The Little Prince (Chapters 15-19)

Reading from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Meeting of the geographer, the snake, and desertic parts of the Earth. Be carried away by the adventures of the aviator and his young friend full of wisdom and sweetness. If you enjoyed this recording, let me know with a small donation/a message to help me produce more chapters. Thank you!
(Music by Kai Engel and Doctor Turtle.)

Transcript

The Little Prince Chapter 15 The sixth planet was ten times bigger than the last one. It was inhabited by an old gentleman who wrote voluminous books. Oh, Look! Here is an explorer! He exclaimed to himself when he saw the Little Prince coming. The Little Prince sat down on the table and panted a little. He had already traveled so much and so far. Where do you come from? The old gentleman said to him. What is that big book? Said the Little Prince. What are you doing? I am a geographer, Said the old gentleman. What is a geographer? Asked the Little Prince. A geographer is a scholar who knows the location of all the seas, Rivers, Towns, Mountains and deserts. That is very interesting, Said the Little Prince. Here at last is a man who has a real profession. When he cast a look around him at the planet of the geographer, It was the most magnificent and stately planet that he had ever seen. Your planet is very beautiful, He said. Does it have any oceans? I couldn't tell you that, Said the geographer. Does it have any mountains? I couldn't tell you, Said the geographer. And towns and rivers and deserts? I couldn't tell you that either. But you're a geographer. Exactly, The geographer said. But I am not an explorer. I don't have any explorer on my planet. It is not the geographer who goes out to count the towns, The rivers, The mountains, The seas, The oceans, And deserts. The geographer is much too important to go wandering around. He does not leave his desk. But he receives the explorers in his study. He asks them questions, And he notes down what they recall of their travels. And if the recollections of any one among them seem interesting to him, The geographer orders an inquiry into the explorer's moral character. Why is that? Because a lying explorer would be a disaster for the books of the geographer. So would an explorer who drank too much. Why is that? Because intoxicated men see double. Then the geographer would note down two mountains in a place where there was only one. Hmm, I know someone, Said the little prince, Who would make a bad explorer. That is possible. One when the moral character of the explorer is shown to be good, An inquiry is ordered into his discovery. One goes to see it? No, That would be too complicated. But one does require the explorer to furnish proof. For example, If the discovery in question is that of a large mountain, One requires that large stones be brought back from it. The geographer was suddenly stirred to excitement. But you, You come from far away. You are an explorer. You shall describe your planet to me. And having opened his big register, The geographer sharpened his pencil. The accounts of explorers are always put down in pencil first. One waits until the explorer has furnished proof before writing them down in ink. Well, Said the geographer expectantly. Oh, Where I live? Said the little prince. It is not very interesting. It is all so small. I have three volcanoes. Two volcanoes are active, And the other is extinct. But one never knows. One never knows. Said the geographer. I also have a flower. We do not record flowers. Said the geographer. Why is that? The flower is the most beautiful thing on the planet. We do not record them. Said the geographer. Because they are ephemeral. What does that mean? Ephemeral geographies. Said the geographer. Are the books which, Of all books, Are most concerned with matters of consequence. They never become outdated. It is very rare that a mountain changes its position. It is very rare that an ocean empties itself of all its water. We write of eternal things. But extinct volcanoes may come to life again. The little prince interrupted. What does that mean? Ephemeral. Whether a volcano is extinct or alive, It's all the same to us. Said the geographer. The thing that matters to us is the mountain. That does not change. But what does that mean? Ephemeral. Repeated the little prince who never in his life had let go of a question once he asked it. It means which is in danger of speedy disappearance. Is my flower in danger of speedy disappearance? Certainly it is. My flower is ephemeral. The little prince said to himself. And she has only four thorns to defend herself against the world. And I have left her on my planet all alone. This was his first moment of regret. But he took courage once more. What place would you advise me to visit now? He asked. The planet Earth replied the geographer. It has a good reputation. And the little prince went away thinking of his flower. Chapter 16 So then, The seventh planet was the Earth. The Earth is not just an ordinary planet. One can count there 111 kings, 7000 geographers, 900, 000 businessmen, 700, 500, 000 tipplers, 311, 000, 000 conceited men. That is to say, About 2 trillion grown ups. To give you an idea of the size of the Earth, I will tell you that before the invention of electricity, It was necessary to maintain over the whole of the six continents, A true army of 462 511 lamplighters for the street lamps. Seen from a distance, That would make an amazing show. The movements of this army would be regulated like those of the ballet and the opera. First would come the turn of the lamplighters of New Zealand and Australia. Having set their lamps alight, These would go off to sleep. Next, The lamplighters of China and Siberia would enter for their steps in the dance. And then, They would be waved back into the wings. After that, Would come the turn of the lamplighters of Russia and Southeast Asia. Then those of Africa and Europe. Then those of South America and those of North America. And never would they make a mistake in the order of their entry upon the stage. It would be magnificent. Only the man who was in charge of the single lamp at the North Pole and his colleague who was responsible for the single lamp at the South Pole. Only these two would live free from toil and care. They would just be busy twice a year. Chapter 17 When one tries to be witty, One can wander from the truth a little. I have not been altogether honest in what I have told you about the lamplighters. And I realize that I run the risk of giving a false idea about our planet to those who do not know it. One kind occupies a very small place upon the earth. If the two billion inhabitants who populate its surface were all to stand upright and somewhat crowded together, As they do for some of the big public assembly, They could easily be put into one public square twenty miles long and twenty miles wide. All humanity could be piled up in a small Pacific island. The grown-ups, To be sure, Will not believe you when you tell them that. They think of themselves filling up a great deal of space. They fancy themselves as important as the baobabs. You should advise them them to make their own calculations. They adore figures and that will please them. But do not waste your time on this extra task. It is unnecessary. You have, I know, Trust in me. When the little prince arrived on the earth, He was very much surprised not to see any people. He was beginning to be afraid that he had come to the wrong planet when a coil of gold, The color of moonlight, Flashed across the sand. Good evening, Said the prince, Cautiously. Good evening, Said the snake. What planet is this on which I have come down, Asked the little prince. This is earth. This is Africa, The snake answered. Then, There are no people on the earth? This is the desert. There are no people in the desert. The earth is large, Said the snake. The little prince sat down on a stone and raised his eyes towards the sky. I wonder, He said, Whether the stars are a satellite in heaven so that one day each one of us may find his own again. Look at my planet. It is right there above us. But how far away it is. It is beautiful, The snake said. What has brought you here? I have been having some trouble with the flower, Said the little prince. Ah, Said the snake. And they both were silent. Where are the men? The little prince at last took up the conversation again. It is a little too lonely in the desert. It is also lonely among the men, The snake said. The little prince gazed at him for a long time. You are a funny animal, He said at last. You are no thicker than a finger. But I am more of a powerful than the finger of a king, Said the snake. The little prince smiled. You can't be that powerful. You don't even have feet. You couldn't travel. I can carry you farther than any ship could take you, Said the snake. He twined himself around the little prince's ankle like a golden bracelet. Whomever I touch, I stand back to the earth. From whence he came, The snake spoke again. But you are innocent and true. And you came from a star. The little prince made no reply. You move me to pity. You are so weak on this earth made of granite, The snake said. I can help you someday if you grow too homesick for your own planets. I can. Oh, I understand you very well, Said the little prince. But why do you always speak in riddles? I solve them all, Said the snake. And then they were both silent again. Chapter 18. The little prince crossed the desert and met with only one flower. It was a flower with three petals. A flower of no account at all. Good morning, Said the little prince. Good morning, Said the flower. Where are the humans, The little prince asked politely. The flower had once seen a caravan passing. Humans, She echoed. I think there are six or seven of them in existence. I saw them several years ago. But one never knows where to find them. The wind blows them away. They have no roots. And that makes their life very difficult. Goodbye, Said the prince. Goodbye, Said the flower. Chapter 19. After that, The little prince climbed a high mountain. The only mountains he had ever known were the three volcanoes, Which came up to his knees. And he used the extinct volcano as a foodstool. From a mountain as high as this one, He said to himself, I shall be able to see the whole planet at one glance. And all the people. But he saw nothing except for peaks of rocks that were as sharp as needles. Good morning, He said courteously. Good morning. Good morning. Answered the echo. Who are you? Said the little prince. Who are you? Answered the echo. Be my friends. I am all alone, He said. I am all alone, Answered the echo. What a strange planet, He thought to himself. It's all dry. All pointy. All salty. And humans really lack imagination. They just repeat whatever we tell them. On my planet, I had a flower. She was always the first to speak. She was always the first to speak. She was always the first to speak.

Reviews

She was always the first to speak… lovely whimsical book… thank you for sharing.🙏🏼❤️