he encounters a vain man, who asks the prince to clap his hands and then modestly tips his hat in acknowledgement. The prince enjoys the game at first but begins to tire of its monotony. The vain man asks whether the little prince really admires him, but the prince does not understand the meaning of the word “admire.” The vain man explains that he wants the prince to say he is the most intelligent, good-looking, and wealthy man on the planet. The prince points out that such a request is absurd since the vain man is the planet’s sole inhabitant. With a shrug of his shoulders, the prince says, “I admire you,” but he asks why his admiration means anything to the man. The prince departs, commenting again that grown-ups are very strange.