A recently discovered rough draft of the classic children's tale The Little Prince by French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is currently on display in a Paris auction house. The draft of the beloved book was uncovered only two months ago and is in handwritten text, and includes original drawings and annotations made by the author.
The simple story, about a young royal who goes on an interplanetary adventure to seek the true meaning of life, is one of the bestselling books of all time, having sold over 140 million copies since it was first published in 1943. The timeless tale has been translated into over 260 known languages, second only to the Bible.
Unfortunately, Saint-Exupéry did not live to see the huge success of his first children's book. The author, an experienced airplane pilot during WWII, died in a mysterious plane crash over the Mediterranean Sea only a year after the book's publication.
The newly discovered draft will be sold at Artcurial auction house, Paris on May 16. It is expected to fetch a more than princely sum.
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