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The Little Prince, narrated by Kenneth Branagh
This is how I experienced The Little Prince for the first time in my life.
It is still my preferred method of experiencing the story.
It’s an interactive computer game developed by an international team known as “Tivola“. The game seems incapable of running on modern machines, but the uploader of the video performed a great service to the world in stitching the entire experience together in a format that can best be described as an “immersive audiobook”, and uploading it to Youtube.
Sometime around 2020, I decided that I wanted to revive my old hobby of reading. Unfortunately, I could only find the time to dedicate about 20-60 minutes before bed to the hobby–and only a few days out of the week, at that. Thankfully I discovered audiobooks. It’s a gamechanger that allows me to enjoy such wonderful stories while working on my various creative projects, regular work duties, or other chores.
I noticed that “The Little Prince” was a recommendation that often came up while searching for books to read. One day, I finally decided to give it a try and listened to the above narration while cleaning my room. Admittedly, many of the “small” details in the story went over my head during my first few listens, but there’s a certain passage that I can still recall now that caused me to perked up with complete attention.
It’s passage in which the aviator, deeply focused in his efforts to repair his plane, had been growing increasingly annoyed at the little prince’s questions regarding flowers and thorns. At the height of his frustration, he exclaims that thorns are “No good for anything!”, and that he is far too busy dealing with matters of consequence.
“Flowers have been growing thorns for millions of years. For millions of years, sheep have been eating them just the same. And is it not a matter of consequence to try to understand why the flowers go to so much trouble to grow thorns which are never of any use to them?”
Oh?
At this point in the narration, the little prince’s voice was impassioned with with such deep emotion. Up until now, the boy had only ever spoken in an simple, innocuous manner, but he sounded so serious now… So upset, so frustrated, and hurt. So sad…
I listened really carefully. I put my errands to the side and paid closer attention to the events of the story.
“If some one loves a flower, of which just one single blossom grows in all the millions and millions of stars, it is enough to make him happy just to look at the stars. He can say to himself, ‘Somewhere, my flower is there…’ But if the sheep eats the flower, in one moment all his stars will be darkened… And you think that is not important!”
Hearing this made me feel a little guilty. I knew very well that I had committed the same sins as the aviator in my past. The aviator had brushed off the the little prince’s “trivial” inquiries about the thorns and the roses because, to him, it was unimportant. I had often dismissed the blathering of those around me–especially that of children–simply because i had deemed their stories and perspectives to be unimportant.
I felt bad listening to the little prince as he chided me in that moment. How could i be so ignorant? Such a fool?
I was a terrible grown up.
Love, death, and mortality
I revisit this story often because there are so many themes and lessons to appreciate in the book. The biggest theme,in my opinion, is that of loss and mortality.
The concept of death and mortality happens to be a recurring source of strife for me, but many of the passages in this book serves me well in easing those anxieties.
“You understand… it is too far. I cannot carry this body with me. It is too heavy.”
I said nothing.
“But it will be like an old abandoned shell. There is nothing sad about old shells…”
I said nothing.
Our bodies are simply a shell… and we should not come into distress over the deterioration or loss of those shells.
Because that which is essential, that which is truly important, is invisible to the eye.
“In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars were laughing, when you look at the sky at night… You—only you—will have stars that can laugh!”
[…]
“…And your friends will be properly astonished to see you laughing as you look up at the sky! Then you will say to them, ‘Yes, the stars always make me laugh!’ And they will think you are crazy. It will be a very nasty trick that I shall have played on you…”
And he laughed again.
“It will be as if, in place of the stars, I had given you a great number of little bells that knew how to laugh…”
I love the message in this. To think that a person–a loved one–who has left us, can still persist in this world in some way, shape, or form because they exist in the stars we look up to at night.
It doesn’t have to be the stars for you. It can be anything.
One of my favourite moments from the book is near the end, when the little prince is long gone, and the aviator is doing their best to cope and is thinking back on their time together.
The aviator reminisces about the drawing he made of the muzzle for the the little prince’s sheep, and he comes to the realization that he forgot to draw a leather strap on the muzzle. Since the muzzle would be unusable without a strap, would this not mean that the sheep will be free to graze upon the prince’s tiny planet with impunity and devour his beloved rose??
At one time I say to myself: “Surely not! The little prince shuts his flower under her glass globe every night, and he watches over his sheep very carefully…” Then I am happy. And there is sweetness in the laughter of all the stars.
But at another time I say to myself: “At some moment or other one is absent-minded, and that is enough! On some one evening he forgot the glass globe, or the sheep got out, without making any noise, in the night…”
And then the little bells are changed to tears…
This is such a great way to convey a wracked mindset rife with grief and guilt! This unproductive and scattered manner of “What-if” thinking parallels my own.
I am validated by this book.
Here, then, is a great mystery. For you who also love the little prince, and for me, nothing in the universe can be the same if somewhere, we do not know where, a sheep that we never saw has—yes or no?—eaten a rose…
Look up at the sky. Ask yourselves: is it yes or no? Has the sheep eaten the flower? And you will see how everything changes…
And no grown-up will ever understand that this is a matter of so much importance!
Adaptations of The Little Prince
Although the story of the little prince is over 80 years old, and the author is no longer with us, there are countless adaptations and a myriad of ways that we are able to continue enjoying this tale and the lessons it imparts unto us.
We never have to be without the little prince, and in this way, perhaps we are a little spoiled.
Le Petit Prince (2002 musical)
A musical produced(?) by Richard Cocciante. Unfortunately, it is incredibly hard for me to find much information regarding the musical, simply because i am an american. I don’t remember how i even came to discover it, but i truly and honestly believe that if you consider yourself to be an enormous fan and supporter of The Little Prince, then you are severely missing out if you have not seen this musical.
It’s an amazing recreation of the story of The Little Prince, complete with gorgeous visuals, extremely talented performers, and some of the most touching and hearty music I have ever heard. One of my favourite songs from the musical is ‘Puisque c’est ma rose‘. It comes from the scene in which the fox (portrayed by the very handsome Romain Cortese) helps the little prince to understand how his rose is unique to him in all of the world–despite being yet another “common rose”.
Because it is her that I have sheltered,
Because it is her that I have reassured,
Because it is her that I have loved,
Because she is my rose.
I even purchased a copy of the musical performance, as well as the soundtrack–which again, was a bit hard for me to obtain as an English-only american, but it was worth it. I backed up a copy of the performance and its soundtrack to my PC (as well as an external hard drive) so that I could experience this media anytime I wanted.
There was also a blog that I had also discovered around the time that I was searching for information on the musical. It was by an enthusiast who provided a lot of information and context regarding the production. I will continue to do my best to locate this blog again so I can include it here in my coverage of The Little Prince.
An honourable mention: Another theatrical performance, El Petit Princep, typically performed in Barcelona. I have even less to showcase regarding this performance due to the language barrier. I have no means of attending or understanding any of the performances. That being said, the advertisements I’ve seen of the performance seem phenomenal. At least the soundtrack is available on spotify. I enjoy listening to it from time to time.
The Little Prince (2015 animated film)
I also bought a DVD of this piece of media as well. The DVD included a special feature which consisted of an interview/retrospective of sorts from the director and various cast/staff members. I learned from watching this feature that the approach to this movie was to convey the connection that a singular person may feel with the story of The Little Prince.
I think this is a smart way to go about it, because readers may differ on what they consider to be the most “profound” or “important” aspects of the original story. The movie avoids making any attempt at recreating or transforming the meaning of the little prince–something that may not mesh well with audiences. Instead, the movie is about a young girl who comes across the story of “The Little Prince”, and delves into the impact this book leaves on her life. None of the characters are named, by the way. Just like in The Little prince (The aviator, the lamplighter, the conceited man, etc.) the characters in the movie are simply known as the girl, the mother, the old man, etc.
The soundtrack was composed by Hans Zimmer, featuring vocals by the French singer Camille. My favourite track and scene in the movie happens at the climax, and I wish not to spoil the experience for others, so I’ll talk about my second-most favourite moment in the movie instead.
The song ‘Equation’ plays during an emotional low point in the movie. The girl is forced to hunker down in her room for the remainder of her summer break. No more friends. No more fun. Her mother is strict in enforcing this new schedule. At one point, the mother checks in on the girl to ensure that she’s following the schedule. The girl jitters her leg anxiously until the mother eventually leaves.
I probably only liked the scene so much because of how incredibly relatable it was to certain moments in my own life. It’s also a great coincidence that math–or anything to do with numbers–has always been a source of stress in my life. So the fact that this downtrodden, low point in the movie is accompanied by a track called ‘Equation’ felt especially fitting to me.
Petit Prince (D4DJ Groovy Mix)
I will yet again declare that D4DJ Groovy Mix is objectively the best mobile rhythm game in existence. One of the units in the game is known as “Lyrical Lily”. They are a DJ unit consisting of four catholic school girls. This unit often takes inspiration from renown classical works to create their music.
One of their songs is titled Petit Prince (プティプランス in Japanese) and is unlocked by reading chapter 8 of the unit’s storyline. This is not so much of an adaptation, but more of a reference. I love music & I love D4DJ, this is my blog and I’ll do what i want.
I think this song was, technically, the first reference to The Little Prince I had come across after I had finally finished the book. The English/worldwide version of the D4DJ app released a few months after I read the story. The book and its themes should’ve been fresh in my mind, and yet… for some reason…
It took me at least another few weeks, maybe months, to realize that this song was a reference to the classic tale.
The fact that the lyrics make mentions to a “journey in the desert”, baobabs, and sheep?
Not a clue.
The fact that the album art depicts the silhouette of a prince walking over a tiny asteroid, alongside a rose and a sheep amongst the stars?
Over my head.
The fact that the word “Prince” is literally in the title?
Girl I don’t know what is wrong with me.
What’s amazing to me is that, despite missing out on the obvious connection, this song became an instant favourite of mine the moment I heard it for the first time. I’d play and replay the map over and over–to the point that i’m pretty sure that this song was my first time ever accomplishing an expert Perfect Full Combo in the game whole game! It was simply meant to be.
I love everything about it. I love the way it sounds. I love the way it vibrates in my ears. I love the way their voices harmonize together, specifically Haruna. I love haruna so much. Haruna Kasuga is objectively the best character in D4DJ Groovy Mix.
In May of 2022, I preordered Lyrical Lily’s first-ever album, Lyrical Anthology. The version of Petit Prince on this album seems to be a newer recording or perhaps remaster?
There’s a lot more clarity and crisp of the Lyrical Anthology version. I can make out all of the little quirks in the instrumental much better than before–all of the various trills and beeps and such. I can pick out stringed instruments, something like a harp. And the singing voices are just a lot more clear in general. The chorus sounds a lot more “grander” and “holier”? I feel it has a bit more of a choir or cathedral-like quality that stands out so much compared to the original recording.
I like this version a lot. It is literally music to the ears. The Lyrical Anthology recording of Petit Prince is godlike. It is almost the best way to experience the song. I will stick to my guns, however, when I say that the optimal way to experience any and all music from D4DJ is to experience it in the game itself. Nothing beats the rush of playing hitting the notes perfectly to the beat while managing the various filters and effects on the song through the usage of the phasing slider and the disc scratches/holds. It’s an immaculate experience.
Official Le Petit Prince content
I think it’s kind of silly that it took me so long to discover the official Little Prince social media account(s) and website. I subscribed to the RSS feeds of the official website, as well as the blog. The official accounts will occasionally announce the various ways in which one can maintain a connection with the little prince in the mortal plane. New translations or editions of the book, museums, amusement parks, and theatrical performances are just to name a few.
Most of the time, however, your connections to the little prince are limited to merch.
Before delving into the merch, I’d like to give a small shout out to the “additional content” page of the official website. One can access and print coloring books, activity booklets, and a PaperToy craft model. I haven’t had the opportunity to print and create my own little paper doll yet, as I don’t have access to colour printer, but i look forward to the day that I am able to.
You can even download wallpapers for desktop and mobile devices. The mobile wallpapers have a gentle, greeting card-like charm to them. They’re pretty straightfoward, with a solid colour background, simple illustration, accompanied with a quote from the book. My personal favourite wallpaper is the one that depicts the little prince making his escape with the flock of wild birds. Along with it, the quote reads,
My personal collection
I’ve gone a little wild in my appreciation for The Little prince; it manifested in a desire to accumulate as much as I can. Some of the items in my repertoire include statues, scarves, and music boxes. I’d like to go into detail about some of my favourites.
Crudo Leather Craft
For a time, The Little Prince collaborated with Crudo Leather Craft. This collaboration allowed for anyone to purchase certain pieces jewelry and accessories (such as bracelets and wallets) and customize it with a variety of Le Petit Prince motifs. I ordered two different bracelets from the site–one metallic, and the other in white leather. I had fun sifting through the different charms to add to the bracelets. My metallic bracelet is engraved on opposite sides with the phrases, “What is essential” “is invisible to the eye”. I wasn’t a fan of the ‘elephant and boa constrictor’ charm offered on the storefront, so I ended up purchasing a pendant from a seller on etsy and used some jewelers tools to affix the newly acquired pendant to the bracelet all on my own. I love the look of it!
The items arrived in a special box with pop-up illustrations!
IQUNIX Keyboards
An official collaboration between a mechanical keyboard company and The Little Prince. I ordered three of their keyboards
- F97 Astral Splendor / Silent Rose / RGB
- F97 Starry Tryst / Silent Rose / Non-backlit
- ZX75 Sky Encounter / Little Prince / Non-backlit
Unfortunately, i have no photos of the ZX75. It’s a 75% keyboard, which is nice if you are low on desk space. I, however, cannot go without certain keys on my keyboard (both for work and gaming purposes), so use of the keyboard would not be practical for me. I bought it purely for aesthetic purposes and hope to procure photos of it once I’m able to build a proper shrine to display my various Le Petit Prince collectibles
Regardless of how I may come off, i don’t have money to burn. Gamer lighting is expensive 😦 So I decided that the F97 Astral Splendor would be the only keyboard I’d purchase with RGB backlight. When I’m using the Astral Splendor, I typically leave the backlight set orange. The sight of the warm, orange light peeking out through the dark keycaps is almost breathtaking. It’s gorgeous. Like a sunset.
F97 Starry Tryst (foreground) and the F97 Astral Splendor (background) 
Close-up of the F97 Astral Splendor. There are quotes from The Little Prince on certain keys. 
F97 Starry Tryst keyboard. 
Close-up of the numpad of the F97 Starry Tryst keyboard keyboard. An image of the little prince is displayed across the keys, rather than numbers.
Fun fact! The F97 Astral Splendor displays various quotes from the book on certain keys. My friend assisted me in creating custom macros that allow me to instantly type out those very quotes with just a few button presses! it tends to throw people off in my overwatch matches.
XPPEN drawing display tablet
I was not in the market for a pen tablet when I came across this collaboration. My existing tablet (a Huion) worked just fine. However, I’ve never owned a graphic display tablet before, so I figured–why not?
This collaboration is limited to the Artist 12 and Artist 16 (both 2nd generation). I opted for the Artist 16.
The tablet came with a cleaning cloth, gloves, and stickers–all bearing the image of The Little Prince. I would have really liked to have purchased the dust cover and desk mat, but those items appear to not be available for sale (despite being showcased on the XPPEN website). I wonder if those items are reserved for big-time influencers or something?
Various others
I purchased some Maison Malfroy luxory silk scarves with the intention of displaying them as tapestries. I never got around to purchasing the full collection, and unfortunately it seems I will never be able to do so because the collaboration is no longer active.
Not all of my items are official. I ordered custom pins made to look like tiny versions of my favourite books from a storefront on etsy by the name of DavidAschDesign. I purchased a miniature version of the book (complete with a bookstand) by the seller USAminibooks. I also orded a vibrant statue depicting the little prince sitting atop an astroid, but the seller is no longer active on etsy. I was also gifted with a collection of Le Petit prince themed socks by a close acquaintance. The socks were from a store by the name of TeeHee Socks, but it appears the collection is no longer available.
What I’d like to see from The Little Prince
This is far from the end of my journey with the little prince, but i do feel that something is lacking.
Mayhaps…
Interactive media?
I understand that a number of games that make references to The Little Prince exist, but none of them really capture me.
Sky: Children of the Light has an event that features the little prince. The event gives users an opportunity to obtain items and cosmetics that are in reference to the story. This event will actually receive an encore soon, with more details available on March 17, 2025.
My problem is… I don’t understand this game! I can’t vibe with it! I’ve tried playing it a handful of times, and while I acknowledge that it is a very intriguing, and whimsical experience, it is also so frustrating to me!
There is no dialogue or outright instructions. I’m not even sure if there’s a definitive storyline or goal in the game–which isn’t a bad thing. The frustration comes when I’m trying to learn, discover, or achieve a specific goal. The lack of clarity or direction frustrates me because I have no idea whether I’m failing due to my own lack of talent, or because I am simply missing out on a necessary skill or ability.
And although I’d love to have an immersive or interactive way to incorporate the little prince in my life, I don’t believe that this experience has to be a video game. For example, I chronicle my life and feelings in a digital diary. Maybe a tool like a themed journal or planner would suffice? I have even been tempted to purchase a Little Prince-themed Lovebox for use with my perfect partner who is absolutely real and exists and is not made up.
Perhaps it is possible that someone, somewhere out there, may discover an interactive way to incorporate the little prince into their daily routine. If this should happen, please comfort me. Send me word that he has come back.
Lovely little creature 
send me your thots and prayers