"Good morning," said the fox.
"Good morning," the little prince responded politely, turned around but saw no one.
"I'm here," the voice said, "under the apple tree .."
"Who are you," asked the little prince. "You're very cute ..."
"I am a fox," said the fox.
"Come play with me," proposed the little prince, "I am so sad .."
"I can not play with you," said the fox, "I am not tamed."
"Oh, excuse me," said the little prince.
But after a moment's reflection he added:
"What do you mean, 'tame'?"
"You're not from these parts, thou," said the fox, "What are you looking?"
"I am looking for men," said the little prince. "What does 'tame'?"
"Men," the fox said, "They have guns and hunt. It's very boring! Also raise chickens. It is their sole interest. You looking for chickens?"
"No," said the little prince. "I am looking for friends. What do you mean 'tame'?"
"It's too often neglected. Means 'to create ties' .."
"To establish ties?"
"Sure," said the fox. "You, so far, for me, you're not a boy like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I need you. And you have no need of me. I'm not for just a fox like a hundred thousand foxes. But if you tame me, we shall need each other. You will be unique in the world to me, and I shall be unique to you. "
" I am beginning to understand, "said the little prince." There is a flower .. I think she has tamed .. "
" It's possible, "said the fox." It happens all the Earth .. "
" Oh! is not on Earth, "said the little prince.
The fox seemed perplexed.
" On another planet? "
" Yes "
" Are there hunters on this planet? "
" No. "
" This I interesting! Are there chickens? "
" No. "
" Nothing is perfect, "sighed the fox.
But the fox returned to his idea
" The My life is monotonous. I hunt chickens, and men hunt me. All chickens are just alike, and all men are alike. And I'm so bored. But if you tame me, my life will be as enlightened. Know the sound of steps that will be different from everyone else. Other steps send me hurrying back underneath the ground. Yours will call me out of my burrow like music. And then, look! Look, over there, after all, the wheat fields? I do not eat bread, and wheat, for me, is useless. The wheat fields say nothing to me. And this is sad! But you have hair the color of gold. Then it will be wonderful when you have tamed me. The wheat, which is golden, I will thinking of you. And love the sound of wind in the wheat .. "
The fox paused and looked long at the little prince
" Please .. tame, "he said.
" Willingly, "replied the little prince," but do not have much time, though. I have friends to discover, and learn many things. "
" One only understands the things that one tames, "said the fox." Men have more time to learn anything. They buy things already made. But there is no shop with friends, men no longer have friends. If you want a friend, tame me! "
" What should I do? "Asked the little prince.
" We must be very patient, "said the fox." In First you will sit down a bit 'away from me, so the grass. I will keep you out of the corner of the eye and you will say nothing. Words are the source of misunderstandings. But every day you will sit a little 'closer .. "
The little prince came back the next day.
" It would be better to return at the same time, "said the fox." If you come, for example, every afternoon at four, three o'clock I shall begin to be happy. Over time increase my happiness. At four, I'll start to worrying and jumping about, find out the price of happiness! But if you come you do not know when, I'll never know what time to prepare my heart .. It takes the rites. "
"What is a rite?" Said the little prince.
"Although this is often neglected," said the fox. "That's what makes one day different from other days, one hour from other hours. There is a ritual, for example, among my hunters. On Thursday they dance with the girls of the village. So Thursday is a wonderful day! I far as the vineyards. if the hunters danced at just any day, would be like every day, and I would never stay. "
So the little prince tamed the fox. And when the hour of departure drew near:
"Ah," said the fox, "I cry .."
"It's your fault," said the little prince "I do not want to hurt you, but you wanted me to tame you .."
"It's true," said the fox.
"But you cry!" Said the little prince.
"Certainly," said the fox.
"Then it for you?"
"It has done," said the fox, "the color of wheat."
Then he added:
'Go again at the roses. You will understand that yours is unique. Then come back to say goodbye, I'll give you a secret. "
The little prince went away again at the roses.
"You are not at all like my rose, yet you are nothing," he said. "No one has tamed you, and you have tamed no one. You are like my fox. Not was only a fox like a hundred thousand others. But I have made my friend, and now he is unique in the world. "
And the roses were very uncomfortable.
" You are beautiful, but you are empty, "she said again." One can not die for you. Certainly, an ordinary passerby would think that my rose looked just like you, but she, she alone is the most important of all you, because it is she that I have watered. Why is she that I sheltered behind the screen. Because for her that I killed the caterpillars (except the two or three for butterflies). Why is she that I have heard complaining or bragging, or even sometimes remain silent. Why is my rose. "
And he went back to the fox.
" Goodbye, "he said.
" Goodbye, "said the fox. "That's my secret. It is very simple: One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye."
"What is essential is invisible to the eyes," repeated the little prince to remember.
"It's the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important."
"It's the time I lost my rose .." whispered the little prince to remember.
"Men have forgotten this truth. But you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose .."
"I am responsible for my rose .." repeated the little prince to remember.
"The Little Prince" Antoine De Saint-Exupery - Chapter XXI
0 comments:
Post a Comment