Goodbye to the Flower

For his departure the little prince used a flock of wild birds that was passing. On the morning he left he put his planet in perfect order. He carefully cleaned out his active volcanoes — he had two active volcanoes, very useful for heating his breakfast. He also cleaned out the extinct one. "One never knows," he said. He pulled up the last baobab shoots.

When he watered the flower for the last time and prepared to place her under her glass globe, he felt close to tears.

"Goodbye," he said to the flower.

She did not answer.

"Goodbye," he said again.

The flower coughed. But it was not because she had a cold.

"I have been silly," she said to him at last. "I ask your forgiveness. Try to be happy."

He was surprised by this absence of complaint. He stood there with the glass globe in his hands, not understanding this quiet sweetness.

"Of course I love you," the flower told him. "It is my fault that you have not known it all the while. That is of no importance. But you have been just as foolish as I have. Try to be happy. Let the glass globe be. I don't want it any more."

"But the wind —"

"My cold is not so bad as all that. The cool night air will do me good. I am a flower."

"But the animals —"

"I must endure two or three caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies. They are very beautiful. And if not the butterflies — who will call upon me? You will be far away. As for the large animals — I am not at all afraid of them. I have my claws."

And she showed him her four thorns. Then she added:

"Don't linger like this. You have decided to go. Now go!"

She did not want him to see her crying. She was such a proud flower.