Chapter X Summary

The first stop on the prince's journey is a small planet ruled by a king. The king has no subjects. Naturally, when the little prince appears, the king is quite pleased. He explains to the prince all the orders he gives must be obeyed, but he also takes pains to make it known that if his orders are not followed, it is his own fault for issuing poor instructions. When the prince yawns, the king orders him to yawn more. When the prince says he cannot force a yawn, he is ordered to yawn sometimes, rather than on command. The king is very good and amiable. Still, he is a grown up, and as such he has a grown up flaw: he must control. Having no one and nothing on his planet over which to rule, he is very eager to...