CHAPTER EIGHT
THE FOX
"Please play with me," said the little prince to the fox. "I'm very sad and lonely today. My flower isn't special because she's the same as all the other roses."
"I can't play with you," said the fox. "You must tame me first."
"What does 'tame' mean?" the little prince asked.
"It means 'become my friend'," answered the fox. "There are lots of little boys and you're only one of them. You aren't very interesting because you aren't special to me. You must become my friend and become special. Then I'll play with you."
"I'm beginning to understand," said the little prince. "I know a special flower and she tamed me, I think."
"Maybe she did," said the fox. "Now, look at the golden corn over there and I'll tell you more about being a friend. I'm not interested in corn now because I'm a fox. I don't eat bread. But I'll learn to love the golden corn. You have golden hair and you're going to be my friend. I'll say, 'Every time I see the golden corn, I'm happy. I'm happy because the corn is the same colour as my friend's hair."'
"I understand a bit more," said the little prince.
Then the fox said, "Please tame me and become my friend."
"How can I do that?" asked the little prince.
"Well," answered the fox, "you must sit down on the grass over there. Say nothing and I'll watch you. Then, tomorrow you must come back. Sit on the grass near to me, but not too near. You can talk to me, but you mustn't make me frightened. On the next day, come back again. You can sit very near me and we can talk. We'll be friends."
"I'd like that," said the little prince. "I'd like to tame you."
"And," the fox said, "come at the same time every day. That's a good thing to do. Tell me, 'I'm coming to see you at four o'clock in the afternoon tomorrow.' I'll be happy between three o'clock and four o'clock because you're going to come."
"I understand," said the little prince again.
The little prince came back each day and he tamed the fox. Then, one day, the little prince said, "I must go now."
"That makes me sad because I'm your friend. I'm your special fox," said the fox. "I'm going to cry."
"Well," said the little prince, "you wanted me to tame you!"
"That's true," answered the fox.
"But you're going to cry," said the little prince. "It wasn't good to tame you."
"Yes, it was, because we're friends," said the fox. "I can look at the golden corn now and I can be happy. The corn is special now because your hair is golden." Then he said, "Go to the garden again and look at the roses. Then come back here and say goodbye to me."
The little prince went to see the roses again and he understood something. The roses in the garden were not special because they were not his friends. On the day he met the fox, the fox was not special. But the fox was special now because they were friends. The rose on the little prince's planet was special too because they were friends.
He went back to see the fox. "Goodbye," the little prince said.
"And goodbye to you," the fox said. "But first, I'll tell you some important things. They're very easy to understand. Your heart sees the important things in life, but your eyes don't see them."
"My heart sees the important things in life, but my eyes don't see them," said the little prince.
"Your rose is special because you tamed her. She's your friend," said the fox.
"My rose is special because I tamed her," said the little prince.
"And you mustn't forget this," said the fox. "You must always look after your special things."
"I must always look after my special things," said the little prince.
