Quotes by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Nothing is perfect, sighed the fox. My life is very monotonous. I run after the chickens; the men run after me. All the chickens are the same; all the men are the same. Consequently, I get a little bored. But if you tame me, my days will be as if filled with sunlight. I shall know the sound of a footstep different from all the rest. ...You see the fields of corn? Well, I dont eat bread. Corn is of no use to me. Corn fields remind me of nothing. Which is sad. On the other hand, your hair is the colour of gold. So think how wonderful it will be when you have tamed me. The corn, which is golden, will remind me of you. And I will come to love the sound of the wind in the field of corn.The fox fell silent and looked steadily at the little prince for a long time.Please, he said, tame me!

He fell as gently as a tree falls. There was not even any sound..

All the stars are a riot of flowers.

I have always loved the desert. One sits down on a desert sand dune, sees nothing, hears nothing. Yet through the silence something throbs, and gleams...

Alone within the vast tribunal that is the stormy sky, the pilot is in contention for his mailbags with three elemental divinities: mountain, sea and storm.

So the little prince tamed the fox. And when the time for him to leave was approaching:Oh!, said the fox. I am going to cry.Its your own fault, said the little prince. I never wished you any harm; but you wanted me to tame you...I know, said the fox.And now youre going to cry! said the little prince.I know, said the fox.So you have gained nothing from it at all!Yes, I have gained something, said the fox, because of the colour of the corn.

If you are to be, you must begin by assuming responsibility.

Its hard luck always having to be a judge.

If you come at four in the afternoon, Ill begin to be happy by three.

Words are the source of misunderstandings.

Well, I must endure the presence of two or three caterpillars if I wish to become 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, navely, 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. . .

The fox is answering the Little Princes question. What does that mean . . . tame? asks the Little Prince. Itmeans to establish ties. One only understands the things that one tames. Men have no more time to understand anything, they buy things all ready made at the shops, but there is no shop anywhere one can buy friendship.

When I opened my eyes I saw nothing but the pool of nocturnal sky, for I was lying on my back with out-stretched arms, face to face with that hatchery of stars. Only half awake, still unaware that those depths were sky, having no roof between those depths and me, no branches to screen them, no root to cling to, I was seized with vertigo and felt myself as if flung forth and plunging downward like a diver.

How is it possible for one to own the stars?To whom do they belong? the businessman retorted, peevishly.I dont know. To nobody.

You - you alone will have the stars as no one else has them...

If you love a flower which happens to be on a star, it is sweet at night to gaze at the sky. All the stars are a riot of flowers.

Supposing I know of a flower that is absolutely unique, that is nowhere to be found except on my planet, and any minute that flower could accidentally be eaten up by a little lamb, isnt that important? If a person loves a flower that is the only one of its kind on all the millions and millions of stars, then gazing at the night sky is enough to make him happy. He says to himself My flower is out there somewhere. But if the lamb eats the flower, then suddenly its as if all the stars had stopped shining. Isnt that important?

That will be so amusing! You will have five hundred million little bells,and I shall have five hundred million springs of fresh water...

My star will just be one of the stars, for you. And so you will love to watch all the stars in the heavens...they will all be your friends.-the little prince

You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.