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NATUREKANAGAWATHELITTLEPRINCE(ORLEPETITPRINCE,TOGIVEHIMHISORIGINAL,FRENCHNAME)GETSAROUNDABIT.HE’STHESTAROFWHATPEOPLESAYISACHILDREN’SBOOK,BUT,LIKETHEGREATESTSTORIES,IT’SNOTEXCLUSIVELYFORYOUNGERREADERS.KATYDIDN’TMEETTHELITTLEWANDERERUNTILSHEWASWELLINTOHERTEENS,ANDTHEMOMENTSHEDID,SHEFELLINLOVE.THESTORYOFALITTLEBOYWHIRLINGAROUNDTHEUNIVERSEONTHEBACKONANASTEROID,MARVELLINGATTHEVARIETYANDCOMPLEXITYOFLIFE–GARDENINGALLTHEWHILE–HADHERHOOKEDFROMTHEVERYSTART.THEWEEMANFIRSTVISITEDMEATROUGHLYTHESAMETIME,HUNDREDSOFMILESAWAY,DURINGAFRENCHCLASSATSCHOOL.LEPETITPRINCEREMAINSTHEONLYBOOKI’VEEVERREADINTHATLANGUAGE,PERHAPSBECAUSEITWASSUCHACHALLENGE.ITMAYBEANOMINALCHILDREN’SBOOK,BUTTHEBIGIDEASANDOUTLANDISHDESCRIPTIONSWEREIMPOSSIBLEFORTHE15-YEAR-OLDMETOTRANSLATE.IDARESAYIT’DBEEVENHARDERNOW.ANYWAY,YEARSLATERKATYBOUGHTMEACOPY,INENGLISH,WHICHIFINALLYREADANDENJOYED.ABITLIKETHEWORKOF STUDIOGHIBLI,THERE’SSOMETHINGMAGICALINITTHATSTRADDLESTIMEANDTRANSLATION.THESTORYHASBEENRELEASEDINOVER200LANGUAGES(THEMOSTOFANYFRENCHBOOK)ONEOFWHICHISJAPANESE.SOMAYBEITSHOULDN’TBEASURPRISETOHAVEBUMPEDINTOTHELITTLEEXPLORERSOFARAWAYFROMHOME,BUTHEREINHAKONE,THERE’SANENTIREMUSEUMDEDICATEDTOAUTHORANTOINEDESAINT-EXUPERY’SNOVELANDITSEPONYMOUSHERO.ANDALTHOUGHITSEEMEDODDATFIRST,THEMORETIMEWESPENTINANDAROUNDHAKONE,THEMOREITSEEMEDLIKEEXACTLYTHEKINDOFPLACETHELITTLEPRINCEWOULDENDUP.TRANSPORTISABIGTHINGHERE:ROPEWAYSANDTRAINSANDBOATSANDFUNICULARS–HE’DNODOUBTBEFASCINATEDBYALLTHAT.THERE’DHAVEBEENALOTOFQUESTIONS.FOLLOWINGTHEROUTEWEIMAGINEDHE’DHAVETAKEN,WEJUMPEDONAFUNICULAR,THENALITTLEPRINCE,WEIRDEGGSANDAJOURNEYTOANOTHERWORLDONTOACABLECAR,ANDPASSEDHIGHINTOTHECLOUDS,TOWARDSTHETOPOFAMOUNTAIN.ONADIFFERENTDAYTHEVIEWSWOULDBEFANTASTIC,BUTTOUSITWASANOCEANOFGREY.HIGHERANDHIGHERWECLIMBED,BEYONDOURWORLDAND,WHENTHECLOUDCLEARED,WEWEREINANOTHERREALITYALTOGETHER.WEHADPASSEDTHROUGHAWORMHOLE–NOWONDERTHELITTLEPRINCECAMEHERE.BEINGSSTOODAROUNDINAFIERCEWIND,EATINGBLACKENEDEGGS(WHICH,THEYCLAIMEDWOULDADDYEARSONTOTHEIRLIVES),ANDEBONYBUNS.THEREWASSORCERYEVERYWHERE;THEVERYGROUNDWESTOODONSEEMEDUNSTEADY,SPITTINGFOUL-SMELLINGLIQUIDANDVASTPLUMESOFSMOKEINTOTHEAIR.SOMEWHERE,ANALIENLANGUAGEREAD:OWAKUDANI.THEPLACEWASWEIRD,MAKENOMISTAKE.ANDYETNOONESEEMEDCONCERNEDBYANYOFIT.SOMEACTUALLYSEEMEDTOBEHAVINGFUN,DESPITETHEHORROR.NOXIOUSFUMESFILLEDTHEAIR,WEREADSIGNSWARNINGOFCATACLYSMICEXPLOSIONS3,000YEARSAGO.WESOONTHOUGHTIT’DBEBETTERTOREBOARDTHECABLECARANDHOPEIT’DTAKEUSBACKTOOUROWNREALM.WHICHITDID,DOWNANDDOWN,OVERVOLCANICSTREAMS,ANDPASTSIGNSADVERTISINGOTHERMUSEUMS,ANDWORLD-CLASSARTCOLLECTIONS,ALLTHEWAYBACKTOOURHOTEL.SOMETHINGSTRANGEHADHAPPENED,BUTWEWEREN’TQUITESUREWHAT.WEDECIDEDNOTTOTRUSTOURSENSES.ASTHELITTLEPRINCEHIMSELFWASTOLD: ”ONESEESCLEARLYONLYWITHTHEHEART.WHATISESSENTIALISINVISIBLETOTHEEYE.”DAY38OCTOBER22NDHAKONE,KANAGAWA
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