Wednesday, March 25, 2009

And you think that is not important!

"The flowers have been growing thorns for millions of years. For millions of years the sheep have been eating them just the same.

And is it not a matter of consequence to try to understand why
the flowers go to so much trouble to grow thorns which are never of any use to them?

Is
the warfare between the sheep and the flowers not important? Is this not of more consequence than a fat red-faced gentleman's sums?

And if I know-- I, myself-- one flower which is unique in
the world, which grows nowhere but on my planet, but which one little sheep can destroy in a single bite some morning, without even noticing what he is doing-- Oh! You think that is not important!"

His face turned from white to red as he continued:

"If some one loves a flower, of which just one single blossom grows in all
the millions and millions of stars, it is enough to make him happy just to look at the stars. He can say to himself, 'Somewhere, my flower is there...' But if the sheep eats the flower, in one moment all his stars will be darkened... And you think that is not important!"

He could not say anything more. His words were choked by sobbing.

Chapter VII, The Little Prince
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

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