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。 Men will die for a calcined； leafless； stony mountain。 The nomads will defend to the death their great store of sand as if it were a treasure of gold dust。
And we； my rades and I； we too have loved the desert to the point of feeling that it was there we had lived the best years of our lives。 I shall describe for you our stations （Port Etienne； Villa Cisneros； Cape Juby； were some of their names） and shall narrate for you a few of our days。
I
I succumbed to the desert as soon as I saw it； and I saw it almost as soon as I had won my wings。 As early as the year 1926 I was transferred out of Europe to the Dakar…Juby division； where the Sahara meets the Atlantic and where； only recently； the Arabs had murdered two of our pilots； Erable and Gourp。 In those days our planes frequently fell apart in mid…air； and because of this the African divisions were always flown by two ships； one without the mails trailing and convoying the other； prepared to take over the sacks in the event the mail plane broke down。
Under orders； I flew an empty ship down to Agadir。 From Agadir I was flown to Dakar as a passenger； and it was on that flight that the vast sandy void and the mystery with which my imagination could not but endow it first thrilled me。 But the heat was so intense that despite my excitement I dozed off soon after we left Port Etienne。 Riguelle； who was flying me down； moved out to sea a couple of miles in order to get away from the sizzling surface of sand。 I woke up； saw in the distance the thin white line of the coast； and said to myself fearfully that if anything went wrong we should surely drown。 Then I dozed off again。
I was startled out of my sleep by a crash； a sudden silence； and then the voice of Riguelle saying； 〃Damn！ There goes a connecting rod！〃 As I half rose out of my seat to send a regretful look at that white coast…line； now more precious than ever； he shouted to me angrily to stay as I was。 I knew Riguelle had been wrong to go out to sea； I had been on the point of mentioning it； and now I felt a plete and savage satisfaction in our predicament。 〃This；〃 I said to myself； 〃will teach him a lesson。〃
But this gratifying sense of superiority could obviously not last very long。 Riguelle sent the plane earthward in a long diagonal line that brought us within sixty feet of the sand … an altitude at which there was no question of picking out a landing…place。 We lost both wheels against one sand…dune； a wing against another； and crashed with a sudden jerk into a third。
〃You hurt？〃 Riguelle called out。
〃Not a bit；〃 I said。
〃That's what I call piloting a ship！〃 he boasted cheerfully。
I who was busy on all fours extricating myself from what had once been a ship； was in no mood to feed his pride。
〃Guillaumet will be along in a minute to pick us up；〃 he added。
Guillaumet was flying our convoy； and very shortly we saw him e down on a stretch of smooth sand a few hundred yards away。 He asked if we were all right； was told no damage had been done； and then proposed briskly that we give him a hand with the sacks。 The mail transferred out of the wrecked plane； they explained to me that in this soft sand it would not be possible to lift Guillaumet's plane clear if I was in it。 They would hop to the next outpost； drop the mail there； and e back for me。
Now this was my first day in Africa。 I was so ignorant that I could not tell a zone of danger from a zone of safety； I mean by that； a zone where the tribes had submitted peacefully to European rule from a zone where the tribes were still in rebellion。 The region in which we had landed happened to be considered safe； but I did not know that。
〃You've got a gun； of course；〃 Riguelle said。
I had no gun and said so。
〃My dear chap； you'll have to have a gun；〃 he said； and very kindly he gave me his。 〃And you'll want these extra clips of cartridges；〃 he went on。 〃Just bear in mind that you shoot at anything and everything you see。〃
They had started to walk across to the other plane when Guillaumet； as if driven by his conscience； came back and handed me his cartridge clips； too。 And with this they took off。 Title： Wind； Sand； and Stars
Author： Antoine de Saint…Exupery
Translator： Lewis Galantiere
Publisher： Harcourt Brace Javanovich； New York； 1967
Date first posted： February 2000
Date most recently updated： January 2006
XML markup by Wesman 02/23/2000。
Wind Sand and Stars
Antoine de Saint…Exupery
8
Prisoner of the Sand
After three years of life in the desert； I was transferred out。 The fortunes of the air service sent me wandering here and there until one day I decided to attempt a long…distance flight from Paris to Saigon。 When； on December 29； 1935； I took off； I had no notion that the sands were preparing for me their ultimate and culminating ordeal。
This is the story of the Paris…Saigon flight。
I paid my final visit to the weather bureau； where I found Monsieur Viaud stooped over his maps like a medieval alchemist over an alembic。 Lucas had e with me； and we stared together at the curving lines marking the new…sprung winds。 With their tiny flying arrows； they put me in mind of curving tendrils studded with thorns。 All the atmospheric depressions of the world were charted on this enormous map； ochre…colored； like the earth of Asia。
〃Here is a storm that we'll not hear from before Monday；〃 Monsieur Viaud pointed out。
Over Russia and the Scandinavian peninsula the swirling lines took the form of a coiled demon。 Out in Iraq； in the neighborhood of Basra； an imp was whirling。
〃That fellow worries me a little；〃 said Monsieur Viaud。
〃Sand…storm； is it？〃
I was not being idly curious。 Day would not yet be breaking when I reached Basra and I was fearful of flying at night in one of those desert storms that turn the sky into a yellow furnace and wipe out hills； towns； and river…banks； drowning earth and sky in one great conflagration。 It would be bad enough to fly in daylight through a chaos in which the very elements themselves were indistinguishable。
〃Sand…storm？ No； not exactly。〃
〃So much the better；〃 I said to myself； and I looked round the room。 I liked this laboratory atmosphere。 Viaud； I felt； was a man escaped from the world。 When he came in here and hung up his hat and coat on the peg； he hung up with them all the confusion in which the rest of mankind lived。 Family cares； thoughts of ine； concerns of the heart … all that vanished on the threshold of this room as at the door of a hermit's cell； or an astronomer's tower； or a radio operator's shack。 Here was one of those men who are able to lock themselves up in the secrecy of their retreat and hold discourse with the universe。
Gently； for he was reflecting； Monsieur Viaud rubbed the palms of his hands together。
〃No； not a sand…storm。 See here。〃
His finger traveled over the map and pointed out why。
At four in the morning Lucas shook me into consciousness。
〃Wake up！〃
And before I could so much as rub my eyes he was saying； 〃Look here； at this report。 Look at the moon。 You won't see much of her tonight。 She's new； not very bright； and she'll set at ten o'clock； And here's something else for you： sun…rise in Greenwich Meridian Time and in local time as well。 And here： here are your maps； with your course all marked out。 And here …〃
〃… is your bag packed for Saigon；〃 my wife broke in。
A razor and a change of shirt。 He who would travel happily must travel light。
We got into a car and motored out to Le Bourget while Fate spying in ambush put the finishing touches to her plans。 Those favorable winds that were to wheel in the heavens； that moon that was to sink at ten o'clock； were so many strategic positions at which Fate was assembling her forces。 。
It was cold at the airport； and dark。 The Simoon was wheeled out of her hangar。 I walked round my ship； stroking her wings with the back of my hand in a caress that I believe was love。 Eight thousand miles I had flown in her； and her engines had not skipped a beat； not a bolt in her had loosened。 This was the marvel that was to save our l