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在那口水井旁，有一段坍塌的古老石墙。第二天晚上，我结束了自己的修理工作，如约回来找小王子， 远远就看见他坐在墙头，两脚悬空垂着，我还听见他在和谁说话："你怎么不记得了？完全不是这个地方！”肯定有谁在回答他，因为他又在解释说： "是的，是的，正是这一天，可是，地点并不是在这儿…” 我继续朝那堵墙走去。我既听不见是谁在跟小王子对话，也看不见这个对话者。然而，小王子又开始向那个对话者说话：“当然啦，你可以在沙漠里看到我的足迹是从哪儿开始走的。你只要在那儿等着我就行了，今天夜里我一定会去的。" 我离墙只有二十米了，仍然没有看见小王子是在跟谁说话。但听得见他沉默一会儿之后又在向对方说："你的毒液不会厉害吧？你肯定不会使得我长时间受罪吧？” 我停下脚步，感到自己的心都要碎了，但我还是不了解小王子要干什么。 "现在你走吧，"他向对方说，"我要下来了。”这时，我俯视那堵墙的墙根，着实吓了一跳，正是一条黄色的毒蛇。这种蛇奇毒无比，可在三十秒钟之内置人于死地。它正翘着头朝向小王子。我赶紧从口袋里掏出手枪，快步跑过去。但一听到我这边的响声，那蛇就悄悄从沙地里爬走，它宛如一道水流，在岩石缝里穿梭而过，发出轻微的金属般的声音，不急不慢，消逝而去。我跑到墙跟前，正好用双臂接住我那宝贝王子，他脸色煞白，像白雪一般。 "你在搞什么名堂！竟然跟毒蛇交谈起来了！” 我替他解开围巾，那条金色围巾老是围在他脖子上，我又润湿了他的太阳穴，还给他喝了点水。这时，我不敢问他什么。他严肃地凝视着我，双臂搂着我的脖子。我感到他的心在拼命跳动，就像一只中弹后即将死亡的小鸟。他对我说："我很高兴你找到了你机器上所需的零件！你能驾飞机回家啦。” "你怎么知道的？”我正想告诉他，我是在多么绝望的情况下，终于完成了我的修理工作！ 他也没有回答我刚才的问题，却添了一句： "我也是……今天，我就要回家去啦……”接着，他忧心忡忡地说："我回家的路，要比你远得多……也要困难得多……” 我明显感到，发生了某种不平常的大事，我像抱婴儿那样抱着他，然而，我感到他正垂直向一个万丈深渊掉下去，尽管我拼命要拉住他，却无济于事。他的目光严肃认真，出神地遥望远方。"我有你给的绵羊，还有关绵羊的箱子，还有绵羊的嘴套……。”他忧郁地微笑了。 我搂着他好久好久，觉得他的身子逐渐暖过来了："小家伙，你害怕了…” 当然，他是害怕了，但他温情地笑道："今天晚上，我会更加害怕……” 这时，一种无法弥补的痛失感猛然袭来，使得我全身发冷。我明白了，是那再也听不见的笑声让我受不了。这笑声对于我就像沙漠中的水井一般可贵…… "小家伙，我还想听见你的笑声……” 他却对我说："今天夜晚，正好是一年。我的星星将对准去年我降落的地方……” "小家伙，你要讲关于蛇、关于约定、关于你那颗星星的事情，难道对我们不就意味着噩梦要来了吗……” 他没有答理我的问话，换个话题说："最为重要的东西，是肉眼看不到的…” "当然啦！” "对那朵花儿也是这样的。你如果爱上了一朵远在某个星球上的花儿，那么，你观望星空时就会感到甜美，因为天空中所有的星星就像是争奇斗艳的百花。" "当然…” "对于水也是这样。你给我喝的那水，像音乐一样动人，因为它使人想起辘轳与井绳发出的响声……你想起来了吧……它是多么甘甜呀。" "当然。" "今后，每到夜晚，你要看看星空啊。我的那颗星星太小了，我没法给你指出准确的方位。这样更好。我那颗星星，对你来说，就是群星中的一颗。因此，你就会更爱遥望星空啦……所有的星星都将是你的朋友。还有，我要送给你一件礼物……”他又笑了。 "啊，小家伙，小家伙，我真爱听你的笑声。" "这笑，正是我的礼物……这也正像水一样…” "你的话是什么意思？” "那些对星星情有独钟的人，也是形形色色、各不相同的。对于那些旅行者，星星可以指明方向，对于芸芸众生，星星只不过是微弱的光亮。对于那些学者，星星意味着一些研究课题，对于我碰见过的那个生意人，星星就是黄金。可是，对所有这些人来说，星星都是不会出声的，而对你来说，星星则完全不同……” "你的话什么意思？” "当你夜晚遥望星空时，因为我住在其中的一颗星星上，因为我在那上面会发出笑声，所以，对于你来说，这不就等于所有的星星都会笑了吗！你呀，你拥有天上那些会笑的星星！ ”小王子继续笑着。 "还有，人总是要自我安慰的，当你得到慰藉时, 你就会因为认识了我而感到高兴。你将永远是我的朋友。你会很想和我一同开心，一同笑，永远心心相印。有时，为了散散心，你会打开你的窗户……而你的朋友发现你望着星空发笑时，一定会感到惊讶。那时，你就可以对他们说：'是的，星星永远使我欢笑！’他们听了一定会以为你神经出了毛病。那就算我跟你做了一次恶作剧吧……” 小王子仍在笑。"那就好像我送给你的并不是星星，而是一串串会发出笑声的小铃铛…” 小王子仍在笑，接着，他又变得严肃起来，说： "今天夜晚…你知道了…你就别来了。” "我不会离开你的。" "到那时，我的神情一定很难过……有点快要死去的样子。离别就是如此。你别来看这个场面，没有必要来……” "我不会离开你的。" 这时，小王子显得忧心忡忡。"我要你别来，也因考虑到那条蛇。不能让它咬你……蛇是很恶毒的，它高兴咬人就去咬人……” "我不会离开你的。"我坚决地说。小王子似乎想到什么，这使他放下心来，说： "是呀，毒蛇先咬了别人，第二次再咬你时就没有毒啦…” 这天夜里，我未能看见他最后是如何上路的。因为他悄无声息地去了。 当我还在紧追他时，他迈着坚定的脚步勇往直前， 只是对我说："哦！怎么你还在这儿……” "这样你就不对了。你看我离去会难过的，我的神情会像死去那样，其实并不是真死…” 我一言不发。他又说："你要知道，路程太远，我不能把自己的躯壳一并带上，它太重啦。" 我仍一言不发。他又说："我只不过是把旧躯壳弃之不顾罢了，旧躯壳是不会引起悲伤的……” 我一言不发。他见劝我无效，有点泄气，但他仍在苦口婆心地劝导我："你知道，遗弃了躯壳也是一件好事，我仍然可以观赏星星呀。所有的星星都像是带着辘轳的水井，所有的星星都会供水给我喝…” 我一言不发。 "这个结果多么有意思啊！你会有五亿个小铃铛， 我会有五亿口水井……”他说不下去了，他哭了…… "我就在这里出发。请你让我独自一个人朝前走一步。" 他坐了下来，因为他感到害怕了。但他还在说："你知道……我那朵花儿……我要对她尽责任呀！她那么娇弱无力，那么天真幼稚。她只有毫无用处的四根刺用来保卫自己，对付全世界……” 这时，我再也站不住了，便也坐了下来。他对我说了最后一句话："就是这些……我都讲完啦…” 他犹豫了一下，就站了起来，迈出一步。而我呢，我已全身瘫软，一动也不能动。 只见他脚踝边出现了一道黄色的闪光，没见有别的东西，闪光过后，他静止不动地待了片刻。他没有发出叫喊，而后缓缓倒了下去，就像一棵树倒了似的，没有发出任何声响，因为地面是软软的沙土。 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 prince 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 coming 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: T, 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 1 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, "I want to hear you laugh again." But he said to me: 'Tonight, it will be a year... my star, then, can be found right above the place where I came to the Earth, a year ago..." "Little man," I said, "tell me that it is only a bad dream—this affair of the snake, and the meeting-place, and the star..." But he did not answer my plea. He said to me, instead: "The thing that is important is the thing that is not seen..." "Yes, I know..." "It is just as it is with the flower. If you love a flower that lives on a star, it is sweet to look at the sky at night. All the stars are abloom with flowers..." "Yes, I know..." "It is just as it is with the water. Because of the pulley, and the rope, what you gave me to drink was like music. You remember—how good it was." "Yes, I know..." "And at night you will look up at the stars. Where I live everything is so small that I cannot show you where my star is to be found. It is better, like that. My star will just be one of the stars, for you. And so you will love to watch all the stars in the heavens... they will all be your friends. And, besides, I am going to make you a present..." He laughed again. "Ah, little prince, dear little prince! I love to hear that laughter!" "That is my present. Just that. It will be as it was when we drank the water..." "What are you trying to say?" "All men have the stars," he answered, "but they are not the same things for different people. For some, who are travelers, the stars are guides. For others they are no more than little lights in the sky. For others, who are scholars, they are problems. For businessmen they are wealth. But all these stars are silent. You—you alone—will have the stars as no one else has them—" "What are you trying to say?" "In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars were laughing, when you look at the sky at night... you—only you—will have stars that can laugh!" And he laughed again. "And when your sorrow is comforted (time soothes all sorrows) you will be content that you have known me. You will always be my friend. You will want to laugh with me. And you will sometimes open your window, so, for that pleasure... and your friends will be properly astonished to see you laughing as you look up at the sky! Then you will say to them, 'Yes, the stars always make me laugh!' And they will think you are crazy. It will be a very shabby trick that 1 shall have played on you..." And he laughed again. "It will be as if, in place of the stars, I had given you a great number of little bells that knew how to laugh..." And he laughed again. Then he quickly became serious: "Tonight—you know... do not come," said the little prince. "I shall not leave you," I said. "I shall look as if I were suffering. I shall look a little as if I were dying. It is like that. Do not come to see that. It is not worth the trouble..." "I shall not leave you." But he was worried. "I tell you—it is also because of the snake. He must not bite you. Snakes—they are malicious creatures. This one might bite you just for fun..." "I shall not leave you." But a thought came to reassure him: "It is true that they have no more poison for a second bite." That night I did not see him set out on his way. He got away from me without making a sound. When I succeeded in catching up with him he was walking along with a quick and resolute step. He said to me merely: "Ah! You are there..." And he took me by the hand. But he was still worrying. "It was wrong of you to come. You will suffer. I shall look as if I were dead; and that will not be true..." I said nothing. "You understand... it is too far. I cannot carry this body with me. It is too heavy." I said nothing. "But it will be like an old abandoned shell. There is nothing sad about old shells..." I said nothing. He was a little discouraged. But he made one more effort: "You know, it will be very nice. I, too, shall look at the stars. All the stars will be wells with a rusty pulley. All the stars will pour out fresh water for me to drink..." I said nothing. / That will be so amusing! You will have five hundred million little bells, and I shall have five hundred million springs of fresh water..." And he too said nothing more, becuase he was crying... "Here it is. Let me go on by myself." And he sat down, because he was afraid. Then he said, again: "You know—my flower... I am responsible for her. And she is so weak! She is so naive! She has four thorns, of no use at all, to protect herself against all the world..." I also sat down, because I was not able to stand up any longer. "There now—that is all..." He still hesitated a little; then he got up. He took one step. I could not move. There was nothing but a flash of yellow close to his ankle. He remained motionless for an instant. He did not cry out. He fell as gently as a tree falls. There was not even any sound, because of the sand. |
