Chapter 5

As each day

passed I would learn, in’would’ can be used to talk about actions that repeated in the past. It is used in the same context as ‘used to’
j’apprenais
aprendía

our talk, something about the little prince's planet, his departure from it, his journey. The information would come very slowly,

as it might chance to fall from his thoughts ça venait tout doucement, au hasard des réflexions
venía suavemente al azar de las reflexiones

. It was in this way that I heard, on the third day, about the catastrophe of the baobabs.

This time, once more, I had the sheep to thank for it. For the little prince asked me abruptly--

as if seized by comme pris de
como preocupado, como invadido/atrapado por

a grave doubt--"It is true, isn't it, that sheep eat little

bushes arbustes
arbustos

?"

"Yes, that is true." "Ah! I am glad!" I did not understand why it was so important that sheep should eat little bushes. But the little prince added: "

Then it follows par conséquent
Entonces, en consecuencia

that they also eat baobabs?"

I pointed out to the little prince je fis remarquer au petit prince
le hice comprender al principito

that baobabs were not little bushes, but, on the contrary, trees as big as castles; and that even if he took a whole

herd troupeau
manada/rebaño

of elephants away with him, the herd would not eat up one single baobab.

The idea of the herd of elephants made the little prince laugh.

"We would have to put them one on top of the other," he said.

dess

But he made a wise comment:

"Before they grow so big, the baobabs start out by being little."

"That is strictly correct," I said. "But why do you want the sheep to eat the little baobabs?"

He answered me

at once tout de suite, immédiatement, sans tarder
imediatamente, de inmediato

, "

Oh, come, come ben! voyons!
¡bueno! ¡vamos!

!", as if he were speaking of something that was self-evident. And I was obliged to make a great mental effort to solve this problem, without any assistance.

Indeed en effet, effectivement
en efecto, efectivamente

, as I learned, there were on the planet where the little prince lived--as on all planets--good plants and bad plants. In consequence, there were good

seeds graines
semillas

from good plants, and bad seeds from bad plants. But seeds are invisible. They sleep deep in the heart of the earth's darkness, until some one among them is

seized with the desire pris par le désir
impulsado por el deseo

to awaken. Then this little seed will

strecht itself s’étirer
estirarse, extenderse

and begin--timidly at first--to push a charming little sprig inoffensively

upward toward the sun vers le soleil
hacia el sol

. If it is only a

sprout of radish or the sprig of a rose-bush brindille de radis ou de rosier
ramita de rábano o de rosal

, one would let it grow wherever it might wish. But when it is a bad plant, one must destroy it as soon as possible, the very first instant that one recognizes it.

Now there were some terrible seeds on the planet that was the home of the little prince; and these were the seeds of the baobab. The

soil sol
suelo

of that planet was infested with them. A baobab is something you will never, never be able to get rid of if you attend to it too late. It

spreads se propager, se répandre
cubrir, propagarse

over the entire planet.

It bores clear through it with its roots il la perfore de ses racines
lo perfora con sus raíces

. And if the planet is too small, and the baobabs are too many,

they split it in pieces ils la font éclater
lo hacen estallar

...

"It is a question of discipline," the little prince said to me later on. "When you've finished your own toilet in the morning, then it is time to attend to the toilet of your planet, just so, with the greatest care. You must see to it that you

pull up arracher
arrancar

regularly all the baobabs, at the very first moment when they can be distinguished from the rosebushes which they resemble so closely in their earliest youth. It is very tedious work," the little prince added, "but very easy."

And one day he said to me: "

You ought tu devrais
deberías

to make a beautiful drawing, so that the children where you live can see exactly how all this is. That would be very useful to them if they were to travel some day. Sometimes," he added, "

there is no harm in putting off a piece of work until another day il est sans inconvénient de remettre à plus tard son travail
no hay inconveniente en dejar para más tarde el trabajo

. But when it is a matter of baobabs, that always means a catastrophe. I knew a planet that was inhabited by a lazy man. He neglected three little bushes..."

So, as the little prince described it to me, I have made a drawing of that planet. I do not much like to take the tone of a moralist. But the danger of the baobabs is so little understood, and such considerable risks would be run by anyone who might get lost on an asteroid, that

for once I am breaking through my reserve pour une fois, je fais exception à ma réserve
por una vez no vacilo en romper mi silencio/reserva

. "Children," I say

plainly clairement
claramente, explícitamente

, "

watch out for the baobas faites attention aux baobabs
cuidado con los baobabs

!"

My friends, like myself, have been

skirting this danger frôler le danger
exponerse al peligro

for a long time, without ever knowing it; and so it is for them that I have worked so hard over this drawing. The lesson which I pass on by this means is worth all the trouble it has cost me.

Perhaps you will ask me, "Why are there no other drawing in this book as magnificent and impressive as this drawing of the baobabs?"

The reply is simple. I have tried. But with the others I have not been successful. When I made the drawing of the baobabs

I was carried beyond myself j'ai été animé/poussé par
me encontraba animado por/estaba empujado por

the inspiring force of urgent necessity.

chapter 4           en anglais           chapter 6