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Why does the little prince allow a snake to bite him?

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In the fable The Little Prince, the title character allows the snake to bite him as a necessary means to return to his home planet and his beloved flower.1

After spending time on Earth and learning about the nature of love and responsibility, the prince decides he must go back to his asteroid. Because his physical body is too heavy to make the journey across the universe, he accepts the snake's offer to help him return by allowing it to bite him.1