Class 7 :: English Literature :: The Little Prince Visits the King by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
The Little Prince Visits the King
by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Comprehension
Read and answer
1. Refer to the word bank and fill in the blanks.
a. The king felt that the boy was breaking etiquette.
b. When the King ordered the little prince to yawn on command, he was abashed.
c. The King claimed that the stars obeyed him as he did not allow insubordination.
d. The King wanted the little prince to treat the rat thriftily because he was the only subject he had.
2. Tick two words that best describe the following.
a. the little prince
i) curious [✓]
ii) disobedient [ ]
iii) respectful [ ]
iv) cowardly [ ]
b. the king
i) powerful [ ]
ii) bossy [✓]
iii) honest [ ]
iv) fair [ ]
Reference to context
3. "He found himself in the neighbourhood of the asteroids 325, 326, 327, 328, 329 and 330."
a. Who is 'he' in this line?
= In this line, 'he' is the little prince.
b. Why did he decide to visit the asteroids?
= He decided to visit the asteroids in order to add to his knowledge. He found himself in the neighbourhood of the asteroids and wanted to increase his knowledge by visiting them.
c. What word did the king use to refer to him?
= The king referred to him as 'a subject'.
4. "Then my sunset?" the little prince reminded him: for he never forgot a question once he had asked it.
a. What favour had the little prince asked the king for before this?
= The little prince asked the king a favour to order the sun to set as he would like to see a sunset.
b. Why had he asked for this favour?
= As the king said that he rules his planet, the other planets, and all the stars. His rule was not only absolute but also universal.
c. What reason did the king give for not granting it?
= The king gave the reason that one must require from each one the duty which each one can perform. Accepted authority rests first of all on reason.
Reflect and answer
5. Quote two sentences from the story that tell us that the king had been alone for a very long time.
= The first sentence from the story is - "Ah! Here is a subject," exclaimed the king, when he saw the little prince coming.
Here we can clearly feel the king's pleasure of mind after he saw the little prince coming. As if he was waiting for long for someone to come.
The second sentence from the story is - "Approach, so that I may see you better," said the king, who felt consumingly proud of being at last a king over somebody.
Here the sentence evidently shows that he was longing for being the king of somebody. This proves that he had been alone for a very long time.
6. Why was the little prince surprised by the king's greeting?
= The little prince was surprised because how could the king recognized him as 'a subject' when he has never seen him before. The king's behaviour was very hospitable to him though the king hardly knew him.
7. The king did not tolerate disobedience, yet he claimed that he made his orders reasonable. Why do you think he did that ?
= To start this, I would refer the fact that the king wanted to make little prince a minister of justice. He wanted to be a just king. He did not tolerate disobedience, yet he made his orders reasonable. According to him, it is more difficult to judge oneself than to judge others.
If someone succeeds judging himself rightly, then he or she is indeed a man of true wisdom. He longed for being a king and rule. So, he showed arrogance and kingly attitude. But he is actually a humane person having all the good traits of the same.
8. What was the role of the rat on the asteroid?
= The king believed that somewhere in the planet there were an old rat. The King used to hear him at night. According to the king there were enough reason to give the rat death sentence.
But on the other hand, the king used to pardon him as he was the only one living thing they have in their asteroid. He was the only reason for the king to live and long for the things he wanted to be fulfilled. He was the only emblem and existence of life other than the king in the asteroid.