Tamed

This was a merchant who sold pills that had been invented to quench thirst. You need only swallow one pill a week, and you would feel no need for anything to drink.
Why are you selling those? asked the little prince.
Because they save a tremendous amount of time, said the merchant. Computations have been made by experts. With these pills, you save fifty-three minutes in every week.
And what do I do with those fifty-three minutes?
Anything you like...
As for me, said the little prince to himself, if I had fifty-three minutes to spend as I liked, I should walk at my leisure toward a spring of fresh water.
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 1900-1944, The Little Prince

Originally published in 1943, Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince still strikes a chord with many people. It has been translated from its original French into over two hundred languages. 1.2 million people have "liked" it on Facebook. In my household, everyone but our youngest member has studied it in French class (and I'm sure she will, eventually).

Another quote:

“To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world....”

Maquette du monument à Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
du sculpteur Marcel Mayer

The Little Prince, Melbourne, Australia. "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
photo by acb

Le Petit Prince and Saint-Exupéry, Lyon, France
photo by Frank Zoe

The King who controls the stars, The Little Prince Museum in Hakone, Japan
photo by Ken Lee

The Geographer who never leaves his desk
photo by Ken Lee

L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux (The essential is invisible to the eyes)
photo by Adam Baker

Le Petit Prince, Kiev
by Iakov Vokhmintsev

Le Petit Prince
by Mad Mou

A Le Petit Prince book collection
by Chris

There wasn't even a sound
by Shareheads

FaceType »Aeronaut« The Little Prince
Wallpaper 1920x1200 created with Gerorg Herold–Wildfellners
by arnoKath

Links:

* Le Petit Prince (in French)
* The Little Prince Fan Art Friday
* Le Petit Docteur (Doctor Who/The Little Prince)
* The Little Prince e-cards
* Last year, I bought this sweet print of the prince and the fox.
* The Little Prince silk scarf (beautiful!!)
* A Little Prince iPad case sleeve
* Shmoop on The Little Prince