The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
To give you an idea of the size of the Earth, I will tell you that before the
invention of electricity it was necessary to maintain, over the whole of the six
continents, a veritable army of 462,511 lamplighters for the street lamps.
Seen from a slight distance, that would make a splendid spectacle. The
movements of this army would be regulated like those of the ballet in the
opera. First would come the turn of the lamplighters of New Zealand and
Australia. Having set their lamps alight, these would go off to sleep. Next, the
lamplighters of China and Siberia would enter for their steps in the dance, and
then they too would be waved back into the wings. After that would come the
turn of the lamplighters of Russia and the Indies; then those of Africa and
Europe, then those of South America; then those of South America; then
those of North America. And never would they make a mistake in the order of
their entry upon the stage. It would be magnificent.
- Excerpt from Chapter 16
invention of electricity it was necessary to maintain, over the whole of the six
continents, a veritable army of 462,511 lamplighters for the street lamps.
Seen from a slight distance, that would make a splendid spectacle. The
movements of this army would be regulated like those of the ballet in the
opera. First would come the turn of the lamplighters of New Zealand and
Australia. Having set their lamps alight, these would go off to sleep. Next, the
lamplighters of China and Siberia would enter for their steps in the dance, and
then they too would be waved back into the wings. After that would come the
turn of the lamplighters of Russia and the Indies; then those of Africa and
Europe, then those of South America; then those of South America; then
those of North America. And never would they make a mistake in the order of
their entry upon the stage. It would be magnificent.
- Excerpt from Chapter 16