Chapter 5
EverydayI’dlearnsomethingaboutthelittleprince’splanet, abouthisdeparture,abouthisjourney. Itwouldcomequitegradually,inthecourseofhisremarks. ThiswashowIlearned,onthethirdday,aboutthedramaofthebaobabs.
Thistime,too,Ihadthesheeptothank, forsuddenlythelittleprinceaskedmeaquestion,asifovercomebyagravedoubt.
"Isn’tittruethatsheepeatbushes?"
"Yes,that’sright."
"Ah!I’mglad."
Ididn’tunderstandwhyitwassoimportant thatsheepshouldeatbushes.
Butthelittleprinceadded:
"Andthereforetheyeatbaobabs,too?"
Ipointedouttothelittleprincethatbaobabsarenotbushesbuttrees astallaschurches,andthatevenifhetookawholeherdofelephantsbacktohisplanet, thatherdcouldn’tfinishoffasinglebaobab.
Theideaoftheherdofelephantsmadethelittleprincelaugh.
"We’dhavetopilethemontopofoneanother."
Butheobservedperceptively:
"Beforetheygrowbig,baobabsstartoutbybeinglittle."
"Trueenough!Butwhydoyouwantyoursheeptoeatlittlebaobabs?"