p； and so men have no friends any more。 If you want a friend； tame me。。。〃
〃What must I do； to tame you？〃 asked the little prince。
〃You must be very patient；〃 replied the fox。 〃First you will sit down at a little distance from me like that in the grass。 I shall look at you out of the corner of my eye； and you will say nothing。 Words are the source of misunderstandings。 But yo u will sit a little closer to me； every day。。。〃
The next day the little prince came back。
〃It would have been better to e back at the same hour；〃 said the fox。 〃If； for example； you e at four o‘clock in the afternoon； then at three o‘clock I shall begin to be happy。 I shall feel happier and happier as the hour advances。 At four o‘clock； I shall already be worrying and jumping about。 I shall show you how happy I am！ But if you e at just any time； I shall never know at what hour my heart is to be ready to greet you。。。 One must observe the proper rites。。。〃
〃What is a rite？〃 asked the little prince。
〃Those also are actions too often neglected；〃 said the fox。 〃They are what make one day different from other days； one hour from other hours。 There is a rite； for example； among my hunters。 Every Thursday they dance with the village girls。 So Thursday is a wonderful day for me！ I can take a walk as far as the vineyards。 But if the hunters danced at just any time； every day would be like every other day； and I should never have any vacation at all。〃
So the little prince tamed the fox。 And when the hour of his departure drew near
〃Ah；〃 said the fox； 〃I shall cry。〃
〃It is your own fault；〃 said the little prince。 〃I never wished you any sort of harm； but you wanted me to tame you。。。〃
〃Yes； that is so；〃 said the fox。
〃But now you are going to cry！〃 said the little prince。
〃Yes； that is so；〃 said the fox。
〃Then it has done you no good at all！〃
〃It has done me good；〃 said the fox； 〃because of the color of the wheat fields。〃 And then he added：
〃Go and look again at the roses。 You will understand now that yours is unique in all the world。 Then e back to say goodbye to me； and I will make you a present of a secret。〃
The little prince went away； to look again at the roses。
〃You are not at all like my rose；〃 he said。 〃As yet you are nothing。 No one has tamed you； and you have tamed no one。 You are like my fox when I first knew him。 He was only a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes。 But I have made him my friend； and now he is unique in all the world。〃
And the roses were very much embarrassed。
〃You are beautiful； but you are empty；〃 he went on。 〃One could not die for you。 To be sure； an ordinary passerby would think that my rose looked just like you the rose that belongs to me。 But in herself alone she is more important than all the hundreds of you other roses： because it is she that I have watered； because it is she that I have put under the glass globe； because it is she that I have sheltered behind the screen； because it is for her that I have killed the caterpillars （except the two or three that we saved to bee butterflies）； because it is she that I have listened to； when she grumbled； or boasted； or even sometimes when she said nothing。 Because she is my rose。
And he went back to meet the fox。
〃Goodbye；〃 he said。
〃Goodbye；〃 said the fox。 〃And now here is my secret； a very simple secret： It is only with the heart that one can see rightly； what is essential is invisible to the eye。〃
〃What is essential is invisible to the eye；〃 the little prince repeated； so that he would be sure to remember。
〃It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important。〃
〃It is the time I have wasted for my rose〃 said the little prince； so that he would be sure to remember。
〃Men have fotten this truth；〃 said the fox。 〃But you must not fet it。 You bee responsible； forever； for what you have tamed。 You are responsible for your rose。。。〃
〃I am responsible for my rose；〃 the little prince repeated； so that he would be sure to remember。
＇ Chapter 22 ＇
the little prince encounters a railway switchman
〃Good morning；〃 said the little prince。
〃Good morning；〃 said the railway switchman。
〃What do you do here？〃 the little prince asked。
〃I sort out travelers； in bundles of a thousand；〃 said the switchman。 〃I send off the trains that carry them； now to the right； now to the left。〃
And a brilliantly lighted express train shook the switchman‘s cabin as it rushed by with a roar like thunder。
〃They are in a great hurry；〃 said the little prince。 〃What are they looking for？〃
〃Not even the lootive engineer knows that；〃 said the switchman。
And a second brilliantly lighted express thundered by； in the opposite direction。
〃Are they ing back already？〃 demanded the little prince。
〃These are not the same ones；〃 said the switchman。 〃It is an exchange。〃
〃Were they not satisfied where they were？〃 asked the little prince。
〃No one is ever satisfied where he is；〃 said the switchman。
And they heard the roaring thunder of a third brilliantly lighted express。
〃Are they pursuing the first travelers？〃 demanded the little prince。
〃They are pursuing nothing at all；〃 said the switchman。 〃They are asleep in there； or if they are not asleep they are yawning。 Only the children are flattening their noses against the windowpanes。〃
〃Only the children know what they are looking for；〃 said the little prince。 〃They waste their time over a rag doll and it bees very important to them； and if anybody takes it away from them； they cry。。。〃
〃They are lucky；〃 the switchman said。
＇ Chapter 23 ＇
the little prince encounters a merchant
〃Good morning；〃 said the little prince。
〃Good morning；〃 said the merchant。
This was a merchant who sold pills that had been invented to quench thirst。 You need only swallow one pill a week； and you would feel no need of anything to drink。
〃Why are you selling those？〃 asked the little prince。
〃Because they save a tremendous amount of time；〃 said the merchant。 〃putations have been made by experts。 With these pills； you save fiftythree minutes in every week。〃
〃And what do I do with those fiftythree minutes？〃
〃Anything you like。。。〃
〃As for me；〃 said the little prince to himself； 〃if I had fiftythree minutes to spend as I liked； I should walk at my leisure toward a spring of fresh water。〃
＇ Chapter 24 ＇
the narrator and the little prince； thirsty； hunt for a well in the desert
It was now the eighth day since I had had my accident in the desert； and I had listened to the story of the merchant as I was drinking the last drop of my water supply。
〃Ah；〃 I said to the little prince； 〃these memories of yours are very charming； but I have not yet succeeded in repairing my plane； I have nothing more to drink； and I； too； should be very happy if I could walk at my leisure toward a spring of fresh water！〃
〃My friend the fox〃 the little prince said to me。
〃My dear little man； this is no longer a matter that has anything to do with the fox！〃
〃Why not？〃
〃Because I am about to die of thirst。。。〃
He did not follow my reasoning； and he answered me：
〃It is a good thing to have had a friend； even if one is about to die。 I； for instance； am very glad to have had a fox as a friend。。。〃
〃He has no way of guessing the danger；〃 I said to myself。 〃He has never been either hungry or thirsty。 A little sunshine is all he needs。。。〃
But he looked at me steadily； and replied to my thought：
〃I am thirsty； too。 Let us look for a well。。。〃
I made a gesture of weariness。 It is absurd to look for a well； at random； in the immensity of the desert。 But nevertheless we started walking。
When we had trudged along for several hours； in silence； the darkness fell； and the stars began to e out。 Thirst had made me a little feverish； and I looked at them as if I were in a dream。 The little prince‘s last words came reeling back into my memory：
〃Then you are thirsty； too？〃 I demanded。
But he did not reply to my question。 He merely said to me：
〃Water may also be good for the heart。。。〃
I did not understand this answer； but I said nothing。 I knew very well that it was impossible to crossexamine him。
He was tired。 He sat down。 I sat down beside him。 And； after a little silence； he spoke again：
〃The stars are beautiful； because of a flower that cannot be seen。〃
I replied； 〃Yes； that is so。〃 And； without saying anything more； I looked across the ridges of sand that were stretched out before us in the moonlight。
〃The desert is beautiful；〃 the little prince added。
And that was true。 I have always loved the desert。 One sits down on a desert sand dune； sees nothing； hears nothing。 Yet through the silence something throbs； and gleams。。。
〃What makes the desert beautiful；〃 said the little prince； 〃is that somewhere it hides a well。。。〃
I was astonished by a sudden understanding of that mysterious radiation of the sands。 When I was a little boy I lived in an old house； and legend told us that a treasure was buried there。 To be sure； no one had ever known how to find it； perhaps no one had ever even looked for it。 But it cast an enchantment over that house。 My home was hiding a secret in the depths of its heart。。。
〃Yes；〃 I said to the little prince。 〃The house； the stars； the desert what gives them their beauty is something that is invisible！〃
〃I am glad；〃 he said； 〃that you agree with my fox。〃
As the little prince dropped off to sleep； I took him in my arms and set out walking once more。 I felt deeply moved； and stirred。 It seemed to me that I was carrying a very fragile treasure。 It seemed to me； even； that there was nothing more fragile on all Earth。 In the moonlight I looked at his pale forehead； his closed eyes； his locks of hair that trembled in the wind； and I said to myself： 〃What I see here is nothing but a shell。 What is most important is invisible。。。〃
As his lips opened slightly with the suspicious of a halfsmile； I said to myself； again： 〃What moves me so deeply； about this little prince who is sleeping here； is his loyalty to a flower the image of a rose that shines through his whole being like the flame of a lamp； even when he is asleep。。。〃 And I felt him to be more fragile still。 I felt the need of protecting him； as if he himself were a flame that might be extinguished by a little puff of wind。。。
And； as I walked on so； I found the well； at daybreak。
＇ Chapter 25 ＇
finding a well； the narrator and the little prince discuss his return to his pla
〃Men；〃 said the little prince； 〃set out on their way in express trains； but they do not know what they are looking for。 Then they rush about； and get excited； and turn round and round。。。〃
And he added：
〃It is not worth the trouble。。。〃
The well that we had e to was not like the wells of the Sahara。 The wells of the Sahara are mere holes dug in the sand。 This one was like a well in a village。 But there was no village here； and I thought I must be dreaming。。。
〃It is strange；〃 I said to the little prince。 〃Everything is ready for use： the pulley； the bucket； the rope。。。〃
He laughed； touched the rope； and set the pulley to working。 And the pulley moaned； like an old weathervane which the wind has long since fotten