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第十章（第5页）

camenowatimidinquiryfromthelittleprince.

"

Iorderyoutodoso，"

thekingansweredhim，andmajesticallygatheredinafoldofhiserminemantle.

Butthelittleprincewaswondering...Theplanetwastiny.Overwhatcouldthiskingreallyrule"

Sire，"

hesaidtohim，"

Ibegthatyouwillexcusemyaskingyouaquestion—"

"

Iorderyoutoaskmeaquestion，"

thekinghastenedtoassurehim.

"

Sire—overwhatdoyourule"

"

Overeverything，"

saidtheking，withmagnificentsimplicity.

"

Overeverything"

Thekingmadeagesture，whichtookinhisplanet，theotherplanets，andallthestars.

"

Overallthat"

askedthelittleprince.

"

Overallthat，"

thekinganswered.

Forhisrulewasnotonlyabsolute:itwasalsouniversal.

"

Andthestarsobeyyou"

"

Certainlytheydo，"

thekingsaid."

Theyobeyinstantly.Idonotpermitinsubordination."

Suchpowerwasathingforthelittleprincetomarvelat.Ifhehadbeenmasterofsuchcompleteauthority，hewouldhavebeenabletowatchthesunset，notforty-fourtimesinoneday，butseventy-two，orevenahundred，oreventwohundredtimes，withouteverhavingtomovehischair.Andbecausehefeltabitsadasherememberedhislittleplanetwhichhehadforsaken，hepluckeduphiscouragetoaskthekingafavor:"

Ishouldliketoseeasunset...domethatkindness...Orderthesuntoset..."

"

IfIorderedageneraltoflyfromoneflowertoanotherlikeabutterfly，ortowriteatragicdrama，ortochangehimselfintoaseabird，andifthegeneraldidnotcarryouttheorderthathehadreceived，whichoneofuswouldbeinthewrong"

thekingdemanded."

Thegeneral，ormyself"