小王子-the little prince (英文版)-第4章

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t　if　the　sheep　eats　the　flower；　in　one　moment　all　his　stars　will　be　darkened。。。　And　you　think　that　is　not　important！〃　
He　could　not　say　anything　more。　His　words　were　choked　by　sobbing。　

　
　

The　night　had　fallen。　I　had　let　my　tools　drop　from　my　hands。　Of　what　moment　now　was　my　hammer；　my　bolt；　or　thirst；　or　death？　On　one　star；　one　pla；　my　pla；　the　Earth；　there　was　a　little　prince　to　be　forted。　I　took　him　in　my　arms；　and　rocked　him。　I　said　to　him：
〃The　flower　that　you　love　is　not　in　danger。　I　will　draw　you　a　muzzle　for　your　sheep。　I　will　draw　you　a　railing　to　put　around　your　flower。　I　will〃　
I　did　not　know　what　to　say　to　him。　I　felt　awkward　and　blundering。　I　did　not　know　how　I　could　reach　him；　where　I　could　overtake　him　and　go　on　hand　in　hand　with　him　once　more。　
It　is　such　a　secret　place；　the　land　of　tears。

　
　
　
＇　Chapter　8　＇

　　the　rose　arrives　at　the　little　prince‘s　pla　


I　soon　learned　to　know　this　flower　better。　On　the　little　prince‘s　pla　the　flowers　had　always　been　very　simple。　They　had　only　one　ring　of　petals；　they　took　up　no　room　at　all；　they　were　a　trouble　to　nobody。　One　morning　they　would　appear　in　the　grass；　and　by　night　they　would　have　faded　peacefully　away。　But　one　day；　from　a　seed　blown　from　no　one　knew　where；　a　new　flower　had　e　up；　and　the　little　prince　had　watched　very　closely　over　this　small　sprout　which　was　not　like　any　other　small　sprouts　on　his　pla。　It　might；　you　see；　have　been　a　new　kind　of　baobab。　

The　shrub　soon　stopped　growing；　and　began　to　get　ready　to　produce　a　flower。　The　little　prince；　who　was　present　at　the　first　appearance　of　a　huge　bud；　felt　at　once　that　some　sort　of　miraculous　apparition　must　emerge　from　it。　But　the　flower　was　not　satisfied　to　plete　the　preparations　for　her　beauty　in　the　shelter　of　her　green　chamber。　She　chose　her　colours　with　the　greatest　care。　She　adjusted　her　petals　one　by　one。　She　did　not　wish　to　go　out　into　the　world　all　rumpled；　like　the　field　poppies。　It　was　only　in　the　full　radiance　of　her　beauty　that　she　wished　to　appear。　Oh；　yes！　She　was　a　coquettish　creature！　And　her　mysterious　adornment　lasted　for　days　and　days。　

　
　

Then　one　morning；　exactly　at　sunrise；　she　suddenly　showed　herself。　
And；　after　working　with　all　this　painstaking　precision；　she　yawned　and　said：　
〃Ah！　I　am　scarcely　awake。　I　beg　that　you　will　excuse　me。　My　petals　are　still　all　disarranged。。。〃　
But　the　little　prince　could　not　restrain　his　admiration：　
〃Oh！　How　beautiful　you　are！〃　
〃Am　I　not？〃　the　flower　responded；　sweetly。　〃And　I　was　born　at　the　same　moment　as　the　sun。。。〃　
The　little　prince　could　guess　easily　enough　that　she　was　not　any　too　modest　but　how　moving　and　exciting　she　was！　
〃I　think　it　is　time　for　breakfast；〃　she　added　an　instant　later。　〃If　you　would　have　the　kindness　to　think　of　my　needs〃　
And　the　little　prince；　pletely　abashed；　went　to　look　for　a　sprinklingcan　of　fresh　water。　So；　he　tended　the　flower。　

　
　

So；　too；　she　began　very　quickly　to　torment　him　with　her　vanity　which　was；　if　the　truth　be　known；　a　little　difficult　to　deal　with。　One　day；　for　instance；　when　she　was　speaking　of　her　four　thorns；　she　said　to　the　little　prince：　
〃Let　the　tigers　e　with　their　claws！〃　
〃There　are　no　tigers　on　my　pla；〃　the　little　prince　objected。　〃And；　anyway；　tigers　do　not　eat　weeds。〃　

　
　

〃I　am　not　a　weed；〃　the　flower　replied；　sweetly。　
〃Please　excuse　me。。。〃
〃I　am　not　at　all　afraid　of　tigers；〃　she　went　on；　〃but　I　have　a　horror　of　drafts。　I　suppose　you　wouldn‘t　have　a　screen　for　me？〃　
〃A　horror　of　drafts　that　is　bad　luck；　for　a　plant；〃　remarked　the　little　prince；　and　added　to　himself；　〃This　flower　is　a　very　plex　creature。。。〃　
〃At　night　I　want　you　to　put　me　under　a　glass　globe。　It　is　very　cold　where　you　live。　In　the　place　I　came　from〃

　
　

　But　she　interrupted　herself　at　that　point。　She　had　e　in　the　form　of　a　seed。　She　could　not　have　known　anything　of　any　other　worlds。　Embarassed　over　having　let　herself　be　caught　on　the　verge　of　such　a　na飗e　untruth；　she　coughed　two　or　three　times；　in　order　to　put　the　little　prince　in　the　wrong。　
〃The　screen？〃　
〃I　was　just　going　to　look　for　it　when　you　spoke　to　me。。。〃　
Then　she　forced　her　cough　a　little　more　so　that　he　should　suffer　from　remorse　just　the　same。　
So　the　little　prince；　in　spite　of　all　the　good　will　that　was　inseparable　from　his　love；　had　soon　e　to　doubt　her。　He　had　taken　seriously　words　which　were　without　importance；　and　it　made　him　very　unhappy。　
〃I　ought　not　to　have　listened　to　her；〃　he　confided　to　me　one　day。　〃One　never　ought　to　listen　to　the　flowers。　One　should　simply　look　at　them　and　breathe　their　fragrance。　Mine　perfumed　all　my　pla。　But　I　did　not　know　how　to　take　pleasure　in　all　her　grace。　This　tale　of　claws；　which　disturbed　me　so　much；　should　only　have　filled　my　heart　with　tenderness　and　pity。〃
And　he　continued　his　confidences：　
〃The　fact　is　that　I　did　not　know　how　to　understand　anything！　I　ought　to　have　judged　by　deeds　and　not　by　words。　She　cast　her　fragrance　and　her　radiance　over　me。　I　ought　never　to　have　run　away　from　her。。。　I　ought　to　have　guessed　all　the　affection　that　lay　behind　her　poor　little　strategems。　Flowers　are　so　inconsistent！　But　I　was　too　young　to　know　how　to　love　her。。。〃
　
　

　
　
＇　Chapter　9　＇

　　the　little　prince　leaves　his　pla　


I　believe　that　for　his　escape　he　took　advantage　of　the　migration　of　a　flock　of　wild　birds。　On　the　morning　of　his　departure　he　put　his　pla　in　perfect　order。　He　carefully　cleaned　out　his　active　volcanoes。　He　possessed　two　active　volcanoes；　and　they　were　very　convenient　for　heating　his　breakfast　in　the　morning。　He　also　had　one　volcano　that　was　extinct。　But；　as　he　said；　〃One　never　knows！〃　So　he　cleaned　out　the　extinct　volcano；　too。　If　they　are　well　cleaned　out；　volcanoes　burn　slowly　and　steadily；　without　any　eruptions。　Volcanic　eruptions　are　like　fires　in　a　chimney。

On　our　earth　we　are　obviously　much　too　small　to　clean　out　our　volcanoes。　That　is　why　they　bring　no　end　of　trouble　upon　us。　

　
　

The　little　prince　also　pulled　up；　with　a　certain　sense　of　dejection；　the　last　little　shoots　of　the　baobabs。　He　believed　that　he　would　never　want　to　return。　But　on　this　last　morning　all　these　familiar　tasks　seemed　very　precious　to　him。　And　when　he　watered　the　flower　for　the　last　time；　and　prepared　to　place　her　under　the　shelter　of　her　glass　globe；　he　realised　that　he　was　very　close　to　tears。
〃Goodbye；〃　he　said　to　the　flower。　
But　she　made　no　answer。　
〃Goodbye；〃　he　said　again。
The　flower　coughed。　But　it　was　not　because　she　had　a　cold。　
〃I　have　been　silly；〃　she　said　to　him；　at　last。　〃I　ask　your　fiveness。　Try　to　be　happy。。。〃　
He　was　surprised　by　this　absence　of　reproaches。　He　stood　there　all　bewildered；　the　glass　globe　held　arrested　in　midair。　He　did　not　understand　this　quiet　sweetness。　
〃Of　course　I　love　you；〃　the　flower　said　to　him。　〃It　is　my　fault　that　you　have　not　known　it　all　the　while。　That　is　of　no　importance。　But　you　you　have　been　just　as　foolish　as　I。　Try　to　be　happy。。。　let　the　glass　globe　be。　I　don‘t　want　it　any　more。〃　
〃But　the　wind〃　
〃My　cold　is　not　so　bad　as　all　that。。。　the　cool　night　air　will　do　me　good。　I　am　a　flower。〃　
〃But　the　animals〃　
〃Well；　I　must　endure　the　presence　of　two　or　three　caterpillars　if　I　wish　to　bee　acquainted　with　the　butterflies。　It　seems　that　they　are　very　beautiful。　And　if　not　the　butterflies　and　the　caterpillars　who　will　call　upon　me？　You　will　be　far　away。。。　as　for　the　large　animals　I　am　not　at　all　afraid　of　any　of　them。　I　have　my　claws。〃　
And；　na飗ely；　she　showed　her　four　thorns。　Then　she　added：　
〃Don‘t　linger　like　this。　You　have　decided　to　go　away。　Now　go！〃　
For　she　did　not　want　him　to　see　her　crying。　She　was　such　a　proud　flower。。。

　
　
＇　Chapter　10　＇

　　the　little　prince　visits　the　king　


He　found　himself　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　asteroids　325；　326；　327；　328；　329；　and　330。　He　began；　therefore；　by　visiting　them；　in　order　to　add　to　his　knowledge。　
The　first　of　them　was　inhabited　by　a　king。　Clad　in　royal　purple　and　ermine；　he　was　seated　upon　a　throne　which　was　at　the　same　time　both　simple　and　majestic。　
〃Ah！　Here　is　a　subject；〃　exclaimed　the　king；　when　he　saw　the　little　prince　ing。　
And　the　little　prince　asked　himself：　
〃How　could　he　recognize　me　when　he　had　never　seen　me　before？