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¡¡¡¡Very¡¡soon¡¡came¡¡a¡¡slight¡¡tremor¡£¡¡As¡¡every¡¡pilot¡¡knows£»¡¡there¡¡are¡¡secret¡¡little¡¡quiverings¡¡that¡¡fore¡tell¡¡your¡¡real¡¡storm¡£¡¡No¡¡rolling£»¡¡no¡¡pitching¡£¡¡No¡¡swing¡¡to¡¡speak¡¡of¡£¡¡The¡¡flight¡¡continues¡¡horizontal¡¡and¡¡rectilinear¡£¡¡But¡¡you¡¡have¡¡felt¡¡a¡¡warning¡¡drum¡¡on¡¡the¡¡wings¡¡of¡¡your¡¡plane£»¡¡little¡¡intermittent¡¡rappings¡¡scarcely¡¡audible¡¡and¡¡infinitely¡¡brief£»¡¡little¡¡cracklings¡¡from¡¡time¡¡to¡¡time¡¡as¡¡if¡¡there¡¡were¡¡traces¡¡of¡¡gunpowder¡¡in¡¡the¡¡air¡£¡¡
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¡¡¡¡Concerning¡¡the¡¡next¡¡couple¡¡of¡¡minutes¡¡I¡¡have¡¡nothing¡¡to¡¡say¡£¡¡All¡¡that¡¡I¡¡can¡¡find¡¡in¡¡my¡¡memory¡¡is¡¡a¡¡few¡¡rudimentary¡¡notions£»¡¡fragments¡¡of¡¡thoughts£»¡¡direct¡¡observations¡£¡¡I¡¡cannot¡¡pose¡¡them¡¡into¡¡a¡¡dramatic¡¡recital¡¡because¡¡there¡¡was¡¡no¡¡drama¡£¡¡The¡¡best¡¡I¡¡can¡¡do¡¡is¡¡to¡¡line¡¡them¡¡up¡¡in¡¡a¡¡kind¡¡of¡¡chronological¡¡order¡£¡¡
¡¡¡¡In¡¡the¡¡first¡¡place£»¡¡I¡¡was¡¡standing¡¡still¡£¡¡Having¡¡banked¡¡right¡¡in¡¡order¡¡to¡¡correct¡¡a¡¡sudden¡¡drift£»¡¡I¡¡saw¡¡the¡¡landscape¡¡freeze¡¡abruptly¡¡where¡¡it¡¡was¡¡and¡¡remain¡¡jiggling¡¡on¡¡the¡¡same¡¡spot¡£¡¡I¡¡was¡¡making¡¡no¡¡headway¡£¡¡My¡¡wings¡¡had¡¡ceased¡¡to¡¡nibble¡¡into¡¡the¡¡outline¡¡of¡¡the¡¡earth¡£¡¡I¡¡could¡¡see¡¡the¡¡earth¡¡buckle£»¡¡pivot¡but¡¡it¡¡stayed¡¡put¡£¡¡The¡¡plane¡¡was¡¡skidding¡¡as¡¡if¡¡on¡¡a¡¡toothless¡¡cogwheel¡£¡¡
¡¡¡¡Meanwhile¡¡I¡¡had¡¡the¡¡absurd¡¡feeling¡¡that¡¡I¡¡had¡¡exposed¡¡myself¡¡pletely¡¡to¡¡the¡¡enemy¡£¡¡All¡¡those¡¡peaks£»¡¡those¡¡crests£»¡¡those¡¡teeth¡¡that¡¡were¡¡cutting¡¡into¡¡the¡¡wind¡¡and¡¡unleashing¡¡its¡¡gusts¡¡in¡¡my¡¡direction£»¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡me¡¡so¡¡many¡¡guns¡¡pointed¡¡straight¡¡at¡¡my¡¡defenseless¡¡person¡£¡¡I¡¡was¡¡slow¡¡to¡¡think£»¡¡but¡¡the¡¡thought¡¡did¡¡e¡¡to¡¡me¡¡that¡¡I¡¡ought¡¡to¡¡give¡¡up¡¡altitude¡¡and¡¡make¡¡for¡¡one¡¡of¡¡the¡¡neighboring¡¡valleys¡¡where¡¡I¡¡might¡¡take¡¡shelter¡¡against¡¡a¡¡mountainside¡£¡¡As¡¡a¡¡matter¡¡of¡¡fact£»¡¡whether¡¡I¡¡liked¡¡it¡¡or¡¡not¡¡I¡¡was¡¡being¡¡helplessly¡¡sucked¡¡down¡¡towards¡¡the¡¡earth¡£¡¡Title£º¡¡Wind£»¡¡Sand£»¡¡and¡¡Stars¡¡
¡¡¡¡Author£º¡¡Antoine¡¡de¡¡Saint¡Exupery¡¡
¡¡¡¡Translator£º¡¡Lewis¡¡Galantiere¡¡
¡¡¡¡Publisher£º¡¡Harcourt¡¡Brace¡¡Javanovich£»¡¡New¡¡York£»¡¡1967¡¡
¡¡¡¡Date¡¡first¡¡posted£º¡¡February¡¡2000¡¡
¡¡¡¡Date¡¡most¡¡recently¡¡updated£º¡¡January¡¡2006¡¡
¡¡¡¡XML¡¡markup¡¡by¡¡Wesman¡¡02/23/2000¡£¡¡
¡¡¡¡Wind¡¡Sand¡¡and¡¡Stars
¡¡¡¡Antoine¡¡de¡¡Saint¡Exupery
¡¡¡¡5
¡¡¡¡The¡¡Plane¡¡and¡¡the¡¡Planet
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