"heshouldbeabletogivemeareasonableorder.Heshouldbeable,forexample,toordermetobegonebytheendofoneminute.Itseemstomethatconditionsarefavorable..."
Asthekingmadenoanswer,thelittleprincehesitatedamoment.Then,withasigh,hetookhisleave.
"ImadeyoumyAmbassador,"thekingcalledout,hastily.
Hehadamagnificentairofauthority.
"Thegrown-upsareverystrange,"thelittleprincesaidtohimself,ashecontinuedonhisjourney.
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