Original subtitles

One day, when I was 6 years old,

I saw a magnificent picture in a nature book about the primeval forest.

It was a picture of a boa constrictor swallowing an animal.

I'm trying to make a sketch of it to show you.

Under this splendid picture, it said;

"Boa constrictors swallow their prey whole, without chewing it."

There.

"And then remain stationary for six months digesting it."

I pondered that deeply.

And after some work, I succeeded in making my first drawing.

I called it Drawing Number One.

I showed my masterpiece to the grownups.

I asked them if it frightened them.

Frighten us? Why should we be frightened of a hat?

A hat?

It was a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant.

Obviously.

Since the grownups were not able to understand it, I made another,

showing the elephant inside the boa constrictor,

so they could see it clearly.

My Drawing Number Two.

This time, I was told to stop wasting my time drawing boa constrictors,

whether from the inside or the outside, and attend to my studies, which I did.

And that is why, at the age of 6,

I gave up what might have been a magnificent career as a painter.

As I grew up, whenever I'd meet one who seemed to be at all clear-sighted,

in order to find out if he was really a person of true understanding,

I would show him my first drawing. But whoever it was would say;

It's a hat, it's a hat It's a sort of a kind of hat

Painted poorly But it surely is a hat

It's a hat, it's a hat There's no doubt of it, it's a hat

Top of Papa Is its proper habitat

My, oh, my, look at that Why, this dummy has drawn a hat

It's a hat, it's a hat If it's anything, it's a hat

Why, it's nothing but a common Himalayan mountain hat

A hat that looks like down upon Which someone must've sat

Not Picasso or Corot But a very nice chapeau

Are you kidding? It's a hat, you silly brat

Every grownup was the same Uniformly, they'd exclaim

It's a hat, it's a hat, it's a hat

I could see it wasrt won'th Spending time with them on earth

There were fewer in the sky I decided I would fly

- It's a hat - It's a hat

- It's a hat - It's a hat

It's a hat, it's a hat, it's a hat

I need air

Where only stars get in my hair

And only eagles stop and stare

I need air

All the world is mad And I have had my share

I need air

I need air

I need air

One hour of mortal wear and tear

Gives my morale moral-de-mer

Any corner lot That heavers got to spare

I need air

I need air

There's not a sign of life down there

Just hats and grownups everywhere

I need air

Lots of cozy sky That God and I can share

I need air

I need air

Over the years, I came to know many grownups,

and my opinion of them never improved.

In time, I stopped showing my drawing

and never again mentioned boa constrictors, elephants or stars.

Instead, I would talk about golf, money, politics and neckties.

And everyone was pleased to have met such a sensible man.

So I lived my life alone,

without anyone I could really talk to, until a short time ago.

I was testing a new plane,

racing it against the clock from Paris to India.

Paris calling flight F-BDXY.

Paris calling flight F-BDXY. Come in, please, over.

F-BDXY to Paris.

Ground speed: 1 -9-0. Running ten minutes behind schedule.

Strong headwinds.

Trouble!

- Losing altitude! - Paris calling flight F-BDXY.

Detail location. Repeat, detail location.

Detail location. Repeat, detail location.

Paris calling flight F-BDXY. Are you there, F-BDXY?

Where are you?

If you please, draw me a sheep.

Will you?

- Will I what? - Will you draw me a sheep?

Who are...? Where did you...?

How did you...?

How did you get here?

- What are you doing here? - Waiting for you to draw me a sheep.

No, no. Listen to me.

- Where did you come from? - Will you draw me a sheep?

Don't you know any other words?

Is that all you can say?

No.

Will you draw me a sheep?

When a mystery is too overpowering, one doesn't dare disobey.

A thousand miles from civilization and death at my heels,

I picked up a pad and pencil and began to draw.

Look, I... I don't know how to draw.

- That doesn't matter. - And I certainly can't draw a sheep.

I've only drawn one thing in my whole life.

Here.

Oh, no. I don't want an elephant inside a boa constrictor.

A boa constrictor is very dangerous, and an elephant is very cumbersome.

Where I live, everything is very small.

What I need is a sheep.

Do you live in a small town? On a small island?

Where is it very small?

What sort of object is that?

- What? - That.

It's called an aeroplane. It flies.

I was flying in it, but it broke down.

Then you must have dropped from the sky.

That's right.

You too. How funny.

If you don't mind, I prefer having my misfortunes taken seriously.

- What do you mean, "you too"? - That's a very sick-Iooking sheep.

Is that how you got here? In a plane that crashed?

Could you make another?

- Why? - Because that one doesn't look well.

This is not the way two strangers get to know each other on the average desert.

This is the way. Ask me a question.

- Where do you come from? - Good.

To which I reply, "I come from Paris."

Now I'll ask you a question.

- Where do you come from? - Is Paris on this planet?

Of course it's on this planet.

I'm sorry, it won't do.

- Why not? - See for yourself.

That's not a sheep. It's a ram. It has horns.

Do you think this is all I have to do?

I have this engine to take apart and fix before my water runs out.

I have no time to draw for a little boy dressed in a coat, carrying a sword,

who appears from nowhere in the middle of the Sahara.

There, and that's the last.

There's no horns.

No.

It's not sick.

No.

- Well, then? - It's old.

I'm sorry.

It's only his box.

The sheep you asked for is inside.

That's perfect, exactly the way I wanted it.

It is?

Good.

Do you think this sheep will need a lot of grass?

- Why? - I told you.

Where I come from, everything is very small.

Don't worry. It's a very small sheep.

This sheep isn't so small.

Alas, I couldn't argue with him.

I'd grown too old to see sheep through the walls of boxes.

Is Paris on this planet?

Of course it is. Did you forget?

No, I didn't forget. But why did you ask?

- Arert you from this planet? - The thing that's so good about this box

is, at night, he can use it as his house.

- He's just going to sleep. - Oh, sorry.

- Good morning. - Good morning.

Where in God's name could you have come from?

- Do you know what asteroids are? - What whats are?

- Asteroids. - No.

They're very, very small planets.

The smallest, Asteroid B-61 2,

was discovered by a Turkish astronomer in 1 909.

I think you may live on Asteroid B-61 2.

What do you think?

I think you may live on Asteroid B-61 2.

What do you think?

What do you think?

Does that mean they also eat baobab bushes?

- Who? - The sheep.

Do they also eat flowers?

- Do they? - Just hold it a minute, will you?

- Do they also eat flowers? - What?

Oh, yes, they do.

Except the flowers that have thorns, of course.

No, they even eat the flowers that have thorns.

But the thorns protect them, don't they?

Maybe from being picked, but not from being eaten.

Then what's the good of having them?

- Having what? - Thorns.

I don't know. Spite, I suppose.

Flowers have thorns just for spite.

I don't believe you.

Flowers are weak and helpless, and they know it.

How could they face the world if they didn't believe they were protected?

- What I'm doing here is important. - Important?

Flowers have been growing thorns for millions of years.

And for millions of years, sheep have been eating them just the same.

Eating them. And you think that's not important?

- Of course it is. - I know one flower

that's unique in all the world. It grows nowhere but on my planet.

But some morning, a sheep can come along and destroy it

with one single bite. And you think that's not important?

- I suppose so. - What you don't understand is,

that if someone loves one flower that grows on one star

among all the millions and millions of stars in the sky,

it's enough to make him happy to look at the stars.

He can say to himself, "Somewhere my flower's up there."

But if a sheep eats the flower,

in one moment, all the stars will go dark.

And you think that's not important?

It's not a matter of consequence to you, is it?

Wait!

Wait! Come back!

I most humbly apologize.

I was behaving like a grownup.

Your flower is very important.

I swear it.

Come back!

Please!

Please come back!

Where did you go?

Where did you go? Little man, don't you know

That I'm on your side?

Why did you go?

Why did you go? Little man, let me show you

I'm on your side

This world

Is an ocean without any shore When you're on your own

Dawn is the end of the rope When you're all alone

I've been, I've seen I've known it

Where can you be?

Where can you be? Hurry back, and you'll see

That I'm on your side

Where did you run?

Why did you run From the one, only one

Who is on your side?

Everybody needs a friend

Come make use of me

God gave people hands to lend

Mine are free

So why stay away?

Come what may

I'm on

Your side

I missed him.

I wished I'd discovered more about him.

But he'd gone and taken his mystery with him.

Unaccustomed as I am to drawing anything

but boa constrictors and elephants,

I decided to make a portrait of him

so that I wouldn't forget him.

After all, he was a friend.

And not everyone has a friend.

Least of all me.

I'm hungry.

I have your supper right here.

I waited as long as I could.

I'd advise saving some of that till tomorrow.

That is, of course, unless you're very hungry.

Is this all you have?

Well, at the moment, yes.

This will be quite enough, thank you.

Needless to say, that problem you outlined,

concerning the flower you know.

The one on the star, and your sheep...

In fact, all flowers and all sheep, that's...

That's extremely important.

In fact, I can't think of anything that's more important.

Well, I've been giving it a great deal of thought, and I...

I think I've come up with a solution that will remove your flower

from any possibility of danger.

Now, this is my plan.

But this is subject to your approval, of course.

One, to draw a muzzle for your sheep.

Two...

If you can describe your planet to me in sufficient detail

for me to make a drawing of it,

I'll put up a big, strong fence all around your flower.

Would you really do that?

Smaller.

Smaller.

I have three volcanoes.

- How big are they? - Very big.

- Compared to you? - Knee-high.

I have to clean them out every day.

- All by yourself? - There's no one else.

There are three baobab bushes.

You don't have to draw them. They don't come up for a while.

- Where's your house? - On the other side.

You don't have to draw that either.

And my flower lives on this side here.

When she first came through the ground,

I was afraid she was going to be a baobab,

but then she blossomed.

One bright, yellow morning, she blossomed.

- Good morning. - Stop.

What is it?

- Give me a moment to wake up. - I'm sorry.

How beautiful you are.

Yes, I know.

I was born at the same moment as the sun.

- Did you know that? - No.

- Did you know you were quite selfish? - Selfish?

Instead of thinking of my needs,

you're standing there doing what you want to do,

which is stare at me.

- What is it you need? - Water.

- Water? - I realize this is a small,

- unequipped little planet. - I'll get it for you right away.

I brought her some water.

I brought it every day.

I did everything I could for her.

It's cooler when the sun goes down.

Do you have a glass bowl to put over me?

That will only make you weaker. The night air is good for you.

I'm cold!

I'm cold!

You promised me a glass bowl.

It's not cold.

- Do you love me? - Yes, I love you very much.

You've made my planet beautiful.

I don't believe it.

If you loved me, you'd know how cold I am.

I promise you, the nights aren't long. You'll soon get used to it.

- Do you love me? - I'll get the bowl.

I couldn't understand it, and I couldn't understand her.

I loved her, but I was so unappy.

I began to realize I didn't really understand anything.

So I decided to leave my planet

and go out into the universe and try to learn something.

I was wrong to leave her.

But at the time, I didn't even understand that.

I was too young.

One morning, I cleaned out my volcanoes,

took one last look for baobabs and put my planet in order.

Good morning.

- You're all dressed up. - Yes.

- You look very handsome. - Thank you.

- You're going away, aren't you? - Yes.

- For a long time? - Perhaps.

I see.

It's my fault you're going, isn't it?

I've been very foolish, haven't I?

I wonder who will call on me when you're not here.

There are those two caterpillars, of course.

I don't like them, but one has to put up with them

if one wants to meet butterflies.

For anything else, I have my thorns.

Well...

...if you're going...

: : : go:

- Goodbye. - Be happy, be happy, be happy

Forget that I have no one And nowhere to go

Be happy, be happy, be happy

Don't think of me in winter All covered with snow

Be happy, be happy

Forget that I'll be crying still

And never

Will be happy

Be happy

Without you

Stop!

- Where are your papers? - What papers?

You can't cross the border without papers.

- What border? - That border there.

- You need a visa. Do you have one? - No.

Then you can't cross it. Those are the rules. Stop!

You almost backed into another country.

What are you? A smuggler? A refugee? An idealist?

- Speak up. What are you? - I'm ignorant.

Well, you might outgrow it.

Now, look...

My country is too small for both of us,

but I have a colonial possession 1 foot to your left.

If your papers are in order, you can settle down there.

Your Majesty, it's such a small planet. Why do you need borders?

Why do we need borders?

Yes. Why do you need borders? You told me to ask questions.

But any child understands why we need borders.

- I don't. - Well, of course you don't understand.

You're a child.

How do you expect You can understand

International things and stuff?

Scissoring the earth Carving up the land

Is the business of kings and stuff

Continentally, you are mentally A silly-billy boy of 2

How absurd, it's uneard-of You can never think as grownups do

Why, you Why, you

Oh, you're a child You're a child

You're a twerp And that's putting it mild

You're a speck You're a fleck

And it's just too tough Pounding grown-up stuff

In the bean of a green little child

- Try. - What?

Explain it to me. I want to learn.

Well...

Why do borderlines exist? Well, first and foremost on the list

If all the borders were destroyed Tomorrow, I'd be unemployed

And what would statesmen do for fun If all at once the world was one?

And one could wander Where he pleases

Flashing smiles instead of visas

Why, it could

It might

It would

Oh, go away and grow Come again when you're

Not a mini-brained punk like this

You are really too undeveloped For philosophical junk like this

Too adult is it? Difficult is it? To get your teeth into?

Too bewildering for the children And that, of course, means you

Means you Means you

You're a child You're a child

And the kind that can Drive grownups wild

You're a wee little pea

Any thought profound That I might expound

Wort fit into a pineaded child

Is that clear? Now, where are your papers?

- I don't have any. - You can't stay without papers.

Then I'll leave.

Just as well. You're dangerous. Where's your passport?

- I don't have a passport. - Then you can't leave.

Come back here!

Get off this planet!

Come back here! Get off this planet!

Four hundred million and 997,000...

...plus six, equals 400,997,006!

Good day, sir.

Good day.

Five hundred million and ten!

Five hundred million and ten.

Plus one. Five hundred million and 32!

Five hundred million, 32 what?

Five hundred million and 32 plus three. Those things.

Five hundred million and 35.

- Stars? - That's it. Stars.

Five hundred...

...million, 44.

- Plus... - Why are you counting the stars?

Five hundred million...

I own them, and I want to see how much I have.

But what good does it do you to own the stars?

- It does me the good of making me rich. - What good is it to be rich?

Because...

I don't know.

But how can you own the stars?

When you find a diamond that doesn't belong to anyone, it's yours.

If you get an idea before anyone else, it's yours.

So I got the idea of owning the stars.

You want to stay here? Fine. You can help me count.

But if I owned a flower, I could do something for it.

What can you do for the stars?

You wouldn't understand.

You're a child.

Gimme, how can you Gimme, understand

Gimme, gimme, Financial stuff?

Gimme, your supply Gimme, my demand

Mentally is gigantial stuff

Gimme oodles of Gimme boodles of

I don't care what But give me more

You're too poor and immature to know What there are gimme-gimmes for

Why, you're Why, you're

You're a child

You're a child

You're too darling and dopey and mild

You're a nit

Half a wit

Speaking wisdom-wise Private enterprise

Is too big For a twig of a child

Oh, stocks and bonds! I've lost me place!

Now I shall have to start all over again.

Here, add up these figures.

Good afternoon, sir. I'm searching for knowledge.

Oh, good.

You've come to the right place.

It's been said that I am the greatest historian in history.

That's wonderful, sir. Who said it?

I said it. I wrote it.

I read it. It's printed. Consequently, it's fact.

It's history.

And now that you're here,

I shall put you down. In history, I mean.

- Where did you come from? - From another planet, sir.

- What was it called? - I don't know, sir.

Oh, good, I'll give it a name.

I like making things up. That's my job, making things up.

I'm an historian.

Let me see. Planet...

Alice! Do you like that?

Oh, no, sir. The planet Alice? I don't like it at all.

No wonder you left it.

Here. Read my latest, an official version of the French Revolution.

The other ones are now totally inoperative.

Is that the truth, sir?

- What? - The truth.

How do you spell it?

Never mind, sir. I don't think I'd better stay.

Right. Wipe!

Left. Left. Left.

Shoulders back. Left. Left. Left.

Left. Left. On your feet, boy. On your feet.

Where's your arm, boy? Where?

- My arm? - The colors. The colors.

The flag.

Sir, I don't see anyone.

How could you? There's no one there, silly ass.

Get those shoulders back. Back. Back!

Not that much. Watch it.

Stand easy.

Welcome to the base. State your business.

I'm trying to learn about life, sir.

- Learn about what? - Life.

Life? Oh, life. That.

Yes, of course.

Company, double-quick march!

Left, right. Left, right. Left, right.

You want to know what life is about?

Dying! That's what it's all about.

Die like a hero, boy. That's the way to live. Company, halt!

Boy, this is your lucky day.

We just happen to have an opening.

There's not a blankety-blank soldier in the whole army. Just a general, me.

I can outthink the enemy but just can't fight them.

Enemy? What enemy?

There isn't any, dunce!

You've got to have your army first. Then you find your enemy.

Company, on your stomachs! Crawl!

Join up, lad.

The army needs you, your country needs you, and most of all, I need you.

Every young man wants to be a soldier.

Speak up, boy. Any questions?

Which way is the next planet?

The next planet?

Oh, the next planet. It is called... You know, it's that round thing.

It's called...

Dirt. No.

Mud.

No. Earth!

That's it, Earth. Bring up the cannon!

- Company, on your... - Which way is it?

- Which way is what? - Earth.

Earth? Oh, Earth.

That way. Crawl, men!

Shoulders back! Shoulders down! What about it, boy...?

Come back!

Who said that?

Who are you?

Be my friend.

I'm alone.

"What a queer planet," I thought. Everyone says the same thing.

Just about.

That was just one year ago, and all I've learned since I left her

is that I should never have left her.

All of those little games of hers,

I didn't see all of the affection that was underneath.

One should never listen to flowers, should one?

I wouldn't know.

My experience is limited.

Oh, I have met a Daisy

But where we met is hazy

And I have walked the streets With Marguerites

And clinging vines beside me

Oh, I've met a lot of those

But I never met a Rose

There's often been a Heather

An armful altogether

And I have even met A Violet

Who almost satisfied me

Yes, I've met every kind that grows

But I never met a Rose

Among the Dahlias

I often dally

I left a Lily in the valley

But now and then, I ponder

And wonder as I wander

Among the fields and shrub

Perhaps the trouble is... Who knows?

That I never met a Rose

Never, never met a Rose

Perhaps you werert really looking for one.

Perhaps.

While roaming through the clover

Could I have passed her over?

When all is said and done Am I the one to blame?

Who knows?

That I never met a Rose

Never, never met a Rose

Good morning.

Good morning.

Are you feeling all right?

Why don't you rest for a little while.

I can't. We've run out of water.

Unless I can get this thing off the ground...

But I will.

Don't worry, I will.

- I'm not worried. - Good.

We'll get some water from the well.

Well? What well?

- Out there. - What?

- Did you see an oasis? - No, but there must be one out there.

No.

We could get lost and never find water and never make it back to the plane.

No, I'd rather bet on the motor. At least we know it can work.

- Where are you going? - To the well.

I said we were staying here.

This way.

Why not this way?

Or that way or that way?

This way.

Coming?