bold and generous horizons。 To be a man is； precisely； to be responsible。 It is to feel shame at the sight of what seems to be unmerited misery。 It is to take pride in a victory won by one's rades。 It is to feel； when setting one's stone； that one is contributing to the building of the world。
There is a tendency to class such men with。 toreadors and gamblers。 People extol their contempt for death。 But I would not give a fig for anybody's contempt for death。 If its roots are not sunk deep in an acceptance of responsibility； this contempt for death is the sign either of an impoverished soul or of youthful extravagance。
I once knew a young suicide。 I cannot remember what disappointment in love it was which induced him to send a bullet carefully into his heart。 I have no notion what literary temptation he had succumbed to when he drew on a pair of white gloves before the shot。 But I remember having felt； on learning of this sorry show； an impression not of nobility but of lack of dignity。 So！ Behind that attractive face； beneath that skull which should have been a treasure chest； there had been nothing； nothing at all。 Unless it was the vision of some silly little girl indistinguishable from the rest。
And when I heard of this meagre destiny； I remembered the death of a man。 He was a gardener； and he was speaking on his deathbed： 〃You know； I used to sweat sometimes when I was digging。 My rheumatism would pull at my leg； and I would damn myself for a slave。 And now； do you know； I'd like to spade and spade。 It's beautiful work。 A man is free when he is using a spade。 And besides； who is going to prune my trees when I am gone？〃
That man was leaving behind him a fallow field； a fallow planet。 He was bound by ties of love to all cultivable land and to all the trees of the earth。 There was a generous man； a prodigal man； a nobleman！ There was a man who； battling against death in the name of his Creation； could like Guillaumet be called a man of courage！。
Wind； Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint…Exupery
Chapter 2 … The MenTitle： Wind； Sand； and Stars
Author： Antoine de Saint…Exupery
Translator： Lewis Galantiere
Publisher： Harcourt Brace Javanovich； New York； 1967
Date first posted： February 2000
Date most recently updated： January 2006
XML markup by Wesman 02/23/2000。
Wind Sand and Stars
Antoine de Saint…Exupery
3
The Tool
And now； having spoken of the men born of the pilot's craft； I shall say something about the tool with which they work…the air…plane。 Have you looked at a modern airplane？ Have you followed from year to year the evolution of its lines？ Have you ever thought； not only about the airplane but about whatever man builds； that all of man's industrial efforts； all his putations and calculations； all the nights spent over working draughts and blueprints； invariably culminate in the production of a thing whose sole and guiding principle is the ultimate principle of simplicity？
It is as if there were a natural law which ordained that to achieve this end； to refine the curve of a piece of furniture； or a ship's keel； or the fuselage of an airplane； until gradually it partakes of the elementary purity of the curve of 'a human breast or shoulder； there must be the experimentation of several generations of craftsmen。 In anything at all； perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add； but when there is no longer anything to take away； when a body has been stripped down to its nakedness。
It results from this that perfection of invention touches hands with absence of invention； as if that line which the human eye will follow with effortless delight were a line that had not been invented but simply discovered； had in the beginning been hidden by nature and in the end been found by the engineer。 There is an ancient myth about the image asleep in the block of marble until it is carefully disengaged by the sculptor。 The sculptor must himself feel that he is not so much inventing or shaping the curve of breast or shoulder as delivering the image from its prison。
In this spirit do engineers； physicists concerned with thermodynamics； and the swarm of preoccupied draughtsmen tackle their work。 In appearance； but only in appearance； they seem to be polishing surfaces and refining away angles； easing this joint or stabilizing that wing； rendering these parts invisible； so that in the end there is no longer a wing hooked to a framework but a form flawless in its perfection； pletely disengaged from its matrix； a sort of spontaneous whole； its parts mysteriously fused together and resembling in their unity a poem。
Meanwhile； startling as it is that all visible evidence of invention should have been refined out of this instrument and that there should be delivered to us an object as natural as a pebble polished by the waves； it is equally wonderful that he who uses this instrument should be able to forget that it is a machine。
There was a time when a flyer sat at the center of a plicated works。 Flight set us factory problems。 The indicators that oscillated on the instrument panel warned us of a thousand dangers。 But in the machine of today we forget that motors are whirring： the motor； finally； has e to fulfil its function； which is to whirr as a heart beats…and we give no thought to the beating of our heart。 Thus； precisely because it is perfect the machine dissembles its own existence instead of forcing itself upon our notice。
And thus； also； the realities of nature resume their pride of place。 It is not with metal that the pilot is in contact； Contrary to the vulgar illusion； it is thanks to the metal； and by virtue of it； that the pilot rediscovers nature。 As I have already said； the machine does not isolate man from the great problems of nature but plunges him more deeply into them。
Numerous； nevertheless； are the moralists who have attacked the machine as the source of all the ills we bear； who； creating a fictitious dichotomy； have denounced the mechanical civilization as the enemy of the spiritual civilization。
If what they think were really so； then indeed we should have to despair of man； for it would be futile to struggle against this new advancing chaos。 The machine is certainly as irresistible in its advance as those virgin forests that encroach upon equatorial domains。 A congeries of motives prevents us from blowing up our spinning mills and reviving the distaff。 Gandhi had a try at this sort of revolution： he was as simple…minded as a child trying to empty the sea on to the sand with the aid of a tea…cup。
It is hard for me to understand the language of these pseudo…dreamers。 What is it makes them think that the ploughshare torn from the bowels of the earth by perforating machines； forged； tempered； and sharpened in the roar of modern industry； is nearer to man than any other tool of steel？ By what sign do they recognize the inhumanity of the machine？
Have they ever really asked themselves this question？ The central struggle of men has ever been to understand one another； to join together for the mon weal。 And it is this very thing that the machine help