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第二十四章（第3页）

Buthelookedatmesteadily，andrepliedtomythought:"

Iamthirsty，too.Letuslookforawell..."

Imadeagestureofweariness.Itisabsurdtolookforawell，atrandom，intheimmensityofthedesert.Butneverthelesswestartedwalking.

Whenwehadtrudgedalongforseveralhours，insilence，thedarknessfell，andthestarsbegantocomeout.Thirsthadmademealittlefeverish，andIlookedatthemasifIwereinadream.Thelittleprince’slastwordscamereelingbackintomymemory:"

Thenyouarethirsty，too"

Idemanded.

Buthedidnotreplytomyquestion.Hemerelysaidtome:"

Watermayalsobegoodfortheheart..."

Ididnotunderstandthisanswer，butIsaidnothing.Iknewverywellthatitwasimpossibletocross-examinehim.

Hewastired.Hesatdown.Isatdownbesidehim.And，afteralittlesilence，hespokeagain:"

Thestarsarebeautiful，becauseofaflowerthatcannotbeseen."

Ireplied，"

Yes，thatisso."

And，withoutsayinganythingmore，Ilookedacrosstheridgesofsandthatwerestretchedoutbeforeusinthemoonlight.

"

Thedesertisbeautiful，"

thelittleprinceadded.

Andthatwastrue.Ihavealwayslovedthedesert.Onesitsdownonadesertsanddune，seesnothing，hearsnothing.Yetthroughthesilencesomethingthrobs，andgleams...

"

Whatmakesthedesertbeautiful，"

saidthelittleprince，"

isthatsomewhereithidesawell..."

Iwasastonishedbyasuddenunderstandingofthatmysteriousradiationofthesands.WhenIwasalittleboyIlivedinanoldhouse，andlegendtoldusthatatreasurewasburiedthere.Tobesure，noonehadeverknownhowtofindit;perhapsnoonehadeverevenlookedforit.Butitcastanenchantmentoverthathouse.Myhomewashidingasecretinthedepthsofitsheart...

"

Yes，"

Isaidtothelittleprince."

Thehouse，thestars，thedesert—whatgivesthemtheirbeautyissomethingthatisinvisible!"

"

Iamglad，"

hesaid，"

thatyouagreewithmyfox."

Asthelittleprincedroppedofftosleep，Itookhiminmyarmsandsetoutwalkingoncemore.Ifeltdeeplymoved，andstirred.ItseemedtomethatIwascarryingaveryfragiletreasure.Itseemedtome，even，thattherewasnothingmorefragileonallEarth.InthemoonlightIlookedathispaleforehead，hisclosedeyes，hislocksofhairthattrembledinthewind，andIsaidtomyself:"

WhatIseehereisnothingbutashell.Whatismostimportantisinvisible..."

Ashislipsopenedslightlywiththesuspiciousofahalf-smile，Isaidtomyself，again:"

Whatmovesmesodeeply，aboutthislittleprincewhoissleepinghere，ishisloyaltytoaflower—theimageofarosethatshinesthroughhiswholebeingliketheflameofalamp，evenwhenheisasleep..."

AndIfelthimtobemorefragilestill.Ifelttheneedofprotectinghim，asifhehimselfwereaflamethatmightbeextinguishedbyalittlepuffofwind...

And，asIwalkedonso，Ifoundthewell，atdaybreak.