One must turn to the Bible and medieval sources to find the direct precedents of The Little Prince. As a parable, the story recalls Biblical style and imagery. The serpent is the symbol of death. The pilot, like the Israelites of old, is lost in the desert. The memory of the Prince will be for the fox like golden wheat fields. About to die, the pilot and Prince seek for water, and find a well, a true fountain of living water. Trees, such as those in the Garden of Paradise, are found throughout the book. The Prince will return home by the light of his star.

The medieval folklore tradition is also present in this short work. It is an allegory, not unlike The Romance of the Rose (1240-1280) or the romances of chivalry. Flowers, trees, and animals act and speak, as in fables. The fox...