21 Sep 10 beautiful quotes from The Little Prince
Like many children, I was read "The Little Prince" when young; but it wasn't until I was a bit older (I think 20) that I more fully appreciated the beauty and wisdom it held within.
Now, I make a point of re-reading it every year or so to remind me of the many wonderful lessons about life and happiness and, well, here are 10 of the best quotes via LifeHack…
by Chris Ellis
I’ve read a lot of books in my time and the number that have stayed in my mind and consciousness forever are very few. “The Little Prince” by Antoine De Saint Exupery is one that has never left me.
For those who have never read this beautiful bit of prose, it is a must read. Antoine De Saint Exupery was born in 1900 in Lyon, France to an aristocratic family. His father died when he was only four years old, leaving the family as improvrished artistocrats. When he came of age, Antoine and his brother Francois attended the Marionist college in Switzerland where his brother fell fatally ill with rheumatic fever.
At his bedside when he died, Antoine wrote in his diary that his fifteen year old brother “was motionless for an instant, he did not cry out, He fell as gently as a young tree falls”
These words, so beautifully prophetic were echoed in the story “The Little Prince” in a heartbreaking narrative of the Little Prince’s departure.
Antoine De Saint Exupery was an aviator for many years and on December 30, 1945, his plane went down in the Sahara desert. With only one day’s worth of liquid. he and his mechanic/navigator survived for four miraculous days with severe dehydration complete with hallucinations. Their lives were saved by a bedoin who discovered them and administered a life saving rehydration treatment.
This plane crash figured prominently in the story “The Little Prince” as does the image of what I believe to be Saint Exupery’s young brother whom Saint Exupery was extremely close to until his tragic death.
This story is touching in its beauty and the innocence of both the author and his tiny protagaonist. It is filled with wit and wisdom as well as words and concepts so touching that you don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
As Antoine De Saint Exupery was a seasoned air traveler and since his adorable little protagonist was also well versed in getting around, we can learn and be inspired by not only life but travel as well.
His words are poetic but hidden inside this story are gems. “What makes a desert beautiful is that it hides a well somewhere.”
Let’s explore some of his quotes.
“I know a planet inhabited by a red faced gentleman. He’s never smelled a flower. He’s never looked at a star, He’s never loved anyone. He’s never done anything except add up numbers. And all day long he says over and over, just like you, ‘I’m a serious man! I’m a serious man!’ And that puffs him up with pride. But he’s not a man at all-He’s a mushroom!”
The world is filled with wonderful things; beautiful things to see, amazing food to taste and most of all one of a kind people to love. Give yourself the chance to love as much as you possibly can. Life is love, it is sensation, it is spectacle and wonder. In order to really live you have to experience! Go out and experience everything this wonderful world has to offer!
“If they travel one day (the children in France) it could be useful to them. Sometimes there’s no harm in postponing your work until later.”
Your work will be there for you. It is not going anywhere. Your time, on the other hand, is fleeting and the joys and wonders you want to see and experience may not last. Take a vacation from the salt mines and go see the things you want to see. You will never regret it…
…keep reading for more happiness HERE