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第十章（第4页）

Thefirstofthemwasinhabitedbyaking.Cladinroyalpurpleandermine，hewasseateduponathronewhichwasatthesametimebothsimpleandmajestic.

"

Ah!Hereisasubject，"

exclaimedtheking，whenhesawthelittleprincecoming.

Andthelittleprinceaskedhimself:"

Howcouldherecognizemewhenhehadneverseenmebefore"

Hedidnotknowhowtheworldissimplifiedforkings.Tothem，allmenaresubjects.

"

Approach，sothatImayseeyoubetter，"

saidtheking，whofeltconsuminglyproudofbeingatlastakingoversomebody.

Thelittleprincelookedeverywheretofindaplacetositdown;buttheentireplanetwascrammedandobstructedbythekingsmagnificenterminerobe.Soheremainedstandingupright，and，sincehewastired，heyawned.

"

Itiscontrarytoetiquettetoyawninthepresenceofaking，"

themonarchsaidtohim."

Iforbidyoutodoso."

"

Icanthelpit.Icantstopmyself，"

repliedthelittleprince，thoroughlyembarrassed."

Ihavecomeonalongjourney，andIhavehadnosleep..."

"

Ah，then，"

thekingsaid."

Iorderyoutoyawn.ItisyearssinceIhaveseenanyoneyawning.Yawns，tome，areobjectsofcuriosity.Come，now!Yawnagain!Itisanorder."

"

Thatfrightensme...Icannot，anymore..."

murmuredthelittleprince，nowcompletelyabashed.

"

Hum!Hum!"

repliedtheking."

ThenI—Iorderyousometimestoyawnandsometimesto—"

Hesputteredalittle，andseemedvexed.

Forwhatthekingfundamentallyinsisteduponwasthathisauthorityshouldberespected.Hetoleratednodisobedience.Hewasanabsolutemonarch.But，becausehewasaverygoodman，hemadehisordersreasonable.

"

IfIorderedageneral，"

hewouldsay，bywayofexample，"

ifIorderedageneraltochangehimselfintoaseabird，andifthegeneraldidnotobeyme，thatwouldnotbethefaultofthegeneral.Itwouldbemyfault."

"

MayIsitdown"