The Restory Retreat Centre

Photograph by Matilda Angus Grown-ups are like that...  … When you tell them that you have made a new friend, they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you, “What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies?” Instead, they demand: “How old is he? How many brothers has he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make?” Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.  If you were to say to the grown-ups: “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. You would have to say to them: “I saw a house that cost $20,000.” Then they would exclaim: “Oh, what a pretty house that is!”  Antoine de Saint-Exupery: The little Prince

“Good morning,” said the little prince. “Good morning,” said the merchant. This was a merchant who sold pills  that had been invented to quench thirst. You need only swallow one pill a week, and you would feel no need of anything to drink. “Why are you selling those?” asked the little prince. “Because they save a tremendous amount of time,” said the merchant. “Computations have been made by experts. With these pills, you save fifty-three minutes in every week.” “And what do I do with those fifty-three minutes?” “Anything you like. . . ” “As for me,” said the little prince to himself, “if I had fifty-three minutes to  spend as I liked, I should walk at my leisure toward a spring of fresh water.” Antoine de Saint-Exupéry