The Little Prince (12.24.06)
I came across this book two years ago, while getting well after my accident in 2004. I’ll write here a synopsis of the book and the parts which made me like this book.
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery was the first book that I really enjoyed reading and get to finish from the first page to the last. And I once believed that the book is based on a true story, maybe because my mind is still fresh because of the accident. I had believed everything as if it is real. I think that this book deserve a page in my blog.
Overview:
A pilot crash-landed at the Sahara dessert. There, he met the strange little prince who talked about his little planet where he came from. The Little Prince asked the Pilot to draw him a sheep, that’s their first acquaintance. Think about it! In the middle of the dessert a little boy suddenly emerged. The story of the prince evolved around, and if you will read between the lines, the book is full packed with wisdom.
Here are the concepts that I really get to like, in point of fact, I really like the whole book itself! I’m going to interpret it the way I understood it.
The Little Prince as told by Art (hehehe)
The sheep inside the box.
The Little Prince asked the Pilot to draw him a sheep that he could take back to his small planet. The Pilot attempted to draw three sheep that was rejected by the Prince. Because of disappointment and worry about his plane’s engine, he drew a box and told the prince that the sheep is inside. The Prince liked the box!
In this, I think what matter is how you look the inside of the skin. I mean, outward appearance is nice, but what matters is what the inside is. A common idiom, very common, that sometimes it is overlooked.
Asteroid B-612.
The Pilot supposed that the Prince came from Asteroid b-612 which was discovered by a Turkish astronomer in 1909. The Turkish astronomer presented it to the International Astronomical Congress. Nobody believed him about the discovery of a new planet because he was wearing Turkish attire. Fortunately, he was able to represent it in the year 1920 when a Turkish dictator ordered his subjects that everyone should wear European attire. The astronomer, now wearing the European attire, presented his discovery. This time, every believed him.
See the point? Most people look at your status, race and superficial things; they judge you for what you wear and what you look like.
Grown-ups love figures.
As told by the book, most people would base your worth on figures. An example given was if someone would tell you that you saw a house with rosy bricks, geraniums in the windows and doves on the roof, they will never get the point that you are talking about a really beautiful house. But if you told them that the house costs a big sum of money, they’d instantly conclude it as a beautiful one.
The Baobabs.
“Before they grow so big, the baobabs start out by being little.”
This is what the little Prince told about the little bushes that grow in his planet. Baobabs are huge trees that when never tended and never plucked out while still young or little, it’s impossible to be destroyed or worse, the tree would destroy the planet itself.
Just like, I think, bad attitudes. Pluck it out once you noticed they are growing in you before it grows and destroys you. Same way in disciplining kids, discipline them while you can, as early as possible, it is hard to get rid of bad attitudes when tended too late.
“Seeds sleep deep in the heart of the earth’s darkness… but when it is a bad plant, one must destroy it as soon as possible, the very first instant that one recognizes it.”
“Children!...Watch out for the baobabs!”
As the pilot have said, the danger of the ‘baobabs’ is so little understood.
The Sunset.
“Were you sad, then? . . on the day of the forty-four sunsets?” the little prince made no reply.
“Were you sad, then? . . on the day of twenty-three sunsets?” then Art made no reply.
Matter of Consequences.
The Prince asked the Pilot what are the use of the thorns grown by the flowers. The pilot, upset in his plane engine, gave a thoughtless answer that the thorns are of no use. The Prince pondered for a while, and he said he don’t believe the Pilot’s answer that the flowers grow thorns for nothing. The Pilot said that he only said that because he was busy with the matters of consequences.
It is good to look at the result of our actions, but sometimes, we focused wrongly. We usually do things without really thinking, just for the sake of doing it.
Instead of looking at what’s important, they rather focus on the consequences of what if’s and why not’s, and try to walk in the dark. I believe these should not be the questions one must ask in decision making; the question should be “what’s true and important?”
The Rose.
On the little Prince’s planet, grew a unique flower which he had never seen before---it’s a rose. Amazed by the flower’s beauty, he took care of her. But later, the Prince noticed of the Rose’s vanity. So no matter how the Prince loved the Rose, her self importance and pride hurt the Prince. Vanity is difficult to deal with. Then the Prince grew tired of the egotism in the word of the Rose. So on the last day on his planet, he did his usual chores and said good bye to the Rose which he loved. The Prince was hurt. That was the Prince’s story why he left his planet.
But then I liked these words…
“I ought to have judged by deeds and not by the words. (despite of her words) She cast her fragrance and her radiance over me. . . . .But I was too young to know how to love her…”
The Prince started his journey from planets to planets…
Asteroid 325: The King
The first planet was inhabited by a King. The king saw the Prince and was delighted in the presence of a ‘subject’, finally. He gave orders and permissions for the Prince to come near, to sit and even yawn. Astonished by the ‘power’ the King could demonstrate and boast about, the Prince asked the King to show him the sunset. The King said he would order for it, until the conditions are favorable…that is, when the right time comes...the minutes before evening.
“One must require from each one the duty which one can perform. Accepted authority rests first of all on reason.”
Kings have authority, but their orders must be based on reasons and of good grounds, or else, no subject would obey him. If LEADERS are to be obeyed, they should be able to give reasonable orders.
Asteroid 326: The Conceited Man
In this planet, the Prince met a conceited man with his hat. The man said that the hat is for his admirers. The Prince was told to clap his hands, and instantly, the conceited man raised his hat and gave his salute. This continued for five minutes, the clapping and the saluting. The prince asked the man how to make the hat come down, but the man never heard him, he just sees the Prince as one of his admirers.
Conceited people never value anyone but themselves. They think that everything about them is beautiful, vanity just like the Rose’s. They never hear anything but praises; and though there is nothing admirable about them, they just uplift themselves just the same.
Asteroid 327: The Tippler
Here’s the story, quite summarized. Tippler = T. Prince = P.
P: What are you doing?
T: I am drinking. (A liquior)
P: Why are you drinking?
T: So that I may forget.
P: Forget what?
T: Forget that I am ashamed.
P: Ashamed of what?
T: Ashamed of Drinking!
And then the Prince went away…
Tsk, tsk, tsk… most people knows the bondage they are in, and yet they don’t do something to get out of it. People who don’t help themselves bail out of their trouble are not worthy of helping them out. Leave them, just like what the little Prince did. You cannot help people who won’t even help themselves.
Asteroid 328: The Businessman
The Businesman was busy in his counting---counting of the stars which he “owns”. The Prince smirks on the idea of owning the stars for what use are those stars for him? All the businessman could do in his stars are count them, record on a paper, own it, put it a drawer and lock it. The Prince owns little volcanoes which serve as a stove for him, and a flower which he could talk to. But the stars are of no importance for him. In this way, the Prince found the Businessman strange also.
On our investments, are we investing on the things that would last? I, for once is stroked by this one. I work hard, to earn, but am I really earning? Set your treasures above, not on earth; Investments that you could take with you on the life after death. The question again is, is it a matter of importance or just a matter of consequence?
Asteroid 329: The Lamplighter
“There is nothing to understand. Orders are orders.”
This is the small planet of the Lamplighter who is very much dedicated to his job. He just turns on and turns off the lamp when needed everyday. This time, his planet has been revolving faster than usual, making the day and night last for a minute. So he turns on and off the lamp every now and then, because the order hasn’t changed.
CHANGE. Everybody must adopt with change, positively, without compromising the Truth. And also, every Leader, or boss must see to it that better good of his workers are always considered. In this case, the Lamplighter has been doing his job well, but, the circumstances changed, so there’s a need for change in orders as well.
The Prince liked the Lamplighter, because unlike the King, the Businessman, the Conceited Man and the Tippler, the Lamplighter is thinking of something else besides himself.
Asteroid 330: The Geographer
(to be continued...)
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