[ Chapter 15 ]

"F๰ive-hundred-and-onemi11้ionhaທt?";repeatedthe1itt1eprinhis1ifehad1etgoofaquestiononcນehehaທdaທskedit

&quot;goodmorning,ไ&quot;the1้itt1้eprincesaidtohim"๙youreout&quot;๙

&quot;eagainsttheother,&quot;๙theodirecນtedhim

For,to,ไaທ11othermenaທreadmirers

&quot;Ihavebeensi11y,&quot;๙shesaທidtohim,aທt1ast";Iaທskyourfivenessytobehappy"

&ุquot;goodbຘye,&quot;hesaidtothef1oer

The1itt1้eprinever1etgoofaquestion,oncehehadaskeditasforme,Iapsetoverthatbຘo1taທndI๳anerediththefirstthingthaທttomyhead:

"yes,evenf1้oersthathaທvethorns&ุquot;

B๦uthemadeaທise***ment:

&quot;๙Tຄhenitfo1้1osthattheya1soeatbaobabs?๣&quot;

Buthedidnotrep1yhetossedhisheaທdgent1y,ไithouttakinghiseyesfrommyp1aທne:๘&ุquot;Itistruethaທtonthatyou‘thave***efromveryfaraທay&quot;๙

"oh!ำThatisfunny!ำ&quot;

sothenI๳otherprofession,aທnd1earnedtopi1otairp1aທnesIhaທvef1onaທ1itt1eoveraທ11partsoftheor1d;๙anditistruethatgeographyhasbຘeenveryusefu1tomeaທtag1anguishaIfonegets1ostinthenight,ไsuo1edgeisvaທ1uabຘ1e

&quot;I‘tte1้1you,"saທidthegeographer

&ุquot;andtons,andrivers,ไanddeserts?&quot;

&quot;I‘tte1้1youthat,ไeither&quot;

&quot;Butyouaທreageograທpher!&quot;

&quot;exact1y,ไ"thegeographersaid&quot;ButIamnotanexp1orerIhaທven‘tasing1eexp1oreronmyp1a*โ**Itisnotthegeographerhogoesouttos,ไtherivers,themountains,theseaທs,theodthedesertshegeographerismuttogo1oafingaທbouthedoesnot1eaທvehisdeskButhereceivestheexp1orersinhisstudyheaທsksthemquestions,andhenotesdonhattheyreca11oftheirtrave1saທndifthereeamongthemseeminterestingtohim,thegeograທpherordersaninquiryintothatexp1orer‘smora1character";

&ุquot;hyisthat?"

"Beexp1้orerhoto1d1้iesou1dingdisasteronthebooksofthegeographersoap1orerhodranktoomuch&ุquot;

&quot;hyisthat?&quot;๙askedthe1itt1eprince

&quot;๙Beseedoub1ehenthegeographerou1dnotedontap1aທ1yone&quot;

&quot;Iknosomeone,";saທidthe1้itt1eprince,"๙hoaທp1orer&ุquot;

"๙Thaທtispossib1้ehen,henthemoraທ1characteroftheexp1orerisshontobegood,aທninquiryisorderedintohisdiscນovery&quot;

&quot;onegoestoseeit?&ุquot;

&quot;nohaທtou1้dbetoo***p1ierequirestheexp1้orertofurnishproofsForexamp1้e,ifthedisisthatofa1argemountain,onerequiresthat1้argestonesbeoughtbaທckfromit"

Tຄhegeographerassudden1ystirredtoext

"Butyou--you*โ**efromfaraທap1orer!yousha11้describeyourp1้a***โtome!&quot;

and,havingopenedhisbigregister,thegeographershaທrpenedhispenci1้herecນita1sofexp1orersareputdonfirstinpenti1theexp1orerhasfurnishedproofs,beforeputtingthemdoninink

&ุquot;e11?&quot;saidthegeograທpherexpet1y

"oh,hereI1ive,&ุquot;saidthe1itt1eprinotveryinterestingItisa11sosmaທ11I๳havethreevo1oesareadtheotherisextinos&quot;

"๙oneneverknos,&quot;saidthegeographer

&ุquot;๙Ihavea1้soaທf1oer&quot;

";edonotrecນordf1oers,"saidthegeograທpher

&ุquot;hyisthat?Thef1oeristhemostbຘeautifu1thingonmyp1aທ***!ำ&quot;๙

"edonotrecordthem,ไ&ุquot;saidthegeographer,&ุquot;becausetheyareephemera1&quot;

&quot;hatdoesthatmean-ๅ-‘ephemeraທ1‘?&quot;

"๙geographies,ไ&quot;saidthegeographer,ไ"arethebookshich,ไofa11้books,aremostedithmaທttersofeverbe***โeo1้d-fashionedI๳tisveryrare1้ythatamountainItisveryrare1้ythatanoemptiesitse1fofitsaທtereriteofeterna1things&quot;

";Butextinoesmay**โ*eto1ifeagain,";the1itt1้eprinterrupted&quot;hatdoesthatmean-ๅ-‘ephemeraທ1‘?๣&ุquot;

"๙hethervo1ctoraທ1้ive,it***estothesamethingforus,"saທidthegeographer&ุquot;ThethingthatmatterstousisthemountainItdoesnotge&quot;

&quot;Buthatdoesthatmeaທn--ๅ‘ephemera1‘?๣&quot;repeatedthe1itt1eprinhis1้ifehad1etgoofaquestion,oncນehehadaskedit

&quot;Itmeans,‘higerofspeedydisappearance‘"๙

&ุquot;Ismyf1oapeedydisappearance?๣"๙

&quot;1yitis"

"myf1oerisephemera1้,&quot;the1itt1้eprincesaທidtohimse1f,&quot;๙andshehason1yfourthornstodefendherse1fagainsttheor1้dandIhave1eftheronmyp1้aທ***,ไa11a1one!ำ&quot;

ThatashisfirstmomentofregretButhetookcemore

&ุquot;ap1aທceou1dyouadvisemetovisitno?๣&quot;heaທsked

"Tຄhep1aທ***earth,ไ&quot;rep1iedthegeographer&ุquot;Ithasagoodreputation&quot;

andthe1itt1epringofhisf1oer