English
thelittleprincevisitsthebusinessman
Thefourthplanetbelongedtoabusinessman.Thismanwassomuchoccupiedthathedidnotevenraisehisheadatthelittleprince'sarrival.
"Goodmorning,"thelittleprincesaidtohim."Yourcigarettehasgoneout."
"Threeandtwomakefive.Fiveandsevenmaketwelve.Twelveandthreemakefifteen.Goodmorning.Fifteenandsevenmaketwenty-two.Twenty-twoandsixmaketwenty-eight.Ihaven'ttimetolightitagain.Twenty-sixandfivemakethirty-one.Phew!Thenthatmakesfive-hundred-and-one-million,six-hundred-twenty-two-thousand,seven-hundred-thirty-one."
"Fivehundredmillionwhat?"askedthelittleprince.
"Eh?Areyoustillthere?Five-hundred-and-onemillion--Ican'tstop...Ihavesomuchtodo!Iamconcernedwithmattersofconsequence.Idon'tamusemyselfwithbalderdash.Twoandfivemakeseven..."
"Five-hundred-and-onemillionwhat?"repeatedthelittleprince,whoneverinhislifehadletgoofaquestiononcehehadaskedit.
Thebusinessmanraisedhishead.
"Duringthefifty-fouryearsthatIhaveinhabitedthisplanet,Ihavebeendisturbedonlythreetimes.Thefirsttimewastwenty-twoyearsago,whensomegiddygoosefellfromgoodnessknowswhere.Hemadethemostfrightfulnoisethatresoundedallovertheplace,andImadefourmistakesinmyaddition.Thesecondtime,elevenyearsago,Iwasdisturbedbyanattackofrheumatism.Idon'tgetenoughexercise.Ihavenotimeforloafing.Thethirdtime--well,thisisit!Iwassaying,then,five-hundred-and-onemillions--"
"Millionsofwhat?"
Thebusinessmansuddenlyrealizedthattherewasnohopeofbeingleftinpeaceuntilheansweredthisquestion.
"Millionsofthoselittleobjects,"hesaid,"whichonesometimesseesinthesky."
"Flies?"
"Oh,no.Littleglitteringobjects."
"Bees?"
"Oh,no.Littlegoldenobjectsthatsetlazymentoidledreaming.Asforme,Iamconcernedwithmattersofconsequence.Thereisnotimeforidledreaminginmylife."
"Ah!Youmeanthestars?"
"Yes,that'sit.Thestars."
"Andwhatdoyoudowithfive-hundredmillionsofstars?"
"Five-hundred-and-onemillion,six-hundred-twenty-twothousand,seven-hundred-thirty-one.Iamconcernedwithmattersofconsequence:Iamaccurate."
"Andwhatdoyoudowiththesestars?"
"WhatdoIdowiththem?"
"Yes."
"Nothing.Iownthem."
"Youownthestars?"
"Yes."
"ButIhavealreadyseenakingwho--"
"Kingsdonotown,theyreignover.Itisaverydifferentmatter."
"Andwhatgooddoesitdoyoutoownthestars?"
"Itdoesmethegoodofmakingmerich."
"Andwhatgooddoesitdoyoutoberich?"
"Itmakesitpossibleformetobuymorestars,ifanyareeverdiscovered."
"Thisman,"thelittleprincesaidtohimself,"reasonsalittlelikemypoortippler..."
Nevertheless,hestillhadsomemorequestions.
"Howisitpossibleforonetoownthestars?"
"Towhomdotheybelong?"thebusinessmanretorted,peevishly.
"Idon'tknow.Tonobody."
"Thentheybelongtome,becauseIwasthefirstpersontothinkofit."
"Isthatallthatisnecessary?"
"Certainly.Whenyoufindadiamondthatbelongstonobody,itisyours.Whenyoudiscoveranislandthatbelongstonobody,itisyours.Whenyougetanideabeforeanyoneelse,youtakeoutapatentonit:itisyours.Sowithme:Iownthestars,becausenobodyelsebeforemeeverthoughtofowningthem."
"Yes,thatistrue,"saidthelittleprince."Andwhatdoyoudowiththem?"
"Iadministerthem,"repliedthebusinessman."Icountthemandrecountthem.Itisdifficult.ButIamamanwhoisnaturallyinterestedinmattersofconsequence."
Thelittleprincewasstillnotsatisfied.
"IfIownedasilkscarf,"hesaid,"Icouldputitaroundmyneckandtakeitawaywithme.IfIownedaflower,Icouldpluckthatflowerandtakeitawaywithme.Butyoucannotpluckthestarsfromheaven..."
"No.ButIcanputtheminthebank."
"Whateverdoesthatmean?"
"ThatmeansthatIwritethenumberofmystarsonalittlepaper.AndthenIputthispaperinadrawerandlockitwithakey."
"Andthatisall?"
"Thatisenough,"saidthebusinessman.
"Itisentertaining,"thoughtthelittleprince."Itisratherpoetic.Butitisofnogreatconsequence."
Onmattersofconsequence,thelittleprincehadideaswhichwereverydifferentfromthoseofthegrown-ups.
"Imyselfownaflower,"hecontinuedhisconversationwiththebusinessman,"whichIwatereveryday.Iownthreevolcanoes,whichIcleanouteveryweek(forIalsocleanouttheonethatisextinct;oneneverknows).Itisofsomeusetomyvolcanoes,anditisofsomeusetomyflower,thatIownthem.Butyouareofnousetothestars..."
Thebusinessmanopenedhismouth,buthefoundnothingtosayinanswer.Andthelittleprincewentaway.
"Thegrown-upsarecertainlyaltogetherextraordinary,"hesaidsimply,talkingtohimselfashecontinuedonhisjourney.
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