Many of you may have heard of the book called, “My Little Prince”. It is a well known classic although most of us may not have read it. I’ve had a copy since I was a child, but I never got passed Chapter One because I was young and foolish back then. Recently though, thanks to Ramexabella, I decided to give the book another try.
Now I can say it’s my favourite fictional book.
This is a very bold statement considering how much I used to read.
It is so good that I am inspired to write about it. I want everyone else to read it.
What makes it so special?
There is so much depth and meaning. The words stay with me even after the book is closed. It’s about life, childhood, and mankind.
I don’t want to tell you what the story is about, but I want to share some of the lessons from the book.
Back in the little Prince’s planet, there were invisible seeds. Some were good, and some were bad. At first, everything looks alright. The baobabs (bad seeds) resemble the rosebushes (good seeds). Therefore, one must check regularly to see what is growing. As soon as a baobab can be recognized, it must be torn out. If you intervene too late, you will never get rid of it. Its roots will spread all over the planet and your planet can explode.
This may seem ridiculous, but it’s a matter of discipline. “Before they grow to such a size, baobabs start out by being small.”
The way I interpret this is that the baobab represents our negative thoughts. We’re constantly surrounded by negativity. We are not aware of the impact it can have on us if we allow it to grow. If we leave it, it can be indestructible.
Personally, I know some people who cannot see the good in anything. They are so negative that all they feel is hate, anger, and sadness. They have allowed their baobabs to multiply and it has consumed their world.
Lesson: It is important that we reflect on our actions and thoughts on a regular basis. If there is an issue that bothers or saddens you, deal with it immediately! Don’t wait.
I want to share one more lesson.
In the book, the Prince tells the narrator the planets he had travelled to. In one of the planets, there was just enough room for a lamppost and a lamplighter. The lamplighter is ordered to light the lamp in the evening and put out the lamp in the morning. However, from year to year, the speed of the planet’s rotation has been increasing. It is now one rotation a minute. The lamplighter does not get to rest at all!
The lamplighter is stressed and overworked. He wants take a break, so the Little Prince suggested,” Your planet is so small that you can walk all around it in three strides. You just have to walk slowly enough to stay always in the sun. When you want to take a rest, you will walk…and the day will last for as long as you like.”
The lamplighter however, responded, “That wouldn’t help me every much. The one thing I like in life is to sleep.”
The lamplighter refused to try out the Little Prince’s suggestion. Yet, by continuing his way, he will never get to sleep anyway!
Lesson: Sometimes, the solution is right in front of us, but we refuse to see it.
There are so many more lessons in this book. I can’t go through all of them because it will take too long, and I’d much rather you read the book for yourself.
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I just want to share a few more quotes from the book that has really impacted me:
“Grown-ups love figures. When you talk to them about a new friend, they never ask questions about essential matters. They never say to you: “What does his voice sound like? What games does he prefer? Does he collect butterflies?” They ask you: “How old is he? How many brothers does he have? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father earn? It is only then that they feel they know him.”
“This water was something entirely different from ordinary nourishment. It was born from the walk under the stars, the singing of the pulley and the effort of my arms. It was good for the heart, like a gift.”
“I shall have to put up with a few caterpillars if I want to see butterflies.”
“It is only with one’s heart that one can see clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”
I sincerely hope you will read the book.
P.S. There are only 109 pages and lots of illustrations!
Grow with me 
Great lessons. I think I have to read it now 😉
YES!!! Please do!! I swear you won’t regret it! Thank you for commenting. ❤
❤
I wrote one more chapter for that book – 🙂 ! – “Missing chapter” – Yeah, it is very good book.
Thank you for your comment! I will check it out!! 🙂
Some books for children are allegorical books about life and humanity. They are in fact philosophical books that look at life from the higher dimension of fantasy and imagination. They can be read and enjoyed by children for their stories but they should be re-read by them when they are grown up to get their hidden meanings that children due to their immaturity and inexperience of life cannot grasp. My books are like that. Unfortunately due to their plotss, characters and the illustrations that I draw for then when I tell people about them they think that they are just children books and don’t read them. It’s a sort of stigma that serious children’s books have. I think that the education system and the media fails to highlight their importance and purpose. Some books with hidden meanings: Alice in Wonderland (Wonderland represents the crazy world of adults in which Alice represents reason and common sense) – Pinocchio (Pinocchio represents greed, disobedience, impulsivity and stubbornness that incidentally were the faults of his author who was an addicted gambler- in fact in its original version Pinocchio was killed by the cat and the fox because of those faults and was only resuscitated and turned into a good boy after the demands of his readers who didn’t want him to die) – The Phantom Tollbooth a lovely and highly motivational children book unfortunately mostly forgotten. – One reason why I dislike Harry Potter is because it doesn’t teach anything. It’s just literary chewing gum. However is a great commercial success, but usually anything that the masses like or are made to like by the media is never great.
Thank you so much for your comment!!! I agree. I did not understand the hidden meaning at all when I read the book as a child. I thought it was odd that the drawing of the boa constrictor swallowing the elephant mattered so much to the narrator. Thinking back, I feel so foolish now. There is so much meaning in the book that I want everyone to read it. It teaches us so much.
I have read Alice in Wonderland but I was young as well, so I should probably re-read that. I’ve heard of The Phantom Tollbooth, but I have never read it. I will check it out! Thank you!
As for Harry Potter, I love the series. I was hooked because I felt like I was transported into the story. But you’re right, it doesn’t really teach anything!?! Well, I could say it teaches us that true friends will never abandon you. Love has the power to destroy evil (Baby Harry surviving from Voldemort)But I guess it’s not that powerful. I like books with meaning.
P.S. It’s great that you’re writing stories that have hidden meanings in them. I will check it out! Thanks again for writing me such a thoughtful comment.
I’ve came across many times this book was mentioned but haven’t read it yet.
It was on sale during the last bookfair I visited. I’ll make sure to get it next time!
Yes, please do!!! You won’t regret it. 🙂 Thanks for your comment!!
You’re welcome 😉
Letting an issue fester within you, is akin to allowing annoying people to live free rent in your mind. Let it out and let it go. Good article.
Thank you for reading!!
You are welcome 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for reading, Ambi! I appreciate you taking the time to check out my original posts as well. ❤
I heard and read this in french class in high school. I believe it was called Le petite Prince. Cute story for children. .
Ohh! You took French in Highschool?!?!?
Read it in English!! It’s so good!! It might be less meaningful in French unless you’re extremely proficient in French!
qui qui lol how is your french by the way?
LOL you mean, oui oui!! Hahahaha.
My French is terrible. I should have watched French cartoons when I was younger :'(. We are forced to take French in Grade 4, but at the time, I couldn’t even speak English. Haha.
The masculine and feminine stuff confuses the heck out of me. And the grammar. English is already hard enough.
What other languages do you know? I thought in America, you guys are forced to take Spanish??
hahaahahah T-T yea it’s been a while… Omelette du Fromage…..
spanish might as well be the second language. I was in ESL btw . I speak English, Tagalog-main Philippine language, I took Italian in middle school because I went to catholic school then high school I took french…should have taken spanish which would have been easier for me since a portion of Tagalog language has man spanish word similarities in it. In college I took japanese but I wish I had taken korean with the amount of korean dramas I watched. So my next language to learn is probably korean next to chinese
Oh my goodness! TOO MANY LANGUAGES? How do you even remember?? I think you have to use it to a certain degree or you will forget it.
But it’s good that you know so many languages! AAhaahah u watch Korean dramas too? LOL I used to watch some. I can understand like 5% haha. I know it’s much easier learning how to read Korean as opposed of Chinese though. You can sound out the words (they have consonants and vowels)
yea… sadly I feel like I understand korean more than I do chinese lol….
ps. currently watching “This Is My Love” on netflix!!!! they throw in a good batch every so often! but Im sure crunchy roll and some other sites have good ones too! I also watch chinese and japanese dramas. The chinese I suppose anything thats martial arts related.
Wow. Haha. You watch everything, eh? I haven’t watched Korean in a long time. Nowadays, I watch mainly Mainland or Taiwanese. Although a couple months ago, I did watch a Thai drama. Haha. It’s quite interesting!! I have watched Japanese in the past as well. It’s funny how willing I am to watch Asian dramas, yet I have never followed an English series. Haha.
I feel bad because I never gave that book a chance
You should give it a chance!!! It’s very deep and meaningful!!
Thanks for the great summary Grace!
Thanks for reading, Alex!!