The Little Prince

by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

‘I know of a planet where there is a red-faced gentleman. He has never smelled a flower. He has never looked at a star. He has never loved anybody. He has spent all his time adding up figures. And, all day, he keeps on repeating, like you: “I am busy with serious matters. I am busy with serious matters,” over and over again. And he swells up with pride. But he is not a man, he is a mushroom.’

‘What makes the desert so beautiful,’ said the little prince, ‘is that it hides a well, somewhere...’