roughitwithitsroots.andiftheplanetistoo*all,andthebaobabsaretoomany,theysplititinpieces……"itisaquestionofdiscipline，"thelittleprincesaidtomelateron."whenyou‘vefnishedyourowntoiletinthemorning,thenitistimetoattendtothetoiletofyourplanet,justso,withthegreatestcare.youmustseetoitthatyoupullupregularlyallthebaobabs,attheveryfrstmomentwhentheycanbedistinguishedfromtherosebusheswhichtheyresemblesocloselyintheirearliestyouth.itisverytediouswork，"thelittleprinceadded，"butveryeasy."andonedayhesaidtome："yououghttomakeabeautifuldrawing,sothatthechildrenwhereyoulivecanseeexactlyhowallthisis.thatwouldbeveryusefultothemiftheyweretotravelsomeday.sometimes，"headded，"thereisnoharminputtingoffapieceofworkuntilanotherday.butwhenitisamatterofbaobabs,thatalway*eansacatastrophe.iknewaplanetthatwasinhabitedbyalazyman.heneglectedthreelittlebushes……"so,asthelittleprincedescribedittome,ihavemadeadrawingofthatplanet.idonotmuchliketotakethetoneofamoralist.butthedangerofthebaobabsissolittleunderstood,andsuchconsiderableriskswouldberunbyanyonewhomightgetlostonanasteroid,thatforonceiambreakingthroughmyreserve."children，"isayplainly，"watchoutforthebaobabs！"myfriends,likemyself,havebeenskirtingthisdangerforalongtime,withouteverknowingit；andsoitisforthemthatihaveworkedsohardoverthisdrawing.thelessonwhichipassonbythi*eansisworthallthetroubleithascostme.perhapsyouwillaskme，"whyaretherenootherdrawinginthisbooka*agnifcentandimpressiveasthisdrawingofthebaobabs?"thereplyissimple.ihavetried.butwiththeothersihavenotbeensuccessful.whenimadethedrawingofthebaobabsiwascarriedbeyondmyselfbytheinspiringforceofurgentnecessity.chaptervioh,littleprince！bitbybiticametounderstandthesecretsofyoursadlittlelife……foralongtimeyouhadfoundyouronlyentertainmentinthequietpleasureoflookingatthesunset.ilearnedthatnewdetailonthemorningofthefourthday,whenyousaidtome："iamveryfondofsunsets.come,letusgolookatasunsetnow.""butwemustwait，"isaid."wait?forwhat?""forthesunset.wemustwaituntilitistime."atfrstyouseemedtobeverymuchsurprised.andthenyoulaughedtoyourself.yousaidtome："iamalwaysthinkingthatiamathome！"justso.everybodyknowsthatwhenitisnoonintheunitedstatesthesunissettingoverfrance.ifyoucouldflytofranceinoneminute,youcouldgostraightintothesunset,rightfromnoon.unfortunately,franceistoofarawayforthat.butonyourtinyplanet,mylittleprince,allyouneeddoi*oveyourchairafewsteps.youcanseethedayendandthetwilightfallingwheneveryoulike……"oneday，"yousaidtome，"isawthesunsetforty-fourtimes！"andalittlelateryouadded："youknow—onelovesthesunset,whenoneissosad……""wereyousosad,then?"iasked，"onthedayoftheforty-foursunsets?"butthelittleprincemadenoreply.chapterviiontheffthday—again,asalways,itwasthankstothesheep—thesecretofthelittleprince‘slifewasrevealedtome.abruptly,withoutanythingtoleaduptoit,andasifthequestionhadbeenbornoflongandsilentmeditationonhisproblem,hedemanded："asheep—ifiteatslittlebushes,doesiteatfowers,too?""asheep，"ianswered，"eatsanythingitfndsinitsreach.""evenfowersthathavethorns?""yes,evenfowersthathavethorns.""thenthethorns—whatusearethey?"ididnotknow.atthatmomentiwasverybusytryingtounscrewaboltthathadgotstuckinmyengine.iwasverymuchworried,foritwasbecomingcleartomethatthebreakdownofmyplanewa*tremelyserious.andihadsolittledrinking-waterleftthatihadtofearfortheworst."thethorns—whatusearethey?"thelittleprinceneverletgoofaquestion,oncehehadaskedit.asforme,iwasupsetoverthatbolt.andiansweredwiththefrstthingthatcameintomyhead："thethornsareofnouseatall.flowershavethornsjustforspite！""oh！"therewasamomentofcompletesilence.thenthelittleprincefashedbackatme,withakindofresentfulness："idon'tbelieveyou！flowersareweakcreatures.theyarenaive.theyreassurethemselvesasbesttheycan.theybelievethattheirthornsareterribleweapons……"ididnotanswer.atthatinstantiwassayingtomyself："ifthisboltstillwon‘tturn,iamgoingtoknockitoutwiththehammer."againthelittleprincedisturbedmythoughts."andyouactuallybelievethatthefowers—""oh,no！"icried."no,nono！idon‘tbelieveanything.iansweredyouwiththefrstthingthatcameintomyhead.don‘tyousee—iamverybusywithmattersofconsequence！"hestaredatme,thunderstruck."mattersofconsequence！"helookedatmethere,withmyhammerinmyhand,myfngersblackwithengine-grease,bendingdownoveranobjectwhichseemedtohimextremelyugly……"youtalkjustlikethegrown-ups！"thatmademealittleashamed.buthewenton,relentlessly："youmixeverythinguptogether……youconfuseeverything……"hewasreallyveryangry.hetossedhisgoldencurlsinthebreeze."iknowaplanetwherethereisacertainred-facedgentleman.hehasnever*elledaflower.hehasneverlookedatastar.hehasneverlovedanyone.hehasneverdoneanythinginhislifebutaddupfgures.andalldayhesaysoverandover,justlikeyou：‘iambusywithmattersofconsequence！'andthatmakeshimswellupwithpride.butheisnotaman—heisamushroom！""awhat?""amushroom！"thelittleprincewasnowwhitewithrage."thefowershavebeengrowingthornsformillionsofyears.formillionsofyearsthesheephavebeeneatingthemjustthesame.andisitnotamatterofconsequencetotrytounderstandwhythefowersgotosomuchtroubletogrowthornswhichareneverofanyusetothem?isthewarfarebetweenthesheepandthefowersnotimportant?isthisnotofmoreconsequencethanafatred-facedgentleman‘ssums?andifiknow—i,myself—onefowerwhichisuniqueintheworld,whichgrowsnowherebutonmyplanet,butwhichonelittlesheepcandestroyinasinglebitesomemorning,withoutevennoticingwhatheisdoing—oh！youthinkthatisnotimportant！"hisfaceturnedfromwhitetoredashecontinued："ifsomeonelovesafower,ofwhichjustonesingleblossomgrowsinallthemillionsandmillionsofstars,itisenoughtomakehimhappyjusttolookatthestars.hecansaytohimself，‘somewhere,myfoweristhere……'butifthesheepeatsthefower,inonemomentallhisstarswillbedarkened……andyouthinkthatisnotimportant！"hecouldnotsayanythingmore.hiswordswerechokedbysobbing.thenighthadfallen.ihadletmytoolsdropfrommyhands.ofwhatmomentnowwa*yhammer,mybolt,orthirst,ordeath?ononestar,oneplanet,myplanet,theearth,therewasalittleprincetobecomforted.itookhiminmyarms,androckedhim.isaidtohim："thefowerthatyouloveisnotindanger.iwilldrawyouamuzzleforyoursheep.iwilldrawyouarailingtoputaroundyourfower.iwill—"ididnotknowwhattosaytohim.ifeltawkwardandblundering.ididnotknowhowicouldreachhim,whereicouldovertakehimandgoonhandinhandwithhimoncemore.itissuchasecretplace,thelandoftears.chapterviiiisoonlearnedtoknowthisfowerbetter.onthelittleprince‘splanetthefowershadalwaysbeenverysimple.theyhadonlyoneringofpetals；theytookupnoroomatall；theywereatroubletonobody.onemorningtheywouldappearinthegrass,andbynighttheywouldhavefadedpeacefullyaway.butoneday,fromaseedblownfromnooneknewwhere,anewfowerhadcomeup；andthelittleprincehadwatchedverycloselyoverthis*allsproutwhichwasnotlikeanyother*allsproutsonhisplanet.itmight,yousee,havebeenanewkindofbaobab.theshrubsoonstoppedgrowing,andbegantogetr