Asteroid B-612

It took me a long time to learn where he came from. The little prince asked me so many questions but never seemed to hear the ones I asked him. It was from words he said by chance that, little by little, everything became clear to me.

The first time he saw my airplane, he asked: "What is that object?"

"That is not an object. It flies. It is an airplane. It is my airplane."

And I was proud to have him learn that I could fly. He cried out:

"What! You dropped down from the sky?"

"Yes," I answered modestly.

"Oh! That is funny!" And the little prince laughed, which irritated me very much. I like my misfortunes to be taken seriously.

Then he added: "So you, too, come from the sky! Which is your planet?"

I had learned that the planet he came from was scarcely any larger than a house. I believe it is the asteroid known as B-612. This asteroid has been seen through a telescope only once — by a Turkish astronomer, in . He presented his discovery to the International Astronomical Congress, but nobody believed him because of how he was dressed. Fortunately, a Turkish ruler later made a law requiring his people to wear European clothes. So in the astronomer presented his discovery again, dressed very elegantly. And this time everyone accepted his report.

I am telling you all these details about the asteroid because of grown-ups. When you tell them you have made a new friend, they never ask about essential things. They never say: "What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies?" Instead they demand: "How old is he? How many brothers has he? How much does his father earn?" Only from these numbers do they think they have learned anything.

If you were to say: "The proof that the little prince existed is that he was charming, that he laughed, and that he was looking for a sheep" — they would shrug their shoulders and treat you like a child. But if you say "He came from Asteroid B-612" — they would be convinced and leave you in peace.

I have suffered too much grief in writing down these memories. Six years have already passed since my friend went away with his sheep. I am writing this story so I shall not forget him. To forget a friend is very sad. Not everyone has had a friend.