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n them； no root to cling to； I was seized with vertigo and felt myself as if flung forth and plunging downward like a diver。
But I did not fall。 From nape to heel I discovered myself bound to earth。 I felt a sort of appeasement in surrendering to it my weight。 Gravitation had bee as sovereign as love。 The earth； I felt； was supporting my back； sustaining me； lifting me up； transporting me through the immense void of night。 I was glued to our planet by a pressure like that with which one is glued to the side of a car on a curve。 I leaned with joy against this admirable breast…work； this solidity； this security； feeling against my body this curving bridge of my ship。
So convinced was I that I was in motion； that I should have heard without astonishment； rising from below； a creaking of something material adjusting itself to the effort； that groaning of old sailing vessels as they heel； that long sharp cry drawn from pinnaces plaining of their handling。 But silence continued in the layers of the earth； and this density that I could feel at my shoulders continued harmonious； sustained； unaltered through eternity。 I was as much the inhabitant of this homeland as the bodies of dead galley…slaves； weighted with lead； were the inhabitants of the sea。
I lay there pondering my situation； lost in the desert and in danger； naked between sky and sand； withdrawn by too much silence from the poles of my life。 I knew that I should wear out days and weeks returning to them if I were not sighted by some plane； or if next day the Moors did not find and murder me。 Here I possessed nothing in the world。 I was no more than a mortal strayed between sand and stars； conscious of the single blessing of breathing。 And yet I discovered myself filled with dreams。
They came to me soundlessly； like the waters of a spring； and in the beginning I could not understand the sweetness that was invading me。 There was neither voice nor vision； but the presentiment of a presence； of a warmth very close and already half guessed。 Then I began to grasp what was going on； and shutting my eyes I gave myself up to the enchantments of my memory。
Somewhere there was a park dark with firs and linden…trees and an old house that I loved。 It mattered little that it was far away； that it could not warm me in my flesh； nor shelter me； reduced here to the role of dream。 It was enough that it existed to fill my night with its presence。 I was no longer this body flung up on a strand； I oriented myself； I was the child of this house； filled with the memory of its odors； with the cool breath of its vestibules； with the voices that had animated it； even to the very frogs in the pools that came here to be with me。 I needed these thousand landmarks to identify myself； to discover of what absences the savor of this desert was posed； to find a meaning in this silence made of a thousand silences； where the very frogs were silent。
No； I was no longer lodged between sand and stars。 I was no longer receiving from this scene its chill message。 And I had found out at last the origin of the feeling of eternity that came over me in this wilderness。 I had been wrong to believe it was part of sky and sand。 I saw again the great stately cupboards of our house。 Their doors opened to display piles of linen as white as snow。 They opened on frozen stores of snow。 The old housekeeper trotted like a rat from one cupboard to the next； forever counting； folding； unfolding； re…counting the white linen； exclaiming； 〃Oh； good Heavens； how terrible ！〃 at each sign of wear which threatened the eternity of the house； running instantly to burn out her eyes under a lamp so that the woof of these altar cloths should be repaired； these three…master's sails be mended； in the service of something greater than herself …a god； a ship。
Ah； I owe you a page； Mademoiselle！ When I came home from my first journeyings I found you needle in hand； up to the knees in your white surplices； each year a little more wrinkled； a little more round…shouldered； still preparing for our slumbers those sheets without creases； for our dinners those cloths without seams； those feasts of crystal and of snow。
I would go up to see you in your sewing…room； would sit down beside you and tell you of the dangers I had run in order that I might thrill you； open your eyes to the world； corrupt you。 You would say that I hadn't changed a whit。 Already as a child I had torn my shirts … 〃How terrible！〃 … and skinned my knees； ing home as day fell to be bandaged。
No； Mademoiselle； no ！ I have not e back from the other end of the park but from the other end of the world！ I have brought back with me the acrid smell of solitude； the tumult of sand…storms； the blazing moonlight of the tropics！ 〃Of course！〃 you would say。 〃Boys will run about； break their bones and think themselves great fellows。〃
No； Mademoiselle； no ！ I have seen a good deal more than the shadows in our park。 If you knew how insignificant these shadows are； how little they mean beside the sands； the granite； the virgin forests； the vast swamplands of the earth ！ Do you realize that there are lands on the globe where； when men meet you； they bring up their rifles to their cheeks？ Do you know that there are deserts on earth where men lie down on freezing nights to sleep without roof or bed or snowy sheet？ 〃What a wild lad！〃 you would say。
I could no more shake her faith than I could have shaken the faith of a candle…woman in a church。 I pitied her humble destiny which had made her blind and deaf。
But that night in the Sahara； naked between the stars and the sand； I did her justice。
What is going on inside me I cannot tell。 In the sky a thousand stars are magnetized； and I lie glued by the swing of the planet to the sand。 A different weight brings me back to myself。 I feel the weight of my body drawing me towards so many things。 My dreams are more real than these dunes； than that moon； than these presences。 My civilization is an empire more imperious than this empire。 The marvel of a house is not that it shelters or warms a man； nor that its walls belong to him。 It is that it leaves its trace on the language。 Let it remain a sign。 Let it form； deep in the heart； that obscure range from which； as waters from a spring； are born our dreams。
Sahara； my Sahara！ You have been bewitched by an old woman at a spinning…wheel！
Wind； Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint…Exupery
Chapter 5 … The Plane and the PlanetTitle： 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
6
0asis
I have already said so much about the desert that before speaking of it again I should like to describe an oasis。 The oasis that es into my mind is not； however； remote in the deep Sahara。 One of the miracles of the airplane is that it plunges a man directly into the heart of mystery。 You are a biologist studying； through your porthole； the human ant…hill； scrutinizing objectively those towns seated in their plain at the centre of their highways which go off like the spokes of a wheel and； like arteries； nourish them with the quintessence of the fields。 A needle trembles on your manometer； and this green clump below you bees a universe。 You are the prisoner of a greensward in a slumbering park。
Space is not the measure of distance。 A garden wall at home may enclose more secrets than the Great Wall of China； and the soul of a little girl is better guarded by silence than the Sahara's oases by the surrounding sands。 I dropped down to earth once somewhere in the world。 It was near Concordia； in the Argentine； but it might have been anywhere at all； for mystery is everywhere。
A minor mishap had forced me down in a field； and I was far from dreaming that I was about to live through a fairy…tale。 The old Ford in which I was driven to town betokened nothing extraordinary； and the same was to be said for the un…remarkable couple who took me in。
〃We shall be glad to put you up for the night；〃 they said。
But round a corner of the road； in the moon…light； I saw a clump of trees； and behind those trees a house。 What a queer house！ Squat； massive； almost a citadel guarding behind its tons of stone I knew not what treasure。 From the very threshold this legendary castle promised an asylum as assured； as peaceful； as secret as a monastery。
Then two young girls appeared。 They seemed astonished to see me； examined me gravely as if they had been two judges posted on the confines of a forbidden kingdom； and while the younger of them sulked and tapped the ground with a green switch； they were introduced ：
〃Our daughters。〃
The girls shook hands without a word but with a curious air of defiance； and disappeared。 I was amused and I was charmed。 It was all as simple and silent and furtive as the first word of a secret。
〃The girls are shy；〃 their father said； and we went into the house。
One thing that I had loved in Paraguay was the ironic grass that showed the tip of its nose between the pavements of the capital； that slipped in on behalf of the invisible but ever…present virgin forest to see if man still held the town； if the hour had not e to send all these stones tumbling。
I liked the particular kind of dilapidation which in Paraguay was the expression of an excess of wealth。 But here； in Concordia； I was filled with wonder。 Here everything was in a state of decay； but adorably so； like an old oak covered with moss and split in places with age； like a wooden bench on which generations of lovers had e to sit and which had grown sacred。 The wainscoting was worn； the hinges rusted； the chairs rickety。 And yet； though nothing had ever been repaired； everything had been scoured with zeal。 Everything was clean； waxed； gleaming。
The drawing…room had about it something extraordinarily intense； like the face of a wrinkled old lady。 The walls were cracked； the ceiling stripped； and most bewildering of all in this bewildering house was the floor： it had simply caved in。 Waxed； varnished and polished though it was； it swayed like a ship's gangway。 A strange house； evoking no neglect； no slackness； but rather an extraordinary respect。 Each passing year had added something to its charm； to the plexity of its visage and its friendly atmosphere； as well as to the dangers encountered on the journey from the drawing…room to the dining…room。
〃Careful！〃
There was a hole in the floor； and I was warned that if I stepped into it I might easily break a leg。 This was said as simply as 〃Don't stroke the dog； he bites。〃 Nobody was responsible for the hole； it was the work of time。 There was something lordly about this sovereign contempt for apologies。
Nobody said； 〃We could have these holes repaired ； we are well enough off； but 。 。 。〃 And neither did they say … which was true enough … 〃we have taken this house from the town under a thirty…year lease。 They should look after the repairs。 But they won't； and we won't； so 。 。 。〃 They disdained explanation； and this superiority to circumstance enchanted me。 The most that was said was：
〃The house is a little run down； you see。〃
Even this was said with such an air of satisfaction that I suspected my friends of not being saddened by the fact。 Do you see a crew of bricklayers； carpenters； cabinetworkers； plasterers intruding their sacrilegious tools into so vivid a past； turning this in a week into a house you would never recognize； in which the family would feel that they were visiting strangers？ A house without secrets； without recesses； without mysteries； without traps beneath the feet； or dungeons； a sort of town…hall reception room？
In a house with so many secret passages it was natural that the daughters should vanish before one's eyes。 What must the attics be； when the drawing…room already contained all the wealth of an attic？ When one could guess already that； the least cupboard opened； there would pour out sheaves of yellowed letters； grandpapa's receipted bills； more keys than there were locks and not one of which of course would fit any lock。 Marvelously useless keys that confounded the reason and made it muse upon subterranean chambers； buried chests； treasures。
〃Shall we go in to dinner？〃
We went in to dinner。 Moving from one room to the next I inhaled in passing that incense of an old library which is worth all the perfumes of the world。 And particularly I liked the lamps being carried with us。 Real lamps； heavy lamps； transported from room to room as in the time of my earliest childhood； stirring into motion as they passed great wondrous shadows on the walls。 To pick one up was to displace bouquets of light and great black palms。 Then； the lamps finally set down； there was a settling into motionlessness of the beaches of clarity and the vast reserves of surrounding darkness in which the wainscoting went on creaking。
As mysteriously and as silently as they had vanished； the girls reappeared。 Gravely they took their places。 Doubtless they had fed thei