Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

If someone loves the flower that exists in a single sample in millions of stars, it’s enough for him to look at stars and be happy. He can say to himself. “My flower is somewhere there…” But if a lamb eats the flower, all the stars will instantly fade. Do you think it’s not important?

Взрослые очень любят цифры.
When you tell them that you have made a new friend, they never ask you any questions about essential matters. Когда рассказываешь им, что у тебя появился новый друг, они никогда не спросят о самом главном.
They never say to you, Никогда они не скажут:
"What does his voice sound like? "А какой у него голос?
What games does he love best? В какие игры он любит играть?
Does he collect butterflies?" Ловит ли он бабочек?"
Instead, they demand: Они спрашивают:
"How old is he? "Сколько ему лет?
How many brothers has he? Сколько у него братьев?
How much does he weigh? Сколько он весит?
How much money does his father make?" Сколько зарабатывает его отец?"
Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him. И после этого воображают, что узнали человека.
If you were to say to the grown-ups: Когда говоришь взрослым:
"I saw a beautiful house made of rosy brick, with geraniums in the windows and doves on the roof," they would not be able to get any idea of that house at all. "Я видел красивый дом из розового кирпича, в окнах у него герань, а на крыше голуби", - они никак не могут представить себе этот дом.
You would have to say to them: Им надо сказать:
"I saw a house that cost $20,000." Then they would exclaim: "Я видел дом за сто тысяч франков", - и тогда они восклицают:
"Oh, what a pretty house that is!" "Какая красота!"

One day," you said to me, "I saw the sunset forty-four times!" - Однажды я за один день видел заход солнца сорок три раза!
And a little later you added: И немного погодя ты прибавил:
"You know - one loves the sunset, when one is so sad..." - Знаешь... когда очень грустно, хорошо поглядеть, как заходит солнце...
"Were you so sad, then?" I asked, "on the day of the forty-four sunsets?" - Значит, в тот день, когда ты видел сорок три заката, тебе было очень грустно?
But the little prince made no reply. Но Маленький принц не ответил.

“Everything that is important can’t be seen”

I have the right to require obedience because my orders are reasonable."

"Goodbye," said the fox. "And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

And the little prince added:

"But the eyes are blind. One must look with the heart . . ."

would bring myself down to his level.

I would bring myself down to his level.