XXIV
這是我在沙漠上出了事故的第八天。我聽著有關這個商人的故事，喝完了我所備用的最後一滴水。
「啊！」我對小王子說，「你回憶的這些故事真美。可是，我還沒有修好我的飛機。我沒有喝的了，假如我能悠哉游哉地走到水泉邊去，我一定也會很高興的！」
小王子對我說：「我的朋友狐狸……」
「我的小傢伙，現在還說什麼狐狸！」
「為什麼？」
「因為這就要渴死人了。」
他不理解我的思路，他回答我道：
「即使快要死了，有過一個朋友也好么！我就為我有過一個狐狸朋友而感到很高興……」
「他不顧危險。」我自己思量著，「他從來不知道饑渴。只要有點陽光，他就滿足了……」
他看著我，答覆著我的思想：
「我也渴了……我們去找一口井吧……」
我顯出厭煩的樣子：在茫茫的大沙漠上盲目地去找水井，真荒唐。然而我們還是開始去尋找了。
當我們默默地走了好幾個小時以後，天黑了下來，星星開始發出光亮。由於渴我有點發燒，我看著這些星星，象是在做夢一樣。小王子的話在我的腦海中跳來跳去。
「你也渴嗎？」我問他。
他卻不回答我的問題，只是對我說：
「水對心也是有益處的……」
我不懂他的話是什麼意思，可我也不做聲……我知道不應該去問他。
他累了，他坐下來。我在他身旁坐下。沉默了一會，他又說道：
「星星是很美的，因為有一朵人們看不到的花……」
我回答道：「當然。」而我默默地看著月光下沙漠的褶皺。
「沙漠是美的。」他又說道。
確實如此。我一直很喜歡沙漠。坐在一個沙丘上，什麼也看不見、聽不見。但是，卻有一種說不出的東西在默默地放著光芒……
「使沙漠更加美麗的，就是在某個角落裡，藏著一口井……」
我很驚訝，突然明白了為什麼沙漠放著光芒。當我還是一個小孩子的時候，我住在一座古老的房子里，而且傳說，這個房子里埋藏著一個寶貝。當然，從來沒有任何人能發現這個寶貝，可能，甚至也沒有人去尋找過。但是，這個寶貝使整個房子著了魔似的。我家的房子在它的心靈深處隱藏著一個秘密……
我對小王子說道：「是的，無論是房子，星星，或是沙漠，使它們美麗的東西是看不見的！」
「我真高興，你和我的狐狸的看法一樣。」小王子說。
小王子睡覺了，我就把他抱在懷裡，又重新上路了。我很激動。就好象抱著一個脆弱的寶貝。就好象在地球上沒有比這更脆弱的了。我借著月光看著這慘白的面額，這雙緊閉的眼睛，這隨風飄動的綹綹頭髮，這時我對自己說道：「我所看到的僅僅是外表。最重要的是看不見的……」
由於看到他稍稍張開的嘴唇露出一絲微笑，我又自言自語地說：「在這個熟睡了的小王子身上，使我非常感動的，是他對他那朵花的忠誠，是在他心中閃爍的那朵玫瑰花的形象。這朵玫瑰花，即使在小王子睡著了的時候，也象一盞燈的火焰一樣在他身上閃耀著光輝……」這時，我就感覺到他更加脆弱。應該保護燈焰：一陣風就可能把它吹滅……
於是，就這樣走著，我在黎明時發現了水井。
[ Chapter 24 ] - the narrator and the little prihirsty, hunt for a well in the desert
It was now the eighth day since I had had my act in the desert, and I had listeo the story of the mert as I was drinking the last drop of my water supply.
"Ah," I said to the little prihese memories of yours are very charming; but I have not yet succeeded in repairing my plane; I have nothing more to drink; and I, too, should be very happy if I could walk at my leisure toward a spring of fresh water!"
"My friend the fox--" the little prince said to me.
"My dear little man, this is no longer a matter that has anything to do with the fox!"
"Why not?"
"Because I am about to die of thirst..."
He did not follow my reasoning, and he answered me:
"It is a good thing to have had a friend, even if one is about to die. I, for instance, am very glad to have had a fox as a friend..."
"He has no way of guessing the danger," I said to myself. "He has never beeher hungry or thirsty. A little sunshine is all he needs..."
But he looked at me steadily, and replied to my thought:
"I am thirsty, too. Let us look for a well..."
I made a gesture of weariness. It is absurd to look for a well, at random, in the immensity of the desert. But heless we started walking.
When we had trudged along for several hours, in silehe darkness fell, and the stars began to e out. Thirst had made me a little feverish, and I looked at them as if I were in a dream. The little princes last words came reeling bato my memory:
"Then you are thirsty, too?" I demanded.
But he did not reply to my question. He merely said to me:
"Water may also be good for the heart..."
I did not uand this answer, but I said nothing. I knew very well that it was impossible to cross-examine him.
He was tired. He sat down. I sat down beside him. And, after a little silence, he spoke again:
"The stars are beautiful, because of a flower that ot be seen."
I replied, "Yes, that is so." And, without saying anything m