English
thelittleprincebefriendsthefox
Itwasthenthatthefoxappeared.
"Goodmorning,"saidthefox.
"Goodmorning,"thelittleprincerespondedpolitely,althoughwhenheturnedaroundhesawnothing.
"Iamrighthere,"thevoicesaid,"undertheappletree."
"Whoareyou?"askedthelittleprince,andadded,"Youareveryprettytolookat."
"Iamafox,"saidthefox.
"Comeandplaywithme,"proposedthelittleprince."Iamsounhappy."
"Icannotplaywithyou,"thefoxsaid."Iamnottamed."
"Ah!Pleaseexcuseme,"saidthelittleprince.
But,aftersomethought,headded:
"Whatdoesthatmean--'tame'?"
"Youdonotlivehere,"saidthefox."Whatisitthatyouarelookingfor?"
"Iamlookingformen,"saidthelittleprince."Whatdoesthatmean--'tame'?"
"Men,"saidthefox."Theyhaveguns,andtheyhunt.Itisverydisturbing.Theyalsoraisechickens.Thesearetheironlyinterests.Areyoulookingforchickens?"
"No,"saidthelittleprince."Iamlookingforfriends.Whatdoesthatmean--'tame'?"
"Itisanacttoooftenneglected,"saidthefox.Itmeanstoestablishties."
"'Toestablishties'?"
"Justthat,"saidthefox."Tome,youarestillnothingmorethanalittleboywhoisjustlikeahundredthousandotherlittleboys.AndIhavenoneedofyou.Andyou,onyourpart,havenoneedofme.Toyou,Iamnothingmorethanafoxlikeahundredthousandotherfoxes.Butifyoutameme,thenweshallneedeachother.Tome,youwillbeuniqueinalltheworld.Toyou,Ishallbeuniqueinalltheworld..."
"Iambeginningtounderstand,"saidthelittleprince."Thereisaflower...Ithinkthatshehastamedme..."
"Itispossible,"saidthefox."OntheEarthoneseesallsortsofthings."
"Oh,butthisisnotontheEarth!"saidthelittleprince.
Thefoxseemedperplexed,andverycurious.
"Onanotherplanet?"
"Yes."
"Aretherehuntersonthisplanet?"
"No."
"Ah,thatisinteresting!Aretherechickens?"
"No."
"Nothingisperfect,"sighedthefox.
Buthecamebacktohisidea.
"Mylifeisverymonotonous,"thefoxsaid."Ihuntchickens;menhuntme.Allthechickensarejustalike,andallthemenarejustalike.And,inconsequence,Iamalittlebored.Butifyoutameme,itwillbeasifthesuncametoshineonmylife.Ishallknowthesoundofastepthatwillbedifferentfromalltheothers.Otherstepssendmehurryingbackunderneaththeground.Yourswillcallme,likemusic,outofmyburrow.Andthenlook:youseethegrain-fieldsdownyonder?Idonoteatbread.Wheatisofnousetome.Thewheatfieldshavenothingtosaytome.Andthatissad.Butyouhavehairthatisthecolourofgold.Thinkhowwonderfulthatwillbewhenyouhavetamedme!Thegrain,whichisalsogolden,willbringmebackthethoughtofyou.AndIshalllovetolistentothewindinthewheat..."
Thefoxgazedatthelittleprince,foralongtime.
"Please--tameme!"hesaid.
"Iwantto,verymuch,"thelittleprincereplied."ButIhavenotmuchtime.Ihavefriendstodiscover,andagreatmanythingstounderstand."
"Oneonlyunderstandsthethingsthatonetames,"saidthefox."Menhavenomoretimetounderstandanything.Theybuythingsallreadymadeattheshops.Butthereisnoshopanywherewhereonecanbuyfriendship,andsomenhavenofriendsanymore.Ifyouwantafriend,tameme..."
"WhatmustIdo,totameyou?"askedthelittleprince.
"Youmustbeverypatient,"repliedthefox."Firstyouwillsitdownatalittledistancefromme--likethat--inthegrass.Ishalllookatyououtofthecornerofmyeye,andyouwillsaynothing.Wordsarethesourceofmisunderstandings.Butyouwillsitalittleclosertome,everyday..."
Thenextdaythelittleprincecameback.
"Itwouldhavebeenbettertocomebackatthesamehour,"saidthefox."If,forexample,youcomeatfouro'clockintheafternoon,thenatthreeo'clockIshallbegintobehappy.Ishallfeelhappierandhappierasthehouradvances.Atfouro'clock,Ishallalreadybeworryingandjumpingabout.IshallshowyouhowhappyIam!Butifyoucomeatjustanytime,Ishallneverknowatwhathourmyheartistobereadytogreetyou...Onemustobservetheproperrites..."
"Whatisarite?"askedthelittleprince.
"Thosealsoareactionstoooftenneglected,"saidthefox."Theyarewhatmakeonedaydifferentfromotherdays,onehourfromotherhours.Thereisarite,forexample,amongmyhunters.EveryThursdaytheydancewiththevillagegirls.SoThursdayisawonderfuldayforme!Icantakeawalkasfarasthevineyards.Butifthehuntersdancedatjustanytime,everydaywouldbelikeeveryotherday,andIshouldneverhaveanyvacationatall."
Sothelittleprincetamedthefox.Andwhenthehourofhisdeparturedrewnear--
"Ah,"saidthefox,"Ishallcry."
"Itisyourownfault,"saidthelittleprince."Ineverwishedyouanysortofharm;butyouwantedmetotameyou..."
"Yes,thatisso,"saidthefox.
"Butnowyouaregoingtocry!"saidthelittleprince.
"Yes,thatisso,"saidthefox.
"Thenithasdoneyounogoodatall!"
"Ithasdonemegood,"saidthefox,"becauseofthecolorofthewheatfields."Andthenheadded:
"Goandlookagainattheroses.Youwillunderstandnowthatyoursisuniqueinalltheworld.Thencomebacktosaygoodbyetome,andIwillmakeyouapresentofasecret."
Thelittleprincewentaway,tolookagainattheroses.
"Youarenotatalllikemyrose,"hesaid."Asyetyouarenothing.Noonehastamedyou,andyouhavetamednoone.YouarelikemyfoxwhenIfirstknewhim.Hewasonlyafoxlikeahundredthousandotherfoxes.ButIhavemadehimmyfriend,andnowheisuniqueinalltheworld."
Andtheroseswereverymuchembarrassed.
"Youarebeautiful,butyouareempty,"hewenton."Onecouldnotdieforyou.Tobesure,anordinarypasserbywouldthinkthatmyroselookedjustlikeyou--therosethatbelongstome.Butinherselfalonesheismoreimportantthanallthehundredsofyouotherroses:becauseitisshethatIhavewatered;becauseitisshethatIhaveputundertheglassglobe;becauseitisshethatIhaveshelteredbehindthescreen;becauseitisforherthatIhavekilledthecaterpillars(exceptthetwoorthreethatwesavedtobecomebutterflies);becauseitisshethatIhavelistenedto,whenshegrumbled,orboasted,orevensometimeswhenshesaidnothing.Becausesheismyrose.
Andhewentbacktomeetthefox.
"Goodbye,"hesaid.
"Goodbye,"saidthefox."Andnowhereismysecret,averysimplesecret:Itisonlywiththeheartthatonecanseerightly;whatisessentialisinvisibletotheeye."
"Whatisessentialisinvisibletotheeye,"thelittleprincerepeated,sothathewouldbesuretoremember.
"Itisthetimeyouhavewastedforyourrosethatmakesyourrosesoimportant."
"ItisthetimeIhavewastedformyrose--"saidthelittleprince,sothathewouldbesuretoremember.
"Menhaveforgottenthistruth,"saidthefox."Butyoumustnotforgetit.Youbecomeresponsible,forever,forwhatyouhavetamed.Youareresponsibleforyourrose..."
"Iamresponsibleformyrose,"thelittleprincerepeated,sothathewouldbesuretoremember.
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