- We learn that the little prince’s planet is no bigger than a house. The narrator believes it is in fact an asteroid named B-612.
- Now, we get a short aside about the discovery of this asteroid by a Turkish astronomer. The first time the astronomer made a presentation about his discovery, he was in Turkish costume so the other astronomers didn’t take him seriously; the next time, he wore a stylish European suit, and was immediately heeded.
- Then the narrator tells us that he is giving us all these details about the asteroid to please the adults, who like facts and figures and labels more than beauty and the essence of things.
- He wants all his readers to take this book seriously. The reason he is writing it is because he does not want to forget his friend, the little prince; and he admits that the process of telling the story is painful for him. (Hmm—why is it painful? We suppose we’ll have to read on to find out…)