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My Story: "The Little Prince" This is the story that Antoine wrote when we met. The story that allowed me to meet all of you. It's a story of friendship and love. Of losing and finding. Of remembering what is important. |
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Hard Cover Editions I love the feel of a hard cover book in my hands. It feels strong and firm, as if the covers were guarding the secrets and adventures waiting for us in the pages. Also, if you have any volcanoes on your planet, it's always good to have well protected books. You know how unpredictable volcanoes can be. |
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It's amazing to think that had I stayed on Earth, I'd be very wrinkled and quiet, but I'm sure I would have managed to never grow up... in spite of the older people telling me "Act your age!" Anyway, this is a gorgeous book. They did something to the drawings, I don't know what, but they look great. Ah! And it even has a page marker, in case the grown up reading it to you forgets where the page was! (Of course, if you tell the grown up "You stopped when the Little Prince was very sad, lied down on the grass and cried" they'd have a hard time finding the page. But if you tell them, "You stopped at page 64 - there, where the ribbon is." They'll be able to finish reading the book to you) |
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The cover of this one is almots like the first edition of my story, published back in 1943. The only thing that is weird is the blue background. I'm not sure why they changed it. Oh well. Whatever nakes the grownups happy. |
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Paperback Editions My favorite part about paperback books is that you can forget about them. I mean, you can get ten of them, give them away to your friends, and forget. Then get ten more. I know that this would upset a "businessman" I met once. It would be so funny to see his face! |
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Paperback picture book: I'm not sure what "picture book" means. Could anybody email me and tell me what the difference is? |
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French Editions: "Le Petit Prince" As you well know, my story was originally written in French. And lots of people who have met me over the years first heard about me from French speaking friends or French professors. I've found that most French professors are very fond of my story, and they transmit that love for me to their students. In that way they also teach the importance of essential things. Merci beaucoup mes amis! |
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Spanish Editions: "El Principito" Since this is the first language of my friend Manuel, the one who's helping me build this site, I'll let him write this part: Mi primer encuentro con El Principito fue en español, cuando lo escuché decir "Por favor, dibújame un cordero". A lo largo de los años mi cariño por la historia y por este pequeño hombrecito fue creciendo. Fue hasta después que El Principito se había ganado un lugar indeleble en mí, que comencé a leerlo en inglés y francés. Es por eso que las ediciones en español tienen un significado muy especial para mí. Con ellas fue que me dejé domesticar por el Pequeño Príncipe y aprendí que "lo esencial es invisible a los ojos". |
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Hardcover (boxed) |
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German Editions: "Der Kleine Prinz" I'll also let Manuel write this part, since he wants to talk about some grown-up stuff I don't quite understand. This planet Earth is way too complicated. As some of you know, Antoine was a member of the Allied Air Force during the Second World War, and he left our planet when his plane was shot down by a German pilot. Someone sent me an e-mail saying that it had been discovered that the German pilot who shot Antoine's plane down had a copy of The Little Prince book in his house. And someone even wrote a book about this. However, it can't be true. Antoine was officially against the Nazi government. When the Little Prince was published in 1943, France was occupied by the German army. Saint-Exupéry was very active in the French Resistance, and his book "Flight to Arras" had been banned in the occupied France in 1942. So, it seems unlikely that a German soldier would own a copy of one of Antoine's books, or even that a German translation of The Little Prince existed in 1944, when Saint-Ex disappeared. In a letter found in Antoine's room after his plane went down, he had written the following: "I do not care if I die in the war (...) But if I come alive from this ungrateful but necessary 'job', there will be only one question for me: What can one say to mankind? What does one have to say to mankind?" And in a certain way, German editions of The Little Prince are part of the answer to his question. One has to tell Men what is really important. In any language. So languages, and countries are no longer important. Mankind: man sieht nur mit dem Herzen gut. Das Wesentliche ist für die Augen unsichtbar. It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. |
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German Special Anniversary Edition (Hardcover) |
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Editions in other languages My story has been translated to about a hundred languages. When someone told me this I was surprised. A hundred! But then it made sense after I remembered that on Earth there's 111 kings. I love the fact that I can talk to kids on their same language, without a grown up messing things up. And while it's always a little weird to see myself talking and acting in other languages, some of the languages have such wonderful sounds! So, when I say Kanjinna koto wa me ni mienaindayo in Japanese, Det væsentlige er usynligt for øjet in Danish or Quae plurimi sunt, oculis cerni non possunt in Latin, is just different music for the same song - what is essential is invisible to the eye. |
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"The Little Prince" and all related materials are property of the Estate of Antoine de Saint-Exupery or authorized parties and are protected by copyright laws.