Who would have thought that the years of a tree are like pages in a book?

A page from The Little Prince:
"The little prince travelled across the desert and didn't meet anyone else than a flower. A flower with three petals, a small insignificant flower...
- Hello, said the prince.
- Hello, said the flower.
- Where are the humans? asked the little prince politely.
The flower had seen a caravan pass by:
- The humans. I think there is just six-seven of them. I saw them once, several years ago. But who knows where they are now. The wind leads them. They have no roots, it is very unpleasant for them.
- Goodbye, said the little prince.
- Goodbye, said the flower."