# Quote — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

> “…the planet from which the little prince came is the asteroid known as B-612. This asteroid has only once been seen through a telescope. That was by a Turkish astronomer, in 1909. On making his discovery, the astronomer had presented it to the International Astronomical Congress, in a great demonstration. But he was in Turkish costume, and so nobody would believe what he said. …Fortunately, however, for the reputation of Asteroid B-612, a Turkish dictator made a law that his subjects, under pain of death, should change to European costume. So in 1920 the astronomer gave his demonstration all over again, dressed with impressive style and elegance. And this time everybody accepted his report.”

- Author: [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://www.leafyquotes.com/antoine-de-saint-exupery.md)
- Book: [The Little Prince](https://www.leafyquotes.com/antoine-de-saint-exupery/the-little-prince.md)
- Original (fr): [...] la planète d'ou venait le petit prince est l'astéroïde B 612. Cet astéroïde n'a été aperçu qu'une fois au télescope, en 1909, par un astronome turc. Il avait fait alors une grande démonstration de sa découverte à un Congrès International d'Astronomie. Mais personne ne l'avait cru à cause de son costume. Les grandes personnes sont comme ça. Heureusement pour la réputation de l'astéroïde B 612, un dictateur turc imposa à son peuple, sous peine de mort, de s'habiller à l'européenne. L'astronome refit sa démonstration en 1920, dans un habit très élégant. Et cette fois-ci tout le monde fut de son avis.
- Source: [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Little_Prince#Quotes) ([CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/))
- Quote page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/antoine-de-saint-exupery/the-little-prince/the-planet-from

## More from this book

> "Men have forgotten this truth," said the fox. "But you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed."

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/antoine-de-saint-exupery/the-little-prince/men-have-forgotten.md)

> Only children know what they are looking for.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/antoine-de-saint-exupery/the-little-prince/only-children-know.md)

> "One must command from each what each can perform," the king went on. "Authority is based first of all upon reason. If you command your subjects to jump into the ocean, there will be a revolution. I am entitled to command obedience because my orders are reasonable."
>
> "Then my sunset?" insisted the little prince, who never let go of a question once he had asked it.
>
> "You shall have your sunset. I shall command it. But I shall wait, according to my science of government, until conditions are favorable."

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/antoine-de-saint-exupery/the-little-prince/one-must-command.md)