书书小说网

手机浏览器扫描二维码访问

第十章（第3页）

"Approach，sothatImayseeyoubetter，"saidtheking，whofeltconsuminglyproudofbeingatlastakingoversomebody。

Thelittleprincelookedeverywheretofindaplacetositdown;buttheentireplanetwascrammedandobstructedbythekingsmagnificenterminerobe。Soheremainedstandingupright，and，sincehewastired，heyawned。

"Itiscontrarytoetiquettetoyawninthepresenceofaking，"themonarchsaidtohim。"Iforbidyoutodoso。""Icanthelpit。Icantstopmyself，"repliedthelittleprince，thoroughlyembarrassed。"Ihavecomeonalongjourney，andIhavehadnosleep。。。""Ah，then，"thekingsaid。"Iorderyoutoyawn。ItisyearssinceIhaveseenanyoneyawning。Yawns，tome，areobjectsofcuriosity。Come，now!Yawnagain!Itisanorder。""Thatfrightensme。。。Icannot，anymore。。。"murmuredthelittleprince，nowcompletelyabashed。

"Hum!Hum!"repliedtheking。"ThenI—Iorderyousometimestoyawnandsometimesto—"Hesputteredalittle，andseemedvexed。

Forwhatthekingfundamentallyinsisteduponwasthathisauthorityshouldberespected。Hetoleratednodisobedience。Hewasanabsolutemonarch。But，becausehewasaverygoodman，hemadehisordersreasonable。

"IfIorderedageneral，"hewouldsay，bywayofexample，"ifIorderedageneraltochangehimselfintoaseabird，andifthegeneraldidnotobeyme，thatwouldnotbethefaultofthegeneral。Itwouldbemyfault。""MayIsitdown"camenowatimidinquiryfromthelittleprince。

"Iorderyoutodoso，"thekingansweredhim，andmajesticallygatheredinafoldofhiserminemantle。

Butthelittleprincewaswondering。。。Theplanetwastiny。Overwhatcouldthiskingreallyrule"Sire，"hesaidtohim，"Ibegthatyouwillexcusemyaskingyouaquestion—""Iorderyoutoaskmeaquestion，"thekinghastenedtoassurehim。

"Sire—overwhatdoyourule""Overeverything，"saidtheking，withmagnificentsimplicity。

"Overeverything"

Thekingmadeagesture，whichtookinhisplanet，theotherplanets，andallthestars。

"Overallthat"askedthelittleprince。

"Overallthat，"thekinganswered。

Forhisrulewasnotonlyabsolute:itwasalsouniversal。

"Andthestarsobeyyou"

"Certainlytheydo，"thekingsaid。"Theyobeyinstantly。Idonotpermitinsubordination。"Suchpowerwasathingforthelittleprincetomarvelat。Ifhehadbeenmasterofsuchcompleteauthority，hewouldhavebeenabletowatchthesunset，notforty-fourtimesinoneday，butseventy-two，orevenahundred，oreventwohundredtimes，withouteverhavingtomovehischair。Andbecausehefeltabitsadasherememberedhislittleplanetwhichhehadforsaken，hepluckeduphiscouragetoaskthekingafavor:"Ishouldliketoseeasunset。。。domethatkindness。。。Orderthesuntoset。。。""IfIorderedageneraltoflyfromoneflowertoanotherlikeabutterfly，ortowriteatragicdrama，ortochangehimselfintoaseabird，andifthegeneraldidnotcarryouttheorderthathehadreceived，whichoneofuswouldbeinthewrong"thekingdemanded。"Thegeneral，ormyself""You，"saidthelittleprincefirmly。

"Exactly。Onemuchrequirefromeachonethedutywhicheachonecanperform，"thekingwenton。"Acceptedauthorityrestsfirstofallonreason。Ifyouorderedyourpeopletogoandthrowthemselvesintothesea，theywouldriseupinrevolution。Ihavetherighttorequireobediencebecausemyordersarereasonable。""Thenmysunset"thelittleprinceremindedhim:forheneverforgotaquestiononcehehadaskedit。

"Youshallhaveyoursunset。Ishallcommandit。But，accordingtomyscienceofgovernment，Ishallwaituntilconditionsarefavorable。""Whenwillthatbe"inquiredthelittleprince。

"Hum!Hum!"repliedtheking;andbeforesayinganythingelseheconsultedabulkyalmanac。"Hum!Hum!Thatwillbeabout—about—thatwillbethiseveningabouttwentyminutestoeight。AndyouwillseehowwellIamobeyed。"Thelittleprinceyawned。Hewasregrettinghislostsunset。Andthen，too，hewasalreadybeginningtobealittlebored。

"Ihavenothingmoretodohere，"hesaidtotheking。"SoIshallsetoutonmywayagain。""Donotgo，"saidtheking，whowasveryproudofhavingasubject。"Donotgo。IwillmakeyouaMinister!""Ministerofwhat"

"Minsterof—ofJustice!"

"Butthereisnobodyheretojudge!""Wedonotknowthat，"thekingsaidtohim。"Ihavenotyetmadeacompletetourofmykingdom。Iamveryold。Thereisnoroomhereforacarriage。Andittiresmetowalk。""Oh，butIhavelookedalready!"saidthelittleprince，turningaroundtogiveonemoreglancetotheothersideoftheplanet。Onthatside，asonthis，therewasnobodyatall。。。

"Thenyoushalljudgeyourself，"thekinganswered。"thatisthemostdifficultthingofall。Itismuchmoredifficulttojudgeoneselfthantojudgeothers。Ifyousucceedinjudgingyourselfrightly，thenyouareindeedamanoftruewisdom。""Yes，"saidthelittleprince，"butIcanjudgemyselfanywhere。Idonotneedtoliveonthisplanet。

"Hum!Hum!"saidtheking。"Ihavegoodreasontobelievethatsomewhereonmyplanetthereisanoldrat。Ihearhimatnight。Youcanjudgethisoldrat。Fromtimetotimeyouwillcondemnhimtodeath。Thushislifewilldependonyourjustice。Butyouwillpardonhimoneachoccasion;forhemustbetreatedthriftily。Heistheonlyonewehave。""I，"repliedthelittleprince，"donotliketocondemnanyonetodeath。AndnowIthinkIwillgoonmyway。""No，"saidtheking。

Butthelittleprince，havingnowcompletedhispreparationsfordeparture，hadnowishtogrievetheoldmonarch。

"IfYourMajestywishestobepromptlyobeyed，"hesaid，"heshouldbeabletogivemeareasonableorder。Heshouldbeable，forexample，toordermetobegonebytheendofoneminute。Itseemstomethatconditionsarefavorable。。。"Asthekingmadenoanswer，thelittleprincehesitatedamoment。Then，withasigh，hetookhisleave。

"ImadeyoumyAmbassador，"thekingcalledout，hastily。

Hehadamagnificentairofauthority。

"Thegrown-upsareverystrange，"thelittleprincesaidtohimself，ashecontinuedonhisjourney。