Men occupy a very small place upon the Earth. If the two
billion inhabitants who people its surface were all to stand upright and
somewhat crowded together, as they do for some big public assembly, they could
easily be put into one public square twenty miles long and twenty miles wide.
All humanity could be piled up on a small Pacific islet.
The
grown-ups, to be sure, will not believe you when you tell them that. They
imagine that they fill a great deal of space. They fancy themselves as
important as the baobabs. You should advise them, then, to make their own
calculations. They adore figures, and that will please them. But do not waste
your time on this extra task. It is unnecessary...
"Good
evening," said the little prince courteously.
"Good
evening," said the snake.
"What
planet is this on which I have come down?" asked the little prince.
"This
is the Earth; this is Africa," the snake answered.
"Ah!
Then there are no people on the Earth?"
"This
is the desert. There are no people in the desert. The Earth is large,"
said the snake.
"Where
are the men?" the little prince at last took up the conversation again.
"It is a little lonely in the desert . . ."
"It
is also lonely among men," the snake said.
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