I had thus learned a second fact of great importance: this was that the planet the little prince came from was scarcely any larger than a house!

But that did not really surprise me much. I knew very well that in addition to the great planets--such as the Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Venus--to which we have given names, there arealso hundreds of others, some of which are so small that one has a hardtime seeing them through the telescope. When an astronomer discoversone of these he does not give it a name, but only a number. He mightcall it, for example, "Asteroid 325."

I have serious reason to believe that the planet from which the little prince came is the asteroid known as B-612.

This asteroid has only once been seen through the telescope. That was by a Turkish astronomer, in 1909.

On making his discovery, the astronomer had presented it to the International Astronomical Congress, in a great demonstration. But he was in Turkish costume, and so nobodywould believe what he said.

Grown-ups are like that . . .

Fortunately, however, for the reputation of Asteroid B-612, a Turkish dictator made a law that his subjects, under pain of death, should change to European costume. So in1920 the astronomer gave his demonstration all over again, dressed withimpressive style and elegance. And this time everybody accepted hisreport.

If I have told you these details about the asteroid, and made a note of its number for you, it is on account of the grown-ups and their ways. When you tell them that youhave made a new friend, they never ask you any questions about essentialmatters. They never say to you, "What does his voice sound like? Whatgames does he love best? Does he collect butterflies?" Instead, theydemand: "How old is he? How many brothers has he? How much does heweigh? How much money does his father make?" Only from these figures dothey think they have learned anything about him.

If you were to say to the grown-ups: "I saw a beautiful house made of rosy brick, with geraniums in the windows and doves on the roof," they would not be able to get any ideaof that house at all. You would have to say to them: "I saw a house thatcost $20,000." Then they would exclaim: "Oh, what a pretty house thatis!"

Just so, you might say to them: "The proof that the little prince existed is that he was charming, that he laughed, and that he was looking for a sheep. If anybody wants a sheep,that is a proof that he exists." And what good would it do to tell themthat? They would shrug their shoulders, and treat you like a child. Butif you said to them: "The planet he came from is Asteroid B-612," thenthey would be convinced, and leave you in peace from their questions.

They are like that. One must not hold it against them. Children should always show great forbearance toward grown-up people.

But certainly, for us who understand life, figures are a matter of indifference. I should have liked to begin this story in the fashion of the fairy-tales. I should have liketo say: "Once upon a time there was a little prince who lived on aplanet that was scarcely any bigger than himself, and who had need of asheep . . ."

To those who understand life, that would have given a much greater air of truth to my story.

For I do not want any one to read my book carelessly. I have suffered too much grief in setting down these memories. Six years have already passed since my friend went away fromme, with his sheep. If I try to describe him here, it is to make surethat I shall not forget him. To forget a friend is sad. Not every onehas had a friend. And if I forget him, I may become like the grown-upswho are no longer interested in anything but figures . . .

It is for that purpose, again, that I have bought a box of paints and some pencils. It is hard to take up drawing again at my age, when I have never made any pictures exceptthose of the boa constrictor from the outside and the boa constrictorfrom the inside, since I was six. I shall certainly try to make myportraits as true to life as possible. But I am not at all sure ofsuccess. One drawing goes along all right, and another has noresemblance to its subject. I make some errors, too, in the littleprince's height: in one place he is too tall and in another too short.And I feel some doubts about the color of his costume. So I fumble alongas best I can, now good, now bad, and I hope generallyfair-to-middling.

In certain more important details I shall make mistakes, also. But that is something that will not be my fault. My friend never explained anything to me. He thought, perhaps,that I was like himself. But I, alas, do not know how to see sheepthrough the walls of boxes. Perhaps I am a little like the grown-ups. Ihave had to grow old.

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