CHAPTER 25 – WALL

Next to the well there was an old wall. When I came back from my work the next evening, I saw the little prince from some distance. He was sitting on top of the wall. He was talking to somebody.

He said. “This is not the right place.”

Another voice probably said something to him because the little prince said to it, “Yes, yes, this is the right day, but it’s not the right place.”

I continued my walk to the wall. I still couldn’t see or hear anybody. However, the little prince said again, “Sure. You will see where my steps begin in the sand. You only have to follow me to that place. I will be there tonight. I will wait for you.

I was twenty meters from the wall and I still couldn’t see anything. The little prince spoke again, after a pause. “Do you have good poison? Are you sure that I will not feel pain for a long time?”

I stopped. My heart was beating strongly, but I still didn’t understand.

“Now go away,” said the little prince. “I want to go down from the wall”.

Then I looked down at the bottom of the wall, and I was shocked.

There was a yellow snake there. One of those snakes which can kill you in thirty seconds.

I wanted to take my revolver out, but when I was trying to reach it, I also made a step back. The snake heard it. He started to move and he quickly disappeared in the rocks. I still heard him but he was no longer visible.

I came to the wall and I caught the little prince in my arms. His face was as white as snow.

“What are you doing here?” I wanted to know. “Why are you talking with the snake?”

He looked at me. His eyes were sad. He put his arms around my neck. I felt his heart beating like the heart of a dying bird which was shot with a gun.

He said to me, “I’m glad that you repaired your plane. Now you can go home.”

“How do you know that?”

I came because I wanted to tell him that my work was successful.

He didn’t answer my question, but he said, “I will go back home today, too. It’s much further. It’s much more difficult. I need somebody’s help for my journey.”