The Little Prince - Chapter X ... The little prince was in the region asteroid 325, 326, 327, 328, 329 and 330. He began to visit them to seek employment and education. The first of them was inhabited by a king. The king, dressed in purple and ermine, sat on a throne at the same time very simple and majestic. "Ah, here is a subject," exclaimed the king, when he saw the little prince. And the little prince asked himself: "How can you not recognize me if I ever saw?" He did not know that the King's world is very simple. All men are subjects. "Come see you better," said the king, who was very proud to finally be re perqualcuno. The little prince's eyes where you can sit, but the entire planet was occupatodal magnificent mantle ermine. So he remained standing, but she was so tired that yawned. "It's contrary to etiquette to yawn in the presence of a king," the monarch said, "I forbid." "I can not help it," said the little prince, confused. "I made a long journey and I did not sleep ..." "Then," the king said, "I order you to yawn. For years I have seen anyone yawning, and yawning are a curiosity to me. Next! Yawns again.'s An order." "That frightens me ... I can not," said the little prince, blushing. "Hum! Hum!" replied the king. "So I ... I order you to yawn a little and a little ..." He muttered something and looked annoyed. Why King insisted upon was that his authority was respected. He tolerated no disobedience. It was an absolute monarch. But because it was very good, he made his orders reasonable. "If I ordered," he would say, "if I ordered a general to turn into a uccellomarino, and if the general did not obey, it is not the fault of the general. It would be my fault" "" Can I sit? "Timidly inquired the little prince . I order you to, "replied the king, who retired majestically a fold of his ermine mantle. The little prince was very surprised. The planet was tiny on what the king could rule?" Sire, "he said, "I'm sorry if I ask you ..." "I order you to question me," you quickly answered the king.
"Sire, what would you rule?" "Over everything," said the king, with great simplicity. "Over everything?" The king made a gesture, his planet, other planets, and stars. "Over all that?" asked the little prince. "Over all that ..." replied the king. Why was not only absolute, but was also universal. "And the stars obey you?" "Certainly," said the king. "I obey immediately. I will not tolerate insubordination." Such power was surprised the little prince. If he had, he would have been able to watch the sunset, but at seventy, or even a hundred, two hundred times in one day, without ever having to move his chair! And feeling a bit sad at the thought of his little planet abandoned, azzardò'a seek a pardon from the king: "I would love to see a sunset like this ... Let me ... Order the sun to set ..." "If I ordered a general to fly from flower to flower like a butterfly, or write a tragedy, or turn into a sea bird, and if the general did not carry out the order received, who would wrong her or me ? "Who would you," said the little prince firmly. "Exactly. Must require from each what each can give," continued the king. "The authority rests first of all on reason. If you ordered your people to go and throw themselves into sea, will make a revolution. I have the right to require obedience because my orders are reasonable. "" Then my sunset? "Remembered the little prince, who never forgot a question once he had made." You got it, the your sunset, it would require, but in my science of government, I will wait until conditions are favorable. "" And when will that be? "inquired the little prince." Hem! Hum! "the king answered that he consulted a bulky almanac" Hum! Hum! will be towards, towards, it will be this evening about seven forty! And you'll see how I'll be obeyed to the letter. "The little prince yawned. He was regretting his lost sunset. And then he began to get bored. "I have nothing to do here," said the king. "I'm leaving." "Do not go," said the king who was very proud of having a subject, "Do not go, I'll make you Minister!" "Minister of what?" "The ... of justice!" "But if there is anyone to judge?" "You never know," said the king. "I have not made the tour of my kingdom. I am very old, but there is room for a coach and I tired to walk." "Oh, but I've already seen it," said the little prince, turning around to give one more glance to the other side of the planet. "Neither is there anybody out there." "Judge yourself," replied the king. "It's the hardest thing. It is much more difficult to judge themselves than others. If you can judge well is a sign that you are really wise. "" I, "said the little prince," I can judge myself anywhere. I do not need to live here. "Hem! Hum! "said the King." I believe that somewhere on my planet there is an old rat. I hear him at night. You can judge this old rat. The death sentences occasionally. So his life will depend on your justice. But you will pardon him each time to save. There is not one. "" I do not like to be sentenced to death, "said the little prince," I will go away. "" No, "said the king. But the little prince, having now completed his preparations for departure, not wish to grieve the old monarch "If Your Majesty wishes to be promptly obeyed, can give me a reasonable order. May order, for example, to start to be gone a minute. It seems to me that conditions are favorable ..." As the king made no answer, the little prince hesitated a moment and then went away with a sigh. "Do you my Ambassador," he hastened to the king called out. He had an air of great authority. "I'm very strange big," said the little prince during the trip.
