The Gift

– Adieu, dit le renard. Voici mon secret. Il est très simple :

on ne voit bien qu’avec le cœur.

A secret, a heart, a book, a voice, a concept, a collaboration, and a sim. A gift.

It began with Unadecal Masala. He runs a region hosting service, where you can rent a fast, efficient region connected to OSGrid, and I think other grids too, but you should ask him. He has always been a supporter of the Safari and Opensim Arts in general, and he offered a space for a project by and for the Safari. 
The idea of doing an event  this season to mark the 122nd birthday of Antoine de Saint-Exupery was already on my mind. His most famous text is The Little Prince, written in French but translated into over 250 languages and dialects, making it one of the most international and best loved books in the world.

But who to take on the job of imagining the book for opensim? It could only be one person, Wizardoz Chrome, machinimer, conceptual artist, word lover and a brilliant and delightful collaborator, not to mention one of the founding members of the Safari. She soon involved others, including Tina Bey, Art Blue, Venus Adored, and Cherry Manga, who presented each of us with a white animesh rose, freshly invented by her, on our arrival on sim Exupery. A truly international group to celebrate these sublime words that have resonated in hearts all around the planet.

Unadecal Masala

If you don't know The Little Prince, or have forgotten the story, enrich your life by revisiting it, maybe via this reading in English by Kenneth Brannagh, on Youtube.  

Em Jannings performing in Little Prince costume

Our opensim version of Brannagh is Em Jannings, actor and poet, who kindly presented a reading at the event, dressed as the Little Prince, in an avatar with its own story to tell.

Visiting with  the Prince, by Erasme Beck

Cherry Manga: The avatar was by Erasme Beck. Erasme was a great and generous guy, teaching a lot and giving a lot, his Little Prince avatar was made for the very first Fest'Avi [on FrancoGrid in 2014]

Thirza Ember: oh, do you have a picture of him?

Cherry Manga: No, the only things staying in opensim are his fest'avi avatars. He was a pure and generous soul, the little prince fits so well to him.

Photo by Fitheach Eun

I felt rather as if I was seeing the picture of the boa, from inside.  

Em Jannings chose to read just one chapter from the famous book, with Cherry providing simultaneous translation for the many French speakers who joined us on this occasion. The chapter he chose was a favorite for many who love the book, 21, where the Little Prince meets the fox. Here it is in English, and in French (scroll to page 77) and Cherry very thoughtfully supplied the text in French for about 10 of our party had little or no English.

hicks adder: bravo

Nara Nook : thank you... I think that was my favorite chapter of the book

Larissa Love: APPPLAUSE!!! APPPLAUSE!!! APPPLAUSE!!!

Cherry Manga: this is the most important chapter Em, to me, thank you for this choice ♥

Larissa Love: mine too, I loved it

Venus Love: thank you to remember us this importance of the heart with this beautiful story :)

Cherry Manga: sorry to spam the chat with french translation, but...it's a french text so.... forgive me.  there was little addition in english text, it was strange to hear them!

Edenette Catherinette: thank you

Nara Nook: I liked seeing the French text too... thanks for sharing

Thirza Ember: I think opensim is a little like the small worlds the Prince explores, don't you? all kinds of different types. some a bit crazy and some wonderful

Nara Nook: Very much so

Juliette Surrealdreaming: Congratulations Cherry and Wiz on your new region!

Wizardoz Chrome: Many thanks to all for to be here  and many many thanks to Unadecal for the region Thirza and the Artists, Cherry Manga, Tina Bey, Art Blue, Em .. and a little venus Adored ray on the star above :)

Em Jannings: I think we can fly,  please look around

Cherry Manga: careful, last time Little Prince  was flying....it was....sad

Thirza Ember: I hope everyone has the shared environment or they will not see the EEP

Wizardoz Chrome: for those without EEP I recommend Aftermath 1750 as heaven

Wizardoz Chrome: Tina as well as Cherry loved the theme of the book very much. Reading this book after years was a new discovery :)

Thirza Ember: yes, it is a book that grows with the person reading, every age you are, you see new things in the text, maybe not new, but of a different depth

Em Jannings: yes I agree Thirza - a different depth or angle

Cherry Manga: back, sorry, Little Prince gets emotional each time... Wiz, your white vision on this region, gives something simply pure and magical, it's a great choice, thank you for being you, inviting people to share your vision

 Wizardoz Chrome: The designs are the original Exupery ones and Cherry and Tina contributed to making them three-dimensional with their particular vision :)

Unadecal Masala: Pity that Tina isn't here :(

Cherry Manga: ♥

Tina's beautiful installation kind of got to me too, so tender and poignant, and delicately done, it was a real shame not to have her with us to congratulate. Then Lone Wolf arrived, and put us back into a party mood. He always manages to do that, there is such a positive vibe whenever he is around.

Wizardoz Chrome: hi Lone :)

Lone Wolf: hello, sorry about the horse he wanted to come along

Thirza Ember: we're all crying a little bit. Em made us cry, he is a bad bad man

Em Jannings: :)

Cherry Manga: ahhaha

Thirza Ember: luckily, you are a wolf and not a fox or we might start up again

Em Jannings: we might tame him

Thirza Ember: oh let's try, I have some chicken - well, chicken nuggets, so possibly not much chicken there

Juliette Surrealdreaming: love this little fox :))

Lux.Tergeste: I love the way the artists have interpreted the story. It is really lovely

Juliette Surrealdreaming: yes well done!

Fitheach Eun: it is :)

Art Blue: congrats to the so well fitting installation

To visit The Little Prince by Wizardoz Chrome and friends, 

Here is the HG Address        hg.osgrid.org:80:Exupery