Le Petit Prince

read.read.read.

...what does that mean-'tame'?"
"it is an act too often neglected," said the fox. "it means to establish ties."
"'to establish ties'?"
"just that," said the fox. "to me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, i am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxers. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, i shall be unique in all the world...."
..But if you tame me, it will be as if the sun came to shine on my life. I shall know the sound of a step that will be different from all the others. Other steps send me hurrying back underneath the ground. Yours will call me, like music, out of my burrow. And then look: you see the grain fields down yonder? i do not eat bread. Wheat is of no use to me. The wheat fields have nothing to say to me. And that is sad. But you have hair that is the color of gold. Think how wonderful that will be when you have tamed me! The grain, which is also golden, will bring me back the thought of you. And i shall love to listen to the wind in the wheat..."
the fox gazed at the little prince for a long time.

So the little prince tamed the fox. And when the hour of his departure drew near-
"ah," said the fox, "i shall cry."
"its is your own fault," said the little prince. "i never wished you any sort of harm; but you wanted me to tame you..."
"yes, that is so," said the fox.
"but now you are going to cry!" said the little prince.
"yes, that is so," said the fox.
"then it has done you no good at all!"
"it has done me good," said the fox, "because of the color of the wheat fields." And then he added: "go and look again at the roses. You will understand now that yours is unique in all the world. Then come back to say goodbye to me, and i will make you a present of a secret."

and the little prince went away, to look again at the roses.
"you are not at all like my rose," he said. "as yet you are nothing. No one has tamed you, and you have tamed no one. You are like my fox when i first knew him. He was only a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But i have made him my friend, and now he is unique in all the world."

And then he went back to meet the fox.
"goodbye," he said.
"goodbye," said the fox. "and now here is my secret, a very simple secret: it is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.".... "it is the time you have devoted to yourrose that makes your rose so important."... "men have forgotten this truth," said the fox. "but you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose..."

how many times i have fallen asleep holding this book in my arms... i think i'll read it again today.