小王子-the little prince (英文版)- 第12部分

　
He　laughed；　touched　the　rope；　and　set　the　pulley　to　working。　And　the　pulley　moaned；　like　an　old　weathervane　which　the　wind　has　long　since　fotten。　
〃Do　you　hear？〃　said　the　little　prince。　〃We　have　wakened　the　well；　and　it　is　singing。。。〃　
I　did　not　want　him　to　tire　himself　with　the　rope。　
〃Leave　it　to　me；〃　I　said。　〃It　is　too　heavy　for　you。〃　

I　hoisted　the　bucket　slowly　to　the　edge　of　the　well　and　set　it　there　happy；　tired　as　I　was；　over　my　achievement。　The　song　of　the　pulley　was　still　in　my　ears；　and　I　could　see　the　sunlight　shimmer　in　the　still　trembling　water。　
〃I　am　thirsty　for　this　water；〃　said　the　little　prince。　〃Give　me　some　of　it　to　drink。。。〃　
And　I　understood　what　he　had　been　looking　for。　

I　raised　the　bucket　to　his　lips。　He　drank；　his　eyes　closed。　It　was　as　sweet　as　some　special　festival　treat。　This　water　was　indeed　a　different　thing　from　ordinary　nourishment。　Its　sweetness　was　born　of　the　walk　under　the　stars；　the　song　of　the　pulley；　the　effort　of　my　arms。　It　was　good　for　the　heart；　like　a　present。　When　I　was　a　little　boy；　the　lights　of　the　Christmas　tree；　the　music　of　the　Midnight　Mass；　the　tenderness　of　smiling　faces；　used　to　make　up；　so；　the　radiance　of　the　gifts　I　received。　
〃The　men　where　you　live；〃　said　the　little　prince；　〃raise　five　thousand　roses　in　the　same　garden　and　they　do　not　find　in　it　what　they　are　looking　for。〃　
〃They　do　not　find　it；〃　I　replied。　
〃And　yet　what　they　are　looking　for　could　be　found　in　one　single　rose；　or　in　a　little　water。〃　
〃Yes；　that　is　true；〃　I　said。　

And　the　little　prince　added：　
〃But　the　eyes　are　blind。　One　must　look　with　the　heart。。。〃　

I　had　drunk　the　water。　I　breathed　easily。　At　sunrise　the　sand　is　the　color　of　honey。　And　that　honey　color　was　making　me　happy；　too。　What　brought　me；　then；　this　sense　of　grief？　
〃You　must　keep　your　promise；〃　said　the　little　prince；　softly；　as　he　sat　down　beside　me　once　more。　
〃What　promise？〃　
〃You　know　a　muzzle　for　my　sheep。。。　I　am　responsible　for　this　flower。。。〃　
I　took　my　rough　drafts　of　drawings　out　of　my　pocket。　The　little　prince　looked　them　over；　and　laughed　as　he　said：　
〃Your　baobabs　they　look　a　little　like　cabbages。〃　
〃Oh！〃　
I　had　been　so　proud　of　my　baobabs！　
〃Your　fox　his　ears　look　a　little　like　horns；　and　they　are　too　long。〃　
And　he　laughed　again。　
〃You　are　not　fair；　little　prince；〃　I　said。　〃I　don‘t　know　how　to　draw　anything　except　boa　constrictors　from　the　outside　and　boa　constrictors　from　the　inside。〃　
〃Oh；　that　will　be　all　right；〃　he　said；　〃children　understand。〃　
So　then　I　made　a　pencil　sketch　of　a　muzzle。　And　as　I　gave　it　to　him　my　heart　was　torn。　
〃You　have　plans　that　I　do　not　know　about；〃　I　said。　
But　he　did　not　answer　me。　He　said　to　me；　instead：　
〃You　know　my　descent　to　the　earth。。。　Tomorrow　will　be　its　anniversary。〃　
Then；　after　a　silence；　he　went　on：　
〃I　came　down　very　near　here。〃　
And　he　flushed。　
And　once　again；　without　understanding　why；　I　had　a　queer　sense　of　sorrow。　One　question；　however；　occurred　to　me：　
〃Then　it　was　not　by　chance　that　on　the　morning　when　I　first　met　you　a　week　ago　you　were　strolling　along　like　that；　all　alone；　a　thousand　miles　from　any　inhabited　region？　You　were　on　the　your　back　to　the　place　where　you　landed？〃　
The　little　prince　flushed　again。　

And　I　added；　with　some　hesitancy：
〃Perhaps　it　was　because　of　the　anniversary？〃　

The　little　prince　flushed　once　more。　He　never　answered　questions　but　when　one　flushes　does　that　not　mean　〃Yes〃？　
〃Ah；〃　I　said　to　him；　〃I　am　a　little　frightened〃　

But　he　interrupted　me。　
〃Now　you　must　work。　You　must　return　to　your　engine。　I　will　be　waiting　for　you　here。　e　back　tomorrow　evening。。。〃
But　I　was　not　reassured。　I　remembered　the　fox。　One　runs　the　risk　of　weeping　a　little；　if　one　lets　himself　be　tamed。。。
　
　
　
　
＇　Chapter　26　＇

　　the　little　prince　converses　with　the　snake；　the　little　prince　consoles　the　narrator；　the　little　prince　returns　to　his　pla


Beside　the　well　there　was　the　ruin　of　an　old　stone　wall。　When　I　came　back　from　my　work；　the　next　evening；　I　saw　from　some　distance　away　my　little　price　sitting　on　top　of　a　wall；　with　his　feet　dangling。　And　I　heard　him　say：　
〃Then　you　don‘t　remember。　This　is　not　the　exact　spot。〃　

Another　voice　must　have　answered　him；　for　he　replied　to　it：　
〃Yes；　yes！　It　is　the　right　day；　but　this　is　not　the　place。〃　

I　continued　my　walk　toward　the　wall。　At　no　time　did　I　see　or　hear　anyone。　The　little　prince；　however；　replied　once　again：　
〃Exactly。　You　will　see　where　my　track　begins；　in　the　sand。　You　have　nothing　to　do　but　wait　for　me　there。　I　shall　be　there　tonight。〃　
I　was　only　twenty　metres　from　the　wall；　and　I　still　saw　nothing。　
After　a　silence　the　little　prince　spoke　again：　
〃You　have　good　poison？　You　are　sure　that　it　will　not　make　me　suffer　too　long？〃　
I　stopped　in　my　tracks；　my　heart　torn　asunder；　but　still　I　did　not　understand。　
〃Now　go　away；〃　said　the　little　prince。　〃I　want　to　get　down　from　the　wall。〃

　
I　dropped　my　eyes；　then；　to　the　foot　of　the　wall　and　I　leaped　into　the　air。　There　before　me；　facing　the　little　prince；　was　one　of　those　yellow　snakes　that　take　just　thirty　seconds　to　bring　your　life　to　an　end。　Even　as　I　was　digging　into　my　pocked　to　get　out　my　revolver　I　made　a　running　step　back。　But；　at　the　noise　I　made；　the　snake　let　himself　flow　easily　across　the　sand　like　the　dying　spray　of　a　fountain；　and；　in　no　apparent　hurry；　disappeared；　with　a　light　metallic　sound；　among　the　stones。　

I　reached　the　wall　just　in　time　to　catch　my　little　man　in　my　arms；　his　face　was　white　as　snow。　
〃What　does　this　mean？〃　I　demanded。　〃Why　are　you　talking　with　snakes？〃　

I　had　loosened　the　golden　muffler　that　he　always　wore。　I　had　moistened　his　temples；　and　had　given　him　some　water　to　drink。　And　now　I　did　not　dare　ask　him　any　more　questions。　He　looked　at　me　very　gravely；　and　put　his　arms　around　my　neck。　I　felt　his　heart　beating　like　the　heart　of　a　dying　bird；　shot　with　someone‘s　rifle。。。　
〃I　am　glad　that　you　have　found　what　was　the　matter　with　your　engine；〃　he　said。　〃Now　you　can　go　back　home〃
〃How　do　you　know　about　that？〃　
I　was　just　ing　to　tell　him　that　my　work　had　been　successful；　beyond　anything　that　I　had　dared　to　hope。　He　made　no　answer　to　my　question；　but　he　added：　
〃I；　too；　am　going　back　home　today。。。〃　
Then；　sadly　
〃It　is　much　farther。。。　it　is　much　more　difficult。。。〃　

I　realised　clearly　that　something　extraordinary　was　happening。　I　was　holding　him　close　in　my　arms　as　if　he　were　a　little　child；　and　yet　it　seemed　to　me　that　he　was　rushing　headlong　toward　an　abyss　from　which　I　could　do　nothing　to　restrain　him。。。　

His　look　was　very　serious；　like　some　one　lost　far　away。　
〃I　have　your　sheep。　And　I　have　the　sheep‘s　box。　And　I　have　the　muzzle。。。〃　And　he　gave　me　a　sad　smile。　
I　waited　a　long　time。　I　could　see　that　he　was　reviving　little　by　little。　
〃Dear　little　man；〃　I　said　to　him；　〃you　are　afraid。。。〃　
He　was　afraid；　there　was　no　doubt　about　that。　But　he　laughed　lightly。
〃I　shall　be　much　more　afraid　this　evening。。。〃　
Once　again　I　felt　myself　frozen　by　the　sense　of　something　irreparable。　And　I　knew　that　I　could　not　bear　the　thought　of　never　hearing　that　laughter　any　more。　For　me；　it　was　like　a　spring　of　fresh　water　in　the　desert。　
〃Little　man；〃　I　said；