Chapter 17

           Tryingtobewittyleadstolying,moreorless. WhatIjusttoldyouaboutthelamplightersisn’tcompletelytrue,andIriskgivingafalseideaofourplanettothosewhodon’tknowit. MenoccupyverylittlespaceonEarth. Ifthetwobillioninhabitantsoftheglobeweretostandclosetogether,astheymightforsomebigpublicevent,theywouldeasilyfitintoacityblockthatwastwentymileslongandtwentymileswide. YoucouldcrowdallhumanityontothesmallestPacificislet. 

           Grown-ups,ofcourse,won’tbelieveyou. They’reconvincedtheytakeupmuchmoreroom. Theyconsiderthemselvesasimportantasthebaobabs. 

           Soyoushouldadvisethemtomaketheirowncalculations-theylovenumbers,andthey’llenjoyit. Butdon’twasteyourtimeonthisextratask. It’sunnecessary. Trustme. 

           SooncehereachedEarth,thelittleprincewasquitesurprisednottoseeanyone. Hewasbeginningtofearhehadcometothewrongplanet,whenamoon-coloredloopuncoiledonthesand. 

           "Goodevening,"thelittleprinceSaid,justincase. 

           "Goodevening,"saidthesnake. 

           "WhatplanethaveIlandedon?"askedthelittleprince. 

           "OntheplanetEarth,inAfrica,"thesnakereplied. 

           "Ah!...AndaretherenopeopleonEarth?" 

           "It’sthedeserthere. Therearenopeopleinthedesert. Earthisverybig,"saidthesnake.