The Little Prince
The Little Prince is an extraordinary and otherworldly child who lives on a tiny asteroid barely larger than himself. His companion is a small rose that he adores, but the rose's vanity hurts the Little Prince's feelings for her.
After Bidding farewell to his asteroid, he begins a journey through space. Along the way, he visits six different planets, encountering various characters whose absurd and irrational behavior saddens him. He finds the adults foolish and incomprehensible. Only on the planet of the lamplighter does he discover someone who could be a friend.
However, the lamplighter's world is so small that it can accommodate no one but himself. Following the advice of a geographer, the lonely Little Prince travels to Earth, a planet inhabited by humans. On Earth, the Little Prince discovers that humans lack imagination and only parrot what others have said.
He begins to miss the rose on his asteroid more and more. Later, he meets a small fox. Through patience, the Little Prince wins the fox's trust and forms a close friendship with it.
The fox shares a secret as a gift: 'What is essential is invisible to the eye; one must see with the heart to truly understand.' With this wisdom, the Little Prince and a stranded pilot in the Sahara Desert discover a life-giving spring. In the end, with the help of a snake, the Little Prince leaves Earth and returns to his asteroid, B612.
The story depicts how the Little Prince resists being corrupted by the deceptive world of adults and ultimately finds his ideal: a love that connects all things in the universe, a love that is sorely lacking in the human world. This ideal is often tinged with melancholy in the Little Prince's demeanor.
In the dedication, the author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, states that the book is dedicated to the child that every grown-up once was. The Little Prince has not only captured the hearts of young readers but has also become a beloved work for adults. Its concise language reflects the author's profound contemplation of humanity and civilization.
The story's blend of satire and fantasy, genuine emotion, and philosophical depth has made it one of the most renowned fairy tales in France and the world.
