El Principito

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

THE LITTLE PRINCE

TO LÉON WERTH

I ask childrento forgive mefor dedicating this bookto a grown-up.

I have a serious excuse:this grown-upis the best friend I havein the world.

I have another excuse:this grown-upcan understand everything,even books for children.

I have a third excuse:this grown-up lives in Francewhere he is hungry and cold.

He is in great needof being comforted.

If all these excusesare not enough,I am quite willingto dedicate this bookto the childthat this grown-up once was.