French Tale

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Children books – All American fairy tales – The Little Prince – Table of contents
< < < Chapter XV
Chapter XVII > > >

XVI

So then the seventh planet was Earth.

The Earth is not just an ordinary planet! One can count, there, one hundred and eleven kings (including, of course, the African kings), seven thousand geographers, nine hundred thousand businessmen, seven-and-a-half million drunkards, three-hundred-eleven million vain men; in other words, about two billion grown-ups.

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 four-hundred-sixty-two thousand, five hundred and eleven lamplighters for the street lamps.

Seen from some distance, that would make a splendid effect. The movements of this army would be regulated like those of the ballet in the opera. First would come 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 come the turn of the lamplighters of Russia and the Indies; then those of Africa and Europe; then those of South America; then those of North America. And never would they make a mistake in the order of their entry upon the stage. It would be magnificent.

Only the man who was in charge of the single lamp at the North Pole, and his colleague who was responsible for the single lamp at the South Pole-only these two would live free from toil and care: they would be busy twice a year.

Children books – All American fairy tales – The Little Prince – Table of contents

< < < Chapter XV
Chapter XVII > > >

If you liked this site, subscribe , put likes, write comments! Share on social networks

© 2022 Akirill.com – All Rights Reserved

Copyright holders –  Public Domain Book