The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The Little Prince (French: Le Petit Prince is a novella by French aristocrat, writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It was first published in English and French in the US by Reynal & Hitchcock in April 1943, and posthumously in France following the liberation of France as Saint-Exupéry's works had been banned by the Vichy Regime. The story follows a young prince who visits various planets in space, including Earth, and addresses themes of loneliness, friendship, love, and loss. Despite its style as a children's book, The Little Prince makes poignant observations about life and human nature.

The Little Prince became Saint-Exupéry's most successful work, selling an estimated 140 million copies worldwide, which makes it one of the best-selling and most translated books ever published.  It has been translated into 361 languages and dialects. The Little Prince has been adapted to numerous art forms and media, including audio recordings, radio plays, live stage, film, television, ballet, and opera.

Who are you?

asked the little prince.

and added,

You are very pretty to look at.

I am a fox, the fox said.

Come and play with me,

proposed the little prince,

I am so unhappy.

I cannot play with you,

the fox said.  I am not tamed.

Ah!  Please excuse me,

said the little prince.

What does that mean, tame?

It is an act

too often neglected,

said the fox.

But if you tame me,

then we shall need each other ............

If you can keep your head when all about you

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

A Month Of Herbs

My Mother was a Herbalist
Who lived to ninety five
And with her pills and potions
She kept us all alive!

She boiled her herbs – in a big black pot
She had a big black Cat
Some say she flew on a Broomstick
But we won’t go into that!

January was DANDELION
Whose juice could cleanse our biles
February YELLOW CELENDINE
Was brewed for Granddads piles!

March brings out the PRIMROSES
A cure for your rheumatics
April sees the STICKWORT bloom
For wheezers and asthmatics!

May brings all the BLUEBELLS
Whose roots are used for starch
June grows the scented MEADOWSWEET
Whose mead your thirst will parch!

July the bold PETUNIA
With Heinz cures fifty-seven
August brings purple KNAPWEED
Which makes you feel like Heaven!

September blooms the FEVERFEW
A cure for any fever
October’s YARROW’s good for you
You’ll all sing like a Diva!

November comes the LEMON GRASS
Gives out a fine aroma
December juice from MIStLETOE
Will cure your worst hangover!

Aloe Vera – Silver Sage and Golden Golden Rod
Gingo – Evening Primrose and Periwinkle too
Boil them up they’ll cure your bod
A real Old Witches brew!

From New Years Day to Christmas Eve
We never had a fear
A dose of Mother’s remedies
Would wipe each tear!

Dedicated to all our Mother’s who knew all natures secrets and were even prepared to share a few with us!

By John Knight
Artist The Herbal Goddess by Holly Sierra

The History of Wales

Sherlock Holmes' most famous case, The Hounds of the Baskervilles, was published on March 25th 1902 and the story may well have a distinct Welsh connection.

Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyles's first wife had strong links to Wales and they would have visited regularly Baskerville Hall in Clyro, Powys. It is thought that Conan Doyle may have got the idea for his story from local land owner Black Vaughan, who according to legend, owned a pack of wild hounds which he would set on people who annoyed him at nearby Hergest Ridge, sometimes with fatal results.

Sunshine

My sunshine doesn't come from the skies,
It comes from the love in my dog's eyes.

Unknown Poet
Artist Snowwolf

Chocolate Idiot Cake

One 9-inch (23 cm) cake

Adapted from Ready for Dessert (Ten Speed Press) This cake is extremely rich, and tastes like the most delicious, silkiest, most supremely-chocolate ganache you’ve ever had. As mentioned, it’s equally good a few days later, and only an idiot could possibly mess it up. Use a good chocolate — you’ll appreciate it when you taste your first melt-in-your-mouth bite. Make sure to wrap the springform pan very well in foil, perhaps in several layers, to prevent any water seeping in during baking.

10 ounces (290gr) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate coarsely chopped

7 ounces (200gr) butter, salted or unsalted, cut into pieces

5 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup (200gr) sugar

unsweetened cocoa powder, for preparing the cake pan

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC).

1. Butter a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan and dust it with cocoa powder, tapping out any excess. Wrap the outside with aluminum foil, in several layers if necessary (see headnote), making sure it goes all the way up to the outer rim.

2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler (or microwave), stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar, then whisk in the melted chocolate mixture until smooth.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and cover the top of the cake pan snugly with a sheet of foil. Put the springform pan into a larger baking pan, such as a roasting pan, and add enough hot water to the baking pan to reach halfway up to the outside of the cake pan.

5. Bake the cake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. It should feels just set in the center, like quivering chocolate pudding. If you gently touch the center, your finger should come away almost clean.

6. Lift the cake pan from the water bath and remove the foil. Let cake cool completely on a cooling rack.

When cool, serve thin wedges of this very rich cake at room temperature, with crème anglaise, ice cream, or whipped cream. It could also be served with a drizzle of chocolate sauce.

Storage: This cake can be wrapped and chilled in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.