One day, I accidentally found an old book on a bookshelf. It was The Little Prince which I bought more than 10 years ago. Its faded pages reminded me of my present age and made me a little melancholic. While reading this book again, I asked myself, "Who is this book for, children or grown-ups?” and "If it is for children, how on earth do they find out its the deep meanings?" It is said that a good book gives new and different feelings and meanings to the readers whenever they re-read it. Actually, I don’t remember what lessons I learned from my first reading. However, the second reading in my late fifties has provided me with clear answers to some profound philosophical questions of life along with fresh realizations. Saint-Exupéry (1900~1944) was born in Lyon, France. When he was alive, he actively worked as a writer, poet, aristocrat, journalist, and pioneering aviator. This year marks 78 years after the publication of his classic fable The Little Prince (1943). The book is known as the most popular non-religious text and one of the most widely translated texts in the world. I assume most students have ever read this book when young or more recently. I want to share what I have learned through this book with KT readers. I also want them to have time to think about their way of life and thinking, especially in an era which is rapidly changing. 1. Difference of Evaluation Between Children and Adults The author presumes the little prince came from a very small planet called B-612. Regarding the star, a Turkish astronomer tried to perform a formal demonstration of his discovery at the International Astronomical Congress; but he failed to make any of the participants believe him on account of the way he was dressed. But in 1920, when he repeated his demonstration in an elegant European suit, everyone believed him without any doubt. Here is something we have to think about. As a snake that swallowed a boa constrictor in The Little Prince was recognized as a simple hat, adults tend to judge a person or thing by appearance and rarely try to see who they really are inside. When asking about One day, I accidentally found an old book on a bookshelf. It was The Little Prince which I bought more than 10 years ago. Its faded pages reminded me of my present age and made me a little melancholic. While reading this book again, I asked myself, "Who is this book for, children or grown-ups?” and "If it is for children, how on earth do they find out its the deep meanings?" It is said that a good book gives new and different feelings and meanings to the readers whenever they re-read it. Actually, I don’t remember what lessons I learned from my first reading. However, the second reading in my late fifties has provided me with clear answers to some profound philosophical questions of life along with fresh realizations. Saint-Exupéry (1900~1944) was born in Lyon, France. When he was alive, he actively worked as a writer, poet, aristocrat, journalist, and pioneering aviator. This year marks 78 years after the publication of his classic fable The Little Prince (1943). The book is known as the most popular non-religious text and one of the most widely translated texts in the world. I assume most students have ever read this book when young or more recently. I want to share what I have learned through this book with KT readers. I also want them to have time to think about their way of life and thinking, especially in an era which is rapidly changing. 1. Difference of Evaluation Between Children and Adults The author presumes the little prince came from a very small planet called B-612. Regarding the star, a Turkish astronomer tried to perform a formal demonstration of his discovery at the International Astronomical Congress; but he failed to make any of the participants believe him on account of the way he was dressed. But in 1920, when he repeated his demonstration in an elegant European suit, everyone believed him without any doubt. Here is something we have to think about. As a snake that swallowed a boa constrictor in The Little Prince was recognized as a simple hat, adults tend to judge a person or thing by appearance and rarely try to see who they really are inside. When asking about If someone loves a flower of which just one example exists among all the millions and millions of stars, that’s enough to make him happy when he looks at the stars. … But if the sheep eats the flower, then for him it’s as if, suddenly, all the stars went out. And that isn’t important? (p. 21) Flowers are not the only ones with thorns. Thorns also exist in human minds. Have you ever been interested in why sometimes the people you love can say such hurtful things? Don’t you usually only think about your own pain without considering why those people lashed out at you? The partial responsibility is always on me because I am here. Through a story of rose thorns, the author is pointing out our indifference to other people's pain or thorns. 4. What Does It Mean to Be Tamed? The little prince descends to Earth, the seventh star. The stars he visited before were so small that just one person was enough for each of them. There, each person plays a role as a proud king who wants to make all men his subjects; a vain man who never hears anything but praise; a drunkard who drinks to forget that he is ashamed; a businessman who is too busy counting numbers to have a hope of being left in peace; a lamplighter who is too busy to have time to sleep but doing some meaningful work for others; and a geographer who records oceans, rivers, and mountains of other stars but never knows what his own star is like because he has never left his study. In a desert, he meets a fox and asks it to play with him, but the fox says it cannot play with him because it is not tamed. However, the little prince doesn’t understand what is said and asks what the word ‘tamed’ means? The fox explains: It means ‘to create ties.’ … For me you’re only little boy just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you have no need of me, either. For you I’m only a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, we’ll need each other. You’ll be the only boy in the world for me. I’ll be the only fox in the world for you. (p. 59) The fox keeps silent and stares at the little prince for a long while and asks him to tame it again. He says that he would like to do, but he does not have much time because he has to find friends and learn many things. Hearing this, the fox talks about how to make a real friend: People haven’t time to learn anything. They buy things ready-made in stores. But since there are no stores where you can buy friends, people no longer have friends. If you want a friend, tame me. …You have to be patient. First, you’ll sit down a little ways away from me, over there, in the grass. I’ll watch you out of the corner of my eye, and you won’t say anything. Language is the source of misunderstandings. But day by day, you’ll be able to sit a little closer. (p. 60) I felt ashamed when I read the fox's explanation of the word tamed because I have never tried to understand its meaning in the way the fox explained. As the fox pointed out, I have long forgotten the true meaning of the word. I understood the word as the stronger make the weaker easier to control. We live in a variety of taming relationships between friends, husband and wife, superiors and subordinates, etc. I think now is the time for us to take back the old forgotten meaning of the word, tamed. The little prince left his planet and began his journey to other planets due to a conflict with the rose that wanted to tame him. He has not learned how to create ties and why it is important because he was living alone in his planet. In the end, he comes to realize the true meaning of taming thanks to the fox and misses the rose he left behind. The little prince encounters a lot of roses in full bloom and says this: You’re not at all like my rose, You’re nothing at all yet. No one has tamed you and you haven’t tamed anyone. … One couldn’t die for you. Of course, an ordinary passerby would think my rose looked just like you. But my rose, all on her own, is more important than all of you together, since she’s the one I’ve watered. Since she’s the one I put under glass. Since she’s the one I sheltered behind a screen. Since she’s the one for whom I killed the cater pillars. Since she’s the one I listened to when she complained, or when she boasted, or even sometimes when she said nothing at all. Since she’s my rose. (p. 63) So far, I have talked about four important lessons and wisdoms on how to live our lives. First, rather than following the criteria of evaluation of grown-ups (in numbers), take a look inside of somebody (their characteristics). Next, evil behaviors should be rooted out at an early stage. And next, roses have a reason to sprout thorns. Last but not least, we have to take back the old forgotten meaning of the word, tamed. Saint-Exupéry, Antoine de (2000). The Little Prince (R. Howard Trans.). New York: A Harvest Book Harcourt.

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