“I am happy too,” said Paul. “I like your country, and I like you, too. But I like Baronia better. Maybe you also will like Baronia better.”
“Rubbish!” said Mike. “As if any country could be nicer than our own!”
“You will see,” said the little prince. “Have some more chocolate?”
The children helped themselves from Paul’s packet. “Well, I certainly think your chocolate is better than ours,” said Mike, munching contentedly. “Look, there’s the sea again. Doesn’t it look smooth and flat?”
It was fun watching for the sea to appear and reappear between the gaps in the clouds.. Then the plane flew over land again. The clouds cleared away, and the children could see the country below, spread out like an enormous, coloured map.
They flew over great towns, wreathed in misty smoke. They flew over stretches of green countryside, where farms and houses looked like toys. They watched the rivers, curling along like blue and silver snakes. They flew over tall mountains, and on some of them was snow.
“Funny to see that in the middle of summer,” said Mike. “How’s the time getting on? I say — twelve o’clock already! We shall be there in another hour or so.”
The plane roared along steadily. Ranni took Pilescu’s place after two hours had gone by. He sat and talked to the children for a while, gazing devotedly at the little prince. Mike thought he was like a big dog, worshipping his master! He thought Paul was very lucky to have such friends as Ranni and Pilescu.
“Soon we shall see the palace,” he said, looking down. “Now we are over the borders of Baronia, Paul! Look, there is the river Jollu! And there is the town of Kikibora.”
Paul began to look excited. It was three months since he had been home, and he was longing to see his father and mother, and his little brothers and sisters.