Little Prince

Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: At the age of six, I saw a remarkable picture in a book called "The Story of Nature" about the jungle, depicting a large python swallowing an animal. This is a copy of that drawing:
The book said: The python swallows the animals whole without chewing them at all. After that, in order to digest the food properly, they remain motionless for six months.
I thought about it for a long time, then experienced the jungle adventure in the book again, and finally successfully drew my own drawing with a colored pencil. It was named "Number One Work," and it looked like this:
I showed my proud work to the adults and asked if they were scared by the drawing. But they replied, "Scared? Oh, who would be frightened by a hat?" But what I drew was not a hat—it was a picture of a python digesting an elephant inside its belly.
Because the adults couldn’t understand it, I drew another one. The picture showed what was inside the python’s belly, so the adults could see it clearly. They always needed a clear explanation. My "Number Two Work" looked like this:
This time, the adults’ reaction was to suggest that I stop drawing the python, whether from the inside or the outside. They told me to focus on learning geography, history, arithmetic, and grammar. That’s why, at the age of six, I had to give up my dream of becoming a famous painter. The failure of "Number One Work" and "Number Two Work" made me discouraged. Adults never try to understand things themselves, which makes children feel bored because they always have to explain these things to adults.
So I chose another profession and became a pilot through studying. I flew almost all over the world, and at this time, geography was indeed very useful. Just by looking down, I could distinguish between China and Arizona in the United States. If someone got lost at night, such knowledge was very necessary.
In my life, I met many people who thought they knew everything. Although I lived among adults for a long time, observing and getting close to them, it didn’t change my thoughts about them.
Whenever I met someone who seemed knowledgeable, I would test them with my "Number One Work," because I always carried it with me. I really hoped to find someone who could understand it.
But no matter who it was, they would say, "It’s a hat!" Then I wouldn’t talk to them anymore about the python, stars, or the jungle. I would talk about things they could understand—bridges, golf, politics, and lapels. The adults would be very happy, thinking they had met a sensible person.