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Now it was my turn to look at them out of the corner of the eye。 What shrewdness！ what silent laughter behind those candid faces！ And what sovereignty they exercised； these princesses guarded by snakes！ Princesses for whom there existed no scorpion； no wasp； no serpent； but only little souls of animals！
As I write； I dream。 All this is very far away。 What has bee of these two fairy princesses？ Girls so fine…grained； so upright； have certainly attracted husbands。 Have they changed； I wonder？ What do they do in their new houses？ Do they feel differently now about the jungle growth and the snakes？ They had been fused with something universal； and then the day had e when the woman had awakened in the maiden； when there had surged in her a longing to find someone who deserved a 〃Ninety…five。〃 The dream of a ninety…five is a weight on the heart。 And then an imbecile had e along。 For the first time those sharp eyes were mistaken and they dressed him in gay colors。 If the imbecile recited verse he was thought a poet。 Surely he must understand the holes in the floor； must love the mongoose！ The trust one put in him； the swaying of the snakes between his legs under the table … surely this must flatter him！ And that heart which was a wild garden was given to him who loved only trim lawns。 And the imbecile carried away the princess into slavery。
Wind； Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint…Exupery
Chapter 6 … OasisTitle： Wind； Sand； and Stars
Author： Antoine de Saint…Exupery
Translator： Lewis Galantiere
Publisher： Harcourt Brace Javanovich； New York； 1967
Date first posted： February 2000
Date most recently updated： January 2006
XML markup by Wesman 02/23/2000。
Wind Sand and Stars
Antoine de Saint…Exupery
7
Men of the Desert
THESE； then； were some of the treasures that passed us by when for weeks and months and years we； pilots of the Sahara line； were prisoners of the sands； navigating from one stockade to the next with never an excursion outside the zone of silence。 Oases like these did not prosper in the desert； these memories it dismissed as belonging to the domain of legend。 No doubt there did gleam in distant places scattered round the world … places to which we should return once our work was done … there did gleam lighted windows。 No doubt somewhere there did sit young girls among their white lemurs or their books； patiently corn…pounding souls as rich in delight as secret gardens。 No doubt there did exist such creatures waxing in beauty。 But solitude cultivates a strange mood。
I know that mood。 Three years of the desert taught it to me。 Something in one's heart takes fright； not at the thought of growing old； not at feeling one's youth used up in this mineral universe； but at the thought that far away the whole world is ageing。 The trees have brought forth their fruit； the grain has ripened in the fields； the women have bloomed in their loveliness。 But the season is advancing and one must make haste； but the season is advancing and still one cannot leave； but the season is advancing 。 。 。 and other men will glean the harvest。
Many a night have I savored this taste of the irreparable； wandering in a circle round the fort； our prison； under the burden of the trade…winds。 Sometimes； worn out by a day of flight； drenched in the humidity of the tropical climate； I have felt my heart beat in me like the wheels of an express train； and suddenly； more immediately than when flying； I have felt myself on a journey。 A journey through time。 Time was running through my fingers like the fine sand of the dunes ； the poundings of my heart were bearing me onward towards an unknown future。
Ah； those fevers at night after a day of work in the silence！ We seemed to ourselves to be burning up； like flares set out in the solitude。 And yet we knew joys we could not possibly have known elsewhere。 I shall never be able to express clearly whence es this pleasure men take from aridity； but always and everywhere I have seen men attach themselves more stubbornly to barren lands than to any other。 Men will die for a calcined； leafless； stony mountain。 The nomads will defend to the death their great store of sand as if it were a treasure of gold dust。
And we； my rades and I； we too have loved the desert to the point of feeling that it was there we had lived the best years of our lives。 I shall describe for you our stations （Port Etienne； Villa Cisneros； Cape Juby； were some of their names） and shall narrate for you a few of our days。
I
I succumbed to the desert as soon as I saw it； and I saw it almost as soon as I had won my wings。 As early as the year 1926 I was transferred out of Europe to the Dakar…Juby division； where the Sahara meets the Atlantic and where； only recently； the Arabs had murdered two of our pilots； Erable and Gourp。 In those days our planes frequently fell apart in mid…air； and because of this the African divisions were always flown by two ships； one without the mails trailing and convoying the other； prepared to take over the sacks in the event the mail plane broke down。
Under orders； I flew an empty ship down to Agadir。 From Agadir I was flown to Dakar as a passenger； and it was on that flight that the vast sandy void and the mystery with which my imagination could not but endow it first thrilled me。 But the heat was so intense that despite my excitement I dozed off soon after we left Port Etienne。 Riguelle； who was flying me down； moved out to sea a couple of miles in order to get away from the sizzling surface of sand。 I woke up； saw in the distance the thin white line of the coast； and said to myself fearfully that if anything went wrong we should surely drown。 Then I dozed off again。
I was startled out of my sleep by a crash； a sudden silence； and then the voice of Riguelle saying； 〃Damn！ There goes a connecting rod！〃 As I half rose out of my seat to send a regretful look at that white coast…line； now more precious than ever； he shouted to me angrily to stay as I was。 I knew Riguelle had been wrong to go out to sea； I had been on the point of mentioning it； and now I felt a plete and savage satisfaction in our