The elephant in the hat

The Little Prince is clearly a classic that has inspired many generations to see the elephant in the hat—I mean, the boa constrictor in its glorious act of digesting an animal so big you’d think it’s impossible. But that doesn’t matter, does it? For it can be imagined. And Mr. Saint-Exupéry has kindly drawn it for us as proof.

The little prince lived on a planet with three extinct volcanoes and later a rose that was born from a seed. There he enjoyed sunset after sunset by simply moving his chair a few centimeters each time. But he also toiled in cleaning the volcanoes every so often in case they were not extinct after all, and he had to make sure the bad sprouts were destroyed before they grew out of hand.

You see, planet B-612 was so small that if only one uncleaned volcano erupted, the whole planet would be covered in ashes. If the bad sprouts were left to grow freely and they turned out to be baobabs, their roots would soon pierce through the core of the tiny planet, creating crevices on its surface at first, and then breaking it apart entirely. (Like what happened to the planet of a man who was very lazy and ignored the baobabs altogether.)

Anyway, if you want to know more details about the little prince and his planet, you should really read the book. Please.

I am here to tell you about the rose,

      the fox,

      the baobabs,

      the elephant,

      and the sheep.

If you’re worried about spoilers, you shouldn’t be, really. For what I say they are might not be the same as what they will be for you when you begin your own journey with the beloved little prince.

So here we go.

When the little prince first met the pilot, he asked for a sheep. And the pilot managed to produce one that satisfied his new acquaintance. An odd thing to request from someone you just met, but also a curious revelation of how only we can tell what we actually want or need, and know when we’ve finally found it.

I already told you about the elephant, so I shall skip that. Use your imagination.

The baobabs. Yes, I’ve talked about them quite a bit, too. However, the little prince said it himself:

“But when it is a matter of baobabs, that always means a catastrophe.”

And the pilot couldn’t agree more:

“Children, watch out for the baobabs!”

So, I feel obliged to tell you, too: Don’t leave your problems until tomorrow, when they’ll have become too big to handle.

The little prince was wise to say:

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

This is a thing of grave importance.

~

For a time, I resented the fox. Because I was jealous of the rose. But then I realized the fox was there to teach me a lesson. That friendships are how we learn about love. And so, I have long reconciled with the fox that I loved so dearly.

Finally, the rose. Oh, how I long to be the rose. It’s too personal I can’t get myself to tell you more. And would you understand me if I did?

~

I am not telling you about the little prince here, I’m afraid. I want you to get to know him yourself. And live his journey as your own. So if you haven’t already, get yourself acquainted with The Little Prince and prepare to be transformed back to the child you’ve so terribly missed. And please say hello to the pilot for me.

You’re welcome.

♡