🔊 I soon learned to know this flower better. On the little prince's planet the flowers had always been very simple. They had only one ring of petals; they took up no room at all; they were a trouble to nobody. One morning they would appear in the grass, and by night they would have faded peacefully away. But one day, from a seed blown from no one knew where, a new flower had come up; and the little prince had watched very closely over this small sprout which was not like any other small sprouts on his planet. It might, you see, have been a new kind of baobab.

I quickly got to know this flower better. On the little prince's planet, the flowers were always very plain. They had just one circle of petals; they didn't take any space; they didn't bother anyone. In the morning, they would pop up in the grass, and by night, they would die quietly. But one day, a new flower grew from a seed that came from somewhere unknown. The little prince watched this young plant carefully because it was different from others on his planet. It could have been a new type of baobab.

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baobab /ˈbeɪoʊbæb/

n. a tropical tree with a thick trunk and large fruit, native to Africa and Australia➕

🔊 The shrub soon stopped growing, and began to get ready to produce a flower. The little prince, who was present at the first appearance of a huge bud, felt at once that some sort of miraculous apparition must emerge from it. But the flower was not satisfied to complete the preparations for her beauty in the shelter of her green chamber. She chose her colors with the greatest care. She dressed herself slowly. She adjusted her petals one by one. She did not wish to go out into the world all rumpled, like the field poppies. It was only in the full radiance of her beauty that she wished to appear. Oh, yes! She was a coquettish creature! And her mysterious adornment lasted for days and days.

The bush soon stopped growing and started to make a flower. When the little prince saw the first big bud, he felt that something amazing must come out of it. But the flower wasn't happy to finish getting ready in her green room. She picked her colors very carefully. She got ready slowly. She fixed her petals one by one. She didn't want to go out into the world all messy, like wild poppies. She wanted to appear only when she was at her most beautiful. Oh yes! She was a flirtatious being! And her secret dressing up went on for many days.

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shrub /ʃrʌb/

n. a woody plant smaller than a tree, often with several stems➕

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miraculous /mɪˈrækjələs/

adj. like a miracle; very surprising and unexpected➕

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apparition /ˌæpəˈrɪʃən/

n. a ghost or ghostlike image of a person➕

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rumpled /ˈrʌmpəld/

adj. creased or wrinkled; untidy in appearance➕

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radiance /ˈreɪdiəns/

n. light or heat as emitted or reflected by something; great happiness or beauty➕

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coquettish /koʊˈkɛtɪʃ/

adj. behaving in a playful way that is intended to attract attention or admiration➕

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adornment /əˈdɔːrnmənt/

n. something that adds beauty; decoration or ornament➕

🔊 Then one morning, exactly at sunrise, she suddenly showed herself. And, after working with all this painstaking precision, she yawned and said: 'Ah! I am scarcely awake. I beg that you will excuse me. My petals are still all disarranged...' But the little prince could not restrain his admiration: 'Oh! How beautiful you are!' 'Am I not?' the flower responded, sweetly. 'And I was born at the same moment as the sun...' The little prince could guess easily enough that she was not any too modest—but how moving—and exciting—she was! 'I think it is time for breakfast,' she added an instant later. 'If you would have the kindness to think of my needs—' And the little prince, completely abashed, went to look for a sprinkling-can of fresh water. So, he tended the flower. So, too, she began very quickly to torment him with her vanity—which was, if the truth be known, a little difficult to deal with. One day, for instance, when she was speaking of her four thorns, she said to the little prince: 'Let the tigers come with their claws!' 'There are no tigers on my planet,' the little prince objected. 'And, anyway, tigers do not eat weeds.' 'I am not a weed,' the flower replied, sweetly. 'Please excuse me...' 'I am not at all afraid of tigers,' she went on, 'but I have a horror of drafts. I suppose you wouldn't have a screen for me?' 'A horror of drafts—that is bad luck, for a plant,' remarked the little prince, and added to himself, 'This flower is a very complex creature...' 'At night I want you to put me under a glass globe. It is very cold where you live. In the place I came from—' But she interrupted herself at that point. She had come in the form of a seed. She could not have known anything of any other worlds. Embarrassed over having let herself be caught on the verge of such a naive untruth, she coughed two or three times, in order to put the little prince in the wrong. 'The screen?' 'I was just going to look for it when you spoke to me...' Then she forced her cough a little more so that he should suffer from remorse just the same. So the little prince, in spite of all the good will that was inseparable from his love, had soon come to doubt her. He had taken seriously words which were without importance, and it made him very unhappy. 'I ought not to have listened to her,' he confided to me one day. 'One never ought to listen to the flowers. One should simply look at them and breathe their fragrance. Mine perfumed all my planet. But I did not know how to take pleasure in all her grace. This tale of claws, which disturbed me so much, should only have filled my heart with tenderness and pity.' And he continued his confidences: 'The fact is that I did not know how to understand anything! I ought to have judged by deeds and not by words. She cast her fragrance and her radiance over me. I ought never to have run away from her... I ought to have guessed all the affection that lay behind her poor little stratagems. Flowers are so inconsistent! But I was too young to know how to love her.'

Then one morning, right at sunrise, she suddenly appeared. After all her careful work, she stretched and said, 'Ah! I'm barely awake. Please excuse me. My petals are still messy...' But the little prince couldn't hold back his praise: 'Oh! How beautiful you are!' 'Aren't I?' the flower replied sweetly. 'And I was born at the same time as the sun...' The little prince could tell she wasn't very humble—but she was so touching and exciting! 'I think it's time for breakfast,' she added a moment later. 'If you would be kind enough to think of what I need—' And the little prince, feeling embarrassed, went to get a watering can with fresh water. So, he took care of the flower. And so, she quickly started to bother him with her pride—which was, truth be told, a bit hard to handle. One day, for example, when she was talking about her four thorns, she said to the little prince: 'Let the tigers come with their claws!' 'There are no tigers on my planet,' the little prince said. 'And anyway, tigers don't eat weeds.' 'I am not a weed,' the flower replied sweetly. 'Please excuse me...' 'I'm not afraid of tigers at all,' she went on, 'but I hate drafts. I guess you don't have a screen for me?' 'A hate for drafts—that's bad luck for a plant,' the little prince remarked, and thought to himself, 'This flower is a very complicated being...' 'At night, I want you to put me under a glass globe. It's very cold where you live. In the place I came from—' But she stopped herself then. She had come as a seed. She couldn't have known about other worlds. Feeling embarrassed for almost telling a silly lie, she coughed two or three times to make the little prince feel bad. 'The screen?' 'I was just about to look for it when you spoke to me...' Then she coughed a bit more so he would feel guilty. So the little prince, even with all the good feelings from his love, soon started to doubt her. He had taken her unimportant words seriously, and it made him very sad. 'I shouldn't have listened to her,' he told me one day. 'One should never listen to flowers. One should just look at them and smell their scent. Mine made my whole planet smell nice. But I didn't know how to enjoy all her beauty. That story about claws, which upset me so much, should have only made me feel tender and sorry for her.' And he went on: 'The truth is, I didn't know how to understand anything! I should have judged by actions, not words. She gave me her scent and her light. I should never have run away from her... I should have guessed all the love behind her little tricks. Flowers are so changeable! But I was too young to know how to love her.'

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painstaking /ˈpeɪnzˌteɪkɪŋ/

adj. done with great care and thoroughness➕

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precision /prɪˈsɪʒən/

n. the quality of being exact and accurate➕

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scarcely /ˈskersli/

adv. only just; almost not➕

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disarranged /ˌdɪsəˈreɪndʒd/

adj. not in order; untidy or disordered➕

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restrain /rɪˈstreɪn/

v. to prevent someone or something from doing something; to control or limit➕

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admiration /ˌædməˈreɪʃən/

n. respect and warm approval➕

Chapter eight