按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
t will be about about that will be this evening about twenty minutes to eight。 And you will see how well I am obeyed。〃
The little prince yawned。 He was regretting his lost sunset。 And then； too； he was already beginning to be a little bored。
〃I have nothing more to do here；〃 he said to the king。 〃So I shall set out on my way again。〃
〃Do not go；〃 said the king； who was very proud of having a subject。 〃Do not go。 I will make you a Minister！〃
〃Minister of what？〃
〃Minster of of Justice！〃
〃But there is nobody here to judge！〃
〃We do not know that；〃 the king said to him。 〃I have not yet made a plete tour of my kingdom。 I am very old。 There is no room here for a carriage。 And it tires me to walk。〃
〃Oh； but I have looked already！〃 said the little prince； turning around to give one more glance to the other side of the pla。 On that side； as on this； there was nobody at all。。。
〃Then you shall judge yourself；〃 the king answered。 〃that is the most difficult thing of all。 It is much more difficult to judge oneself than to judge others。 If you succeed in judging yourself rightly； then you are indeed a man of true wisdom。〃
〃Yes；〃 said the little prince； 〃but I can judge myself anywhere。 I do not need to live on this pla。
〃Hum！ Hum！〃 said the king。 〃I have good reason to believe that somewhere on my pla there is an old rat。 I hear him at night。 You can judge this old rat。 From time to time you will condemn him to death。 Thus his life will depend on your justice。 But you will pardon him on each occasion； for he must be treated thriftily。 He is the only one we have。〃
〃I；〃 replied the little prince； 〃do not like to condemn anyone to death。 And now I think I will go on my way。〃
〃No；〃 said the king。
But the little prince； having now pleted his preparations for departure； had no wish to grieve the old monarch。
〃If Your Majesty wishes to be promptly obeyed；〃 he said； 〃he should be able to give me a reasonable order。 He should be able； for example； to order me to be gone by the end of one minute。 It seems to me that conditions are favorable。。。〃
As the king made no answer； the little prince hesitated a moment。 Then； with a sigh； he took his leave。
〃I made you my Ambassador；〃 the king called out； hastily。
He had a magnificent air of authority。
〃The grownups are very strange；〃 the little prince said to himself； as he continued on his journey。
＇ Chapter 11 ＇
the little prince visits the conceited man
The second pla was inhabited by a conceited man。
〃Ah！ Ah！ I am about to receive a visit from an admirer！〃 he exclaimed from afar； when he first saw the little prince ing。
For； to conceited men； all other men are admirers。
〃Good morning；〃 said the little prince。 〃That is a queer hat you are wearing。〃
〃It is a hat for salutes；〃 the conceited man replied。 〃It is to raise in salute when people acclaim me。 Unfortunately； nobody at all ever passes this way。〃
〃Yes？〃 said the little prince； who did not understand what the conceited man was talking about。
〃Clap your hands； one against the other；〃 the conceited man now directed him。
The little prince clapped his hands。 The conceited man raised his hat in a modest salute。
〃This is more entertaining than the visit to the king；〃 the little prince said to himself。 And he began again to clap his hands； one against the other。 The conceited man against raised his hat in salute。
After five minutes of this exercise the little prince grew tired of the game‘s monotony。
〃And what should one do to make the hat e down？〃 he asked。
But the conceited man did not hear him。 Conceited people never hear anything but praise。
〃Do you really admire me very much？〃 he demanded of the little prince。
〃What does that mean ‘admire‘？〃
〃To admire mean that you regard me as the handsomest； the bestdressed； the richest； and the most intelligent man on this pla。〃
〃But you are the only man on your pla！〃
〃Do me this kindness。 Admire me just the same。〃
〃I admire you；〃 said the little prince； shrugging his shoulders slightly； 〃but what is there in that to interest you so much？〃
And the little prince went away。
〃The grownups are certainly very odd；〃 he said to himself； as he continued on his journey。
＇ Chapter 12 ＇
the little prince visits the tippler
The next pla was inhabited by a tippler。 This was a very short visit； but it plunged the little prince into deep dejection。
〃What are you doing there？〃 he said to the tippler； whom he found settled down in silence before a collection of empty bottles and also a collection of full bottles。
〃I am drinking；〃 replied the tippler； with a lugubrious air。
〃Why are you drinking？〃 demanded the little prince。
〃So that I may fet；〃 replied the tippler。
〃Fet what？〃 inquired the little prince； who already was sorry for him。
〃Fet that I am ashamed；〃 the tippler confessed； hanging his head。
〃Ashamed of what？〃 insisted the little prince； who wanted to help him。
〃Ashamed of drinking！〃 The tippler brought his speech to an end； and shut himself up in an impregnable silence。
And the little prince went away； puzzled。
〃The grownups are certainly very； very odd；〃 he said to himself； as he continued on his journey。
＇ Chapter 13 ＇
the little prince visits the businessman
The fourth pla belonged to a businessman。 This man was so much occupied that he did not even raise his head at the little prince‘s arrival。
〃Good morning；〃 the little prince said to him。 〃Your cigarette has gone out。〃
〃Three and two make five。 Five and seven make twelve。 Twelve and three make fifteen。 Good morning。 Fifteen and seven make twentytwo。 Twentytwo and six make twentyeight。 I haven‘t time to light it again。 Twentysix and five make thirtyone。 Phew！ Then that makes fivehundredandonemillion； sixhundredtwentytwothousand； sevenhundredthirtyone。〃
〃Five hundred million what？〃 asked the little prince。
〃Eh？ Are you still there？ Fivehundredandone million I can‘t stop。。。 I have so much to do！ I am concerned use myself with balderdash。 Two and five make seven。。。〃
〃Fivehundredandone million what？〃 repeated the little prince； who never in his life had let go of a question once he had asked it。
The businessman raised his head。
〃During the fiftyfour years that I have inhabited this pla； I have been disturbed only three times。 The first time was twentytwo years ago； when some giddy goose fell from goodness knows where。 He made the most frightful noise that resounded all over the place； and I made four mistakes in my addition。 The second time； eleven years ago； I was disturbed by an attack of rheumatism。 I don‘t get enough exercise。 I have no time for loafing。 The third time well； this is it！ I was saying； then； five hundredandone millions〃
〃Millions of what？〃
The businessman suddenly realized that there was no hope of being left in peace until he answered this question。
〃Millions of those little objects；〃 he said； 〃which one sometimes sees in the sky。〃
〃Flies？〃
〃Oh； no。 Little glittering objects。〃
〃Bees？〃
〃Oh； no。 Little golden objects that set lazy men to idle dreaming。 As for me； I am concerned with matters of consequence。 There is no time for idle dreaming in my life。〃
〃Ah！ You mean the stars？〃
〃Yes； that‘s it。 The stars。〃
〃And what do you do with fivehundred millions of stars？〃
〃Fivehundredandone million； sixhundredtwentytwo thousand； sevenhundredthirtyone。 I am concerned accurate。〃
〃And what do you do with these stars？〃
〃What do I do with them？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Nothing。 I own them。〃
〃You own the stars？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃But I have already seen a king who〃
〃Kings do not own； they reign over。 It is a very different matter。〃
〃And what good does it do you to own the stars？〃
〃It does me the good of making me rich。〃
〃And what good does it do you to be rich？〃
〃It makes it possible for me to buy more stars； if any are ever discovered。〃
〃This man；〃 the little prince said to himself； 〃reasons a little like my poor tippler。。。〃
Nevertheless； he still had some more questions。
〃How is it possible for one to own the stars？〃
〃To whom do they belong？〃 the businessman retorted； peevishly。
〃I don‘t know。 To nobody。〃
〃Then they belong to me； because I was the first person to think of it。〃
〃Is that all that is necessary？〃
〃Certainly。 When you find a diamond that belongs to nobody； it is yours。 When you discover an island that belongs to nobody； it is yours。 When you get an idea before any one else； you take out a patent on it： it is yours。 So with me： I own the stars； because nobody else before me ever thought of owning them。〃
〃Yes； that is true；〃 said the little prince。 〃And what do you do with them？〃
〃I administer them；〃 replied the businessman。 〃I count them and recount them。 It is difficult。 But I am a man who is naturally interested in matters of consequence。〃
The little prince was still not satisfied。
〃If I owned a silk scarf；〃 he said； 〃I could put it around my neck and take it away with me。 If I owned a flower； I could pluck that flower and take it away with me。 But you cannot pluck the stars from heaven。。。〃
〃No。 But I can put them in the bank。〃
〃Whatever does that mean？〃
〃That means that I write the number of my stars on a