Little Prince — Chapter 10

　　"Yes," said the little prince, "but I can judge myself anywhere. I do not need to live on this planet.

　　"Hum! Hum!" said the king. "I have good reason to believe that somewhere on my planet there is an old rat. I hear him at night. You can judge this old rat. From time to time you will condemn him to death. Thus his life will depend on your justice. But you will pardon him on each occasion; for he must be treated thriftily. He is the only one we have."

　　"I," replied the little prince, "do not like to condemn anyone to death. And now I think I will go on my way."

　　"No," said the king.

　　But the little prince, having now completed his preparations for departure, had no wish to grieve the old monarch.

　　"If Your Majesty wishes to be promptly obeyed," he said, "he should be able to give me a reasonable order. He should be able, for example, to order me to be gone by the end of one minute. It seems to me that conditions are favorable..."

　　As the king made no answer, the little prince hesitated a moment. Then, with a sigh, he took his leave.

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