to establish ties

"Who are you?" asked the little prince, and added, "You are very pretty to look at." 

"I am a fox," the fox said. 

"Come and play with me," proposed the little prince. "I am so unhappy." 

"I cannot play with you," the fox said. "I am not tamed." 

"Ah! Please excuse me," said the little prince. 

But, after some thought, he added: 

"What does that mean—'tame'?" 

"You do not live here," said the fox. "What is it that you are looking for?" 

"I am looking for men," said the little prince. "What does that mean—'tame'?" 

"Men," said the fox. "They have guns, and they hunt. It is very disturbing. They also raise chickens. These are their only interests. Are you looking for chickens?" 

"No," said the little prince. "I am looking for friends. What does that mean—'tame'?" 

"It is an act too often neglected," said the fox. "It means to establish ties." 

-- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince.