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Chapter six

O Little Prince!

Gradually, this was how I came to understand your sad little life. For a long time, your only entertainment was the pleasure of sunsets.

I learned this new detail on the morning of the fourth day when you told me: “I really like sunsets. Let’s go look at one now…”

“But we have to wait…”

“What for?”

“For the sun to set.”

At first you seemed quite surprised, and then you laughed at yourself. And you said to me, “I think I’m still at home!”

Indeed. When it’s noon in the United States, the sun, as everyone knows, is setting over France. If you could fly to France in one minute, you could watch the sunset.

Unfortunately France is much too far. But on your tiny planet, all you had to do was move your chair a few feet.

And you would watch the twilight whenever you wanted to…

“One day I saw the sun set forty-four times!” And a little later you added, “You know, when you’re feeling very sad, sunsets are wonderful…”

“On the day of the forty-four times, were you feeling very sad?”

But the little prince didn’t answer.