day 9: the little prince

So the little prince tamed the fox. And as the hour of his departure drew near —

"Ah," said the fox, "I shall cry."

"It's your own fault," said the little prince. "I never wished you any harm; but you wanted me to tame you..."

"Yes, that is so," said the fox.

"But now you are going to cry!" said the little prince.

"Yes, that is so," said the fox.

"Then it has done you no good at all!"

"It has done me good," said the fox, "because of the color of the wheat fields."

And then he added: "Go and look again at the roses. You will understand now that yours is unique in the world. Then come back to say goodbye to me, and I will make you a present of a secret."

The little prince went away, to look again at the roses.

...

And he went back to meet the fox.

"Goodbye," he said.

"Goodbye," said the fox. "And now here is my secret, it's very simple: You can only see well with your heart; the essential is invisible to the eye."

"The essential is invisible to the eye," the little prince repeated, so that he would remember.

"It is the time you have spent on your rose that makes your rose so important."

"It is the time I have spent on my rose — " said the little prince, so that he would remember.

"People have forgotten this truth," said the fox. "But you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose..."

"I am responsible for my rose," the little prince repeated, so that he would remember.