"Once upon a time, I had a rose," said the little prince to his visitor.
"Oh, me too, my little prince, me too," said the Doctor.
"I also have a sheep," the little prince offered, hopefully.
"Oh?" said the Doctor, still staring at the paltry remains of the little prince's rose.
"Yes," responded the little prince. He fidgeted. "My sheep ate my rose."
"Oh, my little prince," cried the Doctor, turning to look at him. "Oh, I'm sorry, my dear! I'm so, so sorry ..."
"But why, Doctor?" asked the little prince. "While she was here, she was so beautiful, and so naive, and I made sure that she was safe, and I loved her."
Here he paused, and hugged his sheep, who had just wandered close.
The Doctor looked at the little prince, eyes wide and face white.
"Now," continued the little prince, "I have my sheep and my volcanoes and my baobabs and my planet. And I still love my rose."
"But you're sad, my prince," the Doctor said softly.
"Of course, a little," said the little prince, surprised. "But she was beautiful, and I loved her; and I love her still, so she'll always be beautiful. And so I'm happy."
"Baaaaaaaaaaaa," said the sheep.
"And I also have my sheep to make me happy!" he said quickly, snuggling it again.
"Oh, my little prince, I envy you," said the Doctor with a huge sigh. He sat down on the planet next to the poor rose under its glass.
The sun set.
"The universe ate my rose," said the Doctor, very softly.
"I'm sorry," said the little prince politely.
The Doctor is a bit strange, he thought. But if a sheep can eat a rose, why not a universe?
He listened to the Doctor.
"How can I love the universe, my little prince?" cried the Doctor. "How can I love it, as you love your sheep? How can I, when it ate up my beautiful - my belovèd rose? How can I ...?"
"I don't know," said the little prince. "The universe is much bigger than a sheep. I don't think you could give it a hug."
"You're right," said the Doctor, defeated.
The little prince didn't know what to do.
He lifted the glass that covered his rose, and plucked a single petal.
He gave it to the Doctor.
Surprised, the Doctor looked at him. "My prince," he breathed, taking the petal. "... Thank you!"
"Maybe," said the little prince, slowly. "Maybe your rose is with mine. Maybe they're together."
"I think not," said the Doctor gently. "But it's possible."
And the Doctor placed the petal in his pocket, next to his heart, and looked once again to the sky with all its stars.
The little prince looked at the Doctor.
"You know," he said. "Once, when I was so sad, I found a friend. And I wasn't sad anymore."
"Oh?" said the Doctor.
Maybe the Doctor doesn't want a friend, thought the little prince. Poor Doctor!
"My friend," he continued, "gave me my sheep."
"Really?" said the Doctor. "You are magnificent, my little prince." He shook his head.
"You love your rose, who's dead; you love your sheep, who ate your rose; and you love your friend, who gave you your sheep who ate your rose. Magnificent!"
The little prince didn't understand, but the Doctor was lovely when he smiled so wide, so the little prince was pleased.
"My friend," repeated the little prince, "lived on Earth. I think, perhaps, there are lots of people on Earth who need a friend."
"You could be right," approved the Doctor.
The sun rose.
"The Earth is big," said the little prince.
"Yes ..."
"Maybe as big as the universe."
The Doctor considered the little prince. "Could be."
They sat there, still, for another moment.
"Thank you for my petal," said the Doctor.
"You're welcome," answered the little prince.
"You want me to leave, don't you?"
The little prince hugged his sheep close, apologizing profusely. "You're very nice," he said. "But ... your blue box is too big for my planet. It's smothering my volcanoes!"
The Doctor laughed. "The TARDIS is too big for lots of planets, I'm afraid!"
"Perhaps," said the little prince. "But it's not too big for the Earth."
"No," reflected the Doctor. "Never too big for the Earth."
And the Doctor rose, and he said "Good-bye" and "Thank you, my friend!" to the little prince, and he left in his blue box in the middle of a gigantic noise.
"What a strange man!" said the little prince to his sheep. "I hope he finds a friend, and never forgets his rose. And I hope he can love the universe again."
With these words, the little prince got up to attend to his volcanoes, which were full of soot.
Before he could start, the TARDIS returned, loudly.
The Doctor's head appeared in the doorway. "Want to come along, my little prince?"
"No, thank you, Doctor," the little prince smiled. "I've already had my adventure. And my planet needs me here!"
"Oh," responded the Doctor, disappointed.
"Go on, Doctor!" said the little prince assuredly. "Find your new friend!"
"All right," said the Doctor, smiling. "You're wise, my little prince."
"Yes, wise," he agreed. "Now, move! You're smothering my volcanoes!"
"All right, all right, good-bye again!" grinned the Doctor.
And he left again, just like the first time.
"The Doctor's going to be just fine," declared the little prince.
"Baaaaaaaaaaaaaa," declared the sheep.
The little prince glanced, just once, at the poor dead rose under her glass, and he began to clean his volcanoes.