Chapter 4

           ThatwashowIhadlearnedasecondveryimportantthing,whichwas thattheplanethecamefromwashardlybiggerthanahouse! 

           Thatcouldn’tsurprisememuch. IknewverywellthatexceptforthehugeplanetslikeEarth,Jupiter,Mars,andVenus, whichhavebeengivennames,therearehundredsofothersthataresometimessosmall thatit’sverydifficulttoseethemthroughatelescope. Whenanastronomerdiscoversoneofthem,hegivesitanumberinsteadofaname. Forinstance,hewouldcallit"Asteroid325." 

           Ihaveseriousreasonstobelieve thattheplanetthelittleprincecamefromisAsteroidB-612. 

           Thisasteroidhasbeensightedonlyoncebytelescope, in1909byaTurkishastronomer, whohadthenmadeaformaldemonstrationofhisdiscoveryatanInternationalAstronomicalCongress. Butnoonehadbelievedhimonaccountofthewayhewasdressed. Grown-upsarelikethat. 

           FortunatelyforthereputationofAsteroidB-612, aTurkishdictatororderedhispeople,onpainofdeath,towearEuropeanclothes. Theastronomerrepeatedhisdemonstrationin1920,wearingaveryelegantsuit. Andthistimeeveryonebelievedhim. 

           IfI’vetoldyouthesedetailsaboutAsteroidB-612andifI’vegivenyouitsnumber,itisonaccountofthegrown-ups. Grown-upslikenumbers. Whenyoutellthemaboutanewfriend, theyneveraskquestionsaboutwhatreallymatters. Theyneverask:"Whatdoeshisvoicesoundlike?" 

           "Whatgamesdoeshelikebest?" 

           "Doeshecollectbutterflies?" Theyask:"Howoldishe?"