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〃Then what？〃 asked the little prince。
〃Then the pla now makes a plete turn every minute； and I no longer have a single second for repose。 Once every minute I have to light my lamp and put it out！〃
〃That is very funny！ A day lasts only one minute； here where you live！〃
〃It is not funny at all！〃 said the lamplighter。 〃While we have been talking together a month has gone by。〃
〃A month？〃
〃Yes； a month。 Thirty minutes。 Thirty days。 Good evening。〃
And he lighted his lamp again。
As the little prince watched him； he felt that he loved this lamplighter who was so faithful to his orders。 He remembered the sunsets which he himself had gone to seek； in other days； merely by pulling up his chair； and he wanted to help his friend。
〃You know；〃 he said； 〃I can tell you a way you can rest whenever you want to。。。〃
〃I always want to rest；〃 said the lamplighter。
For it is possible for a man to be faithful and lazy at the same time。
The little prince went on with his explanation：
〃Your pla is so small that three strides will take you all the way around it。 To be always in the sunshine； you need only walk along rather slowly。 When you want to rest； you will walk and the day will last as long as you like。〃
〃That doesn‘t do me much good；〃 said the lamplighter。 〃The one thing I love in life is to sleep。〃
〃Then you‘re unlucky；〃 said the little prince。
〃I am unlucky；〃 said the lamplighter。 〃Good morning。〃
And he put out his lamp。
〃That man；〃 said the little prince to himself； as he continued farther on his journey； 〃that man would be scorned by all the others： by the king； by the conceited man； by the tippler； by the businessman。 Nevertheless he is the only one of them all who does not seem to me ridiculous。 Perhaps that is because he is thinking of something else besides himself。〃
He breathed a sigh of regret； and said to himself； again：
〃That man is the only one of them all whom I could have made my friend。 But his pla is indeed too small。 There is no room on it for two people。。。〃
What the little prince did not dare confess was that he was sorry most of all to leave this pla； because it was blest every day with 1440 sunsets！
＇ Chapter 15 ＇
the little prince visits the geographer
The sixth pla was ten times larger than the last one。 It was inhabited by an old gentleman who wrote voluminous books。
〃Oh； look！ Here is an explorer！〃 he exclaimed to himself when he saw the little prince ing。
The little prince sat down on the table and panted a little。 He had already traveled so much and so far！
〃Where do you e from？〃 the old gentleman said to him。
〃What is that big book？〃 said the little prince。 〃What are you doing？〃
〃I am a geographer；〃 the old gentleman said to him。
〃What is a geographer？〃 asked the little prince。
〃A geographer is a scholar who knows the location of all the seas； rivers； towns； mountains； and deserts。〃
〃That is very interesting；〃 said the little prince。 〃Here at last is a man who has a real profession！〃 And he cast a look around him at the pla of the geographer。 It was the most magnificent and stately pla that he had ever seen。
〃Your pla is very beautiful；〃 he said。 〃Has it any oceans？〃
〃I couldn‘t tell you；〃 said the geographer。
〃Ah！〃 The little prince was disappointed。 〃Has it any mountains？〃
〃I couldn‘t tell you；〃 said the geographer。
〃And towns； and rivers； and deserts？〃
〃I couldn‘t tell you that； either。〃
〃But you are a geographer！〃
〃Exactly；〃 the geographer said。 〃But I am not an explorer。 I haven‘t a single explorer on my pla。 It is not the geographer who goes out to count the towns； the rivers； the mountains； the seas； the oceans； and the deserts。 The geographer is much too important to go loafing about。 He does not leave his desk。 But he receives the explorers in his study。 He asks them questions； and he notes down what they recall of their travels。 And if the recollections of any one among them seem interesting to him； the geographer orders an inquiry into that explorer‘s moral character。〃
〃Why is that？〃
〃Because an explorer who told lies would bring disaster on the books of the geographer。 So would an explorer who drank too much。〃
〃Why is that？〃 asked the little prince。
〃Because intoxicated men see double。 Then the geographer would note down two mountains in a place where there was only one。〃
〃I know some one；〃 said the little prince； 〃who would make a bad explorer。〃
〃That is possible。 Then； when the moral character of the explorer is shown to be good； an inquiry is ordered into his discovery。〃
〃One goes to see it？〃
〃No。 That would be too plicated。 But one requires the explorer to furnish proofs。 For example； if the discovery in question is that of a large mountain； one requires that large stones be brought back from it。〃
The geographer was suddenly stirred to excitement。
〃But you you e from far away！ You are an explorer！ You shall describe your pla to me！〃
And； having opened his big register； the geographer sharpened his pencil。 The recitals of explorers are put down first in pencil。 One waits until the explorer has furnished proofs； before putting them down in ink。
〃Well？〃 said the geographer expectantly。
〃Oh； where I live；〃 said the little prince； 〃it is not very interesting。 It is all so small。 I have three volcanoes。 Two volcanoes are active and the other is extinct。 But one never knows。〃
〃One never knows；〃 said the geographer。
〃I have also a flower。〃
〃We do not record flowers；〃 said the geographer。
〃Why is that？ The flower is the most beautiful thing on my pla！〃
〃We do not record them；〃 said the geographer； 〃because they are ephemeral。〃
〃What does that mean ‘ephemeral‘？〃
〃Geographies；〃 said the geographer； 〃are the books which； of all books； are most concerned with matters of consequence。 They never bee oldfashioned。 It is very rarely that a mountain changes its position。 It is very rarely that an ocean empties itself of its waters。 We write of eternal things。〃
〃But extinct volcanoes may e to life again；〃 the little prince interrupted。 〃What does that mean ‘ephemeral‘？〃
〃Whether volcanoes are extinct or alive； it es to the same thing for us；〃 said the geographer。 〃The thing that matters to us is the mountain。 It does not change。〃
〃But what does that mean ‘ephemeral‘？〃 repeated the little prince； who never in his life had let go of a question； once he had asked it。
〃It means； ‘which is in danger of speedy disappearance。‘〃
〃Is my flower in danger of speedy disappearance？〃
〃Certainly it is。〃
〃My flower is ephemeral；〃 the little prince said to himself； 〃and she has only four thorns to defend herself against the world。 And I have left her on my pla； all alone！〃
That was his first moment of regret。 But he took courage once more。
〃What place would you advise me to visit now？〃 he asked。
〃The pla Earth；〃 replied the geographer。 〃It has a good reputation。〃
And the little prince went away； thinking of his flower。
＇ Chapter 16 ＇
the narrator discusses the Earth‘s lamplighters
So then the seventh pla was the Earth。
The Earth is not just an ordinary pla！ One can count； there 111 kings （not fetting； to be sure； the Negro kings among them）； 7000 geographers； 900；000 businessmen； 7；500；000 tipplers； 311；000；000 conceited men that is to say； about 2；000；000；000 grownups。
To give you an idea of the size of the Earth； I will tell you that before the invention of electricity it was necessary to maintain； over the whole of the six continents； a veritable army of 462；511 lamplighters for the street lamps。
Seen from a slight distance； that would make a splendid spectacle。 The movements of this army would be regulated like those of the ballet in the opera。 First would e the turn of the lamplighters of New Zealand and Australia。 Having set their lamps alight； these would go off to sleep。 Next； the lamplighters of China and Siberia would enter for their steps in the dance； and then they too would be waved back into the wings。 After that would e the turn of the lamplighters of Russia and the Indies； then those of Africa and Europe； then those of South America； then those of South America； then those of North America。 And never would they mak