A Guide for Grown-ups

Essential Wisdom from the collected works of Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Copyright 2002

With a copyright year of 2002, this book isn’t actually old at all, but the writings in it are all from before 1944, when the author disappeared over the Mediterranean while in the French Air Corps.  While I only know his writing from The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery published several other notable works. This little book is a collection of quotations from his various books.  

While nothing should replace reading a book as a whole to learn what an author is wants to say, there is something to be said for placing a particularly inspirational line on a page by itself. It allows a reader to focus more closely on a single idea or moral and give it time to sink in.

Here are a few to ponder today:

From The Wisdom of the Sands:

In giving you are throwing a bridge across the chasm of your solitude.

From Wind, Sand and Stars:

If I summon up those memories that have left with me an enduring savor, if I draw up the balance sheet of the hours in my life that have truly counted, surely I find only those that no wealth could have procured me.

From The Little Prince:

One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.

Deep and wise thoughts, indeed!

Brave Daniel

By Leonore Klein

Pictures by John Fischetti

Copyright 1958

From the title of this book, you may be wondering what amazing feats Daniel has accomplished to get a book written about him.  Glance at the cover picture and you will soon see that Daniel’s exploits aren’t quite as impressive as you imagined.  There is Daniel, fierce look in his eyes, pointing his gun at a target.  The target?  A tiny defenseless worm.

Daniel jumped into the water to save a life – his kitten had fallen into the bathtub.

He was a fearless diver – every night he took a dive under the covers.

Brave Daniel put out seven fires in one day – it was his seventh birthday.

After listing more of Daniel’s feats, the book asks, “Are you as brave as Daniel?”

While there is plenty of humor in the book, I also found the opportunity to ponder.  What may seem like a trivial accomplishment to an adult can indeed be daunting for a child with an active imagination and little life experience.  That dive under the covers might be scary – if you consider the monsters hiding under your bed!  Jumping into the tub may be frightening – if you are worried that you will go down the drain with the bath water!  So be patient with the little ones.  When you consider how many experiences are new to them, you can see that just getting through a day requires a fair amount of bravery!

The Little Red Hen

Illustrated by Ruth Bendel

Copyright 1957

The Little Red Hen is a popular folk tale that has been around for generations.  The farm animal characters make this a fun story for children and the repetition makes it easy to remember and retell.  It is the story of a hard-working resourceful mother hen who plants wheat, cuts and threshes the wheat, takes it to the mill, and finally bakes bread, all by herself.  At each step, she asks the other farm animals if they would like to help.  “Not I!” is their consistent reply.  Until the end, that is.  For when the bread is baked and ready to eat, the other animals are eager to help!  The Little Red Hen firmly reminds them of their laziness and does not share her bread with them.  The pig states sorrowfully, “A little work and a little less sleep wouldn’t have hurt me any.”  

Let’s hope the lazy little pig learned his lesson.  If he wants the reward, he needs to put in the hard work!  Take a lesson from the little red hen and don’t complain if nobody wants to help you.  Just keep working hard, because hard work yields a reward.  This is a great lesson to keep in mind at the beginning of the gardening season.  Months of planning, planting, watering and weeding are necessary for a healthy harvest!