Chapter XV
The sixth planet was a planet ten times larger. It was inhabited by an old gentleman who wrote enormous books.
"Here! Here is an explorer! Cried he, when he perceived the little prince.
The little prince sat down on the table and breathed a little. He already had traveled so much !
" Where do you come from ? Said the old gentleman.
- What is this big book? Said the little prince. What are you doing here ?
"I am a geographer," said the old gentleman.
"What is a geographer?"
"He is a scientist who knows where the seas, rivers, cities, mountains and deserts are.
"That is very interesting," said the little prince. It's finally a real job! And he cast a glance around him on the geographer's planet. He had never seen a planet so majestic.
"It is very beautiful, your planet. Are there oceans ?
"I can not know," said the geographer.
"Ah! (The little prince was disappointed.) And mountains?
"I can not know," said the geographer.
"And cities and rivers and deserts?"
"I can not know it either," said the geographer.
"But you are a geographer!
"That's right," said the geographer, "but I am not an explorer. I absolutely lack explorers. It is not the geographer who will count cities, rivers, mountains, seas, oceans and deserts. The geographer is too important to stroll. He does not leave his office. But he receives the explorers there. He interrogates them, and takes note of their memories. And if the memories of one of them seem interesting to him, the geographer makes investigate the morality of the explorer.
- Why this ?
"Because an explorer who lies would cause catastrophes in the books of geography." And also an explorer who would drink too much.
- Why this ? Said the little prince.
"Because drunks see double." Then the geographer would note two mountains, where there is only one.
"I know somebody," said the little prince, who would be a bad explorer.
- It's possible. So when the morality of the explorer seems good, an inquiry is made into his discovery.
- We will see ?
- No. It's too complicated. But the explorer is required to provide evidence. If, for example, the discovery of a large mountain is required, it is required to bring large stones. "
The geographer was suddenly moved.
"But you come from a distance! You're an explorer! You're going to describe your planet! "
And the geographer, having opened his register, cut his pencil. We first note in pencil the narratives of the explorers. It is expected, to note in ink, that the explorer has provided evidence.
" So ? Inquired the geographer.
- Oh ! At home, "said the little prince," it's not very interesting, it's very small. I have three volcanoes. Two active volcanoes, and an extinct volcano. But we never know.
"You never know," said the geographer.
- I also have a flower.
"We do not notice flowers," said the geographer.
- Why this ! This is the nicest!
"Because flowers are ephemeral."
- What does 'ephemeral' mean?
"Geographies," said the geographer, "are the most serious books in all books. They never go out of style. It is very rare that a mountain changes its place. It is very rare that an ocean empties its water. We write eternal things.
"But the extinct volcanoes can wake up," interrupted the little prince. What does "ephemeral" mean?
"Whether volcanoes are extinguished or awakened is the same for us," said the geographer. What matters to us is the mountain. It does not change.
"But what does" ephemeral "mean? Repeated the little prince, who had never given up a question in his life once he had asked it.
- It means "who is threatened with the near disappearance".
- My flower is threatened with disappearance soon?
- Of course.
"My flower is ephemeral," thought the little prince, "and she has only four thorns to defend herself against the world! And I left her alone with me! "
This was his first movement of regret. But he resumed his courage:
"What do you advise me to visit?" He asked.
"Planet Earth," replied the geographer. She has a good reputation ... "
And the little prince went away, thinking of his flower.