小王子持续他的旅途，内心想：“这些大人真奇特。”
"I have nothing more to do here," he said to the king. "So I shall set out on my way again.""Do not go," said the king, who was very proud of having a subject. "Do not go. I will make you a Minister!""Minister of what"
国王仓猝抢着说道：“我号令你问我一个题目。”
“那当然！”国王对他说，“它们当即就得从命规律。我不答应抵挡。”
“但是我不肯判任何人极刑，我想我还是应当走。”小王子答复道。
"Sire― over what do you rule""Over everything," said the king, with magnificent simplicity.
小王子看看四周，想找个处所坐下来，但是全部星球被国王富丽的貂皮长袍占满了。小王子只好持续站在那边，但是他太累了，他打起哈欠来。
"Over all that," the king answered.
“统统？”
“啊！来了一个子民。”国王瞥见小王子时，欣喜地喊了起来。
国王又说：“嗯！嗯！我想，这个星球的某个处统统一只老鼠。夜里，我闻声它的声音。你能够审判它，每隔一段时候你就判处它极刑。是以它的生命取决于你的讯断。但是，你每次判刑后都要赦免它，我们必须有节制地对待这只老鼠，因为我们只要这一只老鼠。”
"Hum! Hum!" said the king. "I have good reason to believe that somewhere on my planet there is an old rat. I hear him at night. You can judge this old rat. From time to time you will condemn him to death. Thus his life will depend on your justice. But you will pardon him on each occasion; for he must be treated thriftily. He is the only one we have.""I," replied the little prince, "do not like to condemn anyone to death. And now I think I will go on my way.""No," said the king.