The collection / 63 fragments

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Passages, proverbs, and questions carried across the ages.

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01c. 1957 AD

But when people understand one another without speaking, it can often leave them with very little to talk about, don’t you think?

Tove Jansson / quote

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02c. 1957 AD

Really good films don't diminish anything, they don't close things off. On the contrary, they open up new insights, they make new thoughts thinkable. They crowd us, they deflate our slovenly lifestyle, our thoughtless way of chattering and pissing away our time and energy and passion. Believe me, films can teach us a huge amount. And they give us a true picture of the way life is."Mari laughed. "Of our slovenly lifestyle, you mean? You mean, maybe they teach us to piss our lives away with a little more intelligence, a little more elegance?

Tove Jansson / quote

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03c. 1957 AD

The hemulen woke up slowly and recognised himself and wished he had been someone he didn't know.

Tove Jansson / quote

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04c. 1957 AD

Thingumy whispered something again. The Hemulen nodded. "It's a secret," he said. "Thingumy and Bob think the Contents is the most beautiful thing in the world, but the Groke just thinks it's the most expensive."The Snork nodded many times and wrinkled his forehead. "This is a difficult case," he said. Thingumy and Bob have reasoned correctly, but they have acted wrongly. Right is right.

Tove Jansson / quote

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05c. 1957 AD

Thingumy and Bob sighed contentedly and settled down to contemplate the precious stone. They stared in silent rapture at it.The ruby changed colour all the time. At first it was quite pale, and then suddenly a pink glow would flow over it like sunrise on a snow capped mountain -- and then again crimson flames shot out of its heart and it seemed like a great black tulip with stamens on fire.

Tove Jansson / quote

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06c. 1957 AD

Someone who eats pancakes and jam can't be so awfully dangerous. You can talk to him.

Tove Jansson / quote

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07c. 1957 AD

Sometimes people are very predictable: they want a kitten in June, for example, and come the first of September they want someone to drown their cat. So someone does. But other times, people have dreams and things they want they can keep. Eriksson was the man who fulfilled these dreams. No one knew exactly what he found for himself along the way - probably a lot less than people thought. But he went on doing it anyway, perhaps for the sake of the search.

Tove Jansson / quote

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08c. 1957 AD

I wish I was more Moomin-minded.

Tove Jansson / quote

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09c. 1957 AD

Where's your home, then?" asked the Snork Maiden."Nowhere" said Snufkin a little sadly, "or everywhere. It depends on how you look at it.""Haven't you got a mother?" asked Moomintroll, looking very sorry for him."I don't know," said Snufkin. "They tell me I was found in a basket.""Like Moses," said Sniff."I like the story about Moses," said the Snork. "But I think his mother could have found a better way of saving him, don't you? The crocodiles might have eaten him up.""They nearly ate us up," said Sniff.

Tove Jansson / quote

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10c. 1957 AD

Quite, quite,' she thought with a little sigh. 'It's always like this in their adventures. To save and be saved. I wish somebody would write a story sometime about the people who warm up the heroes afterward.

Tove Jansson / quote

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11c. 1957 AD

There are empty spaces that must be respected – those often long periods when a person can’t see the pictures or find the words and needs to be left alone.

Tove Jansson / quote

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12c. 1957 AD

a person can also find solitude with others, though it is more difficult

Tove Jansson / quote

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13c. 1957 AD

What are you thinking of discovering?"Moomintroll cleared his throat and felt very proud. "Oh, everything," he said. "Stars, for example!"Snufkin was deeply impressed."Stars!" he exclaimed. "Then I must come with you. Stars are my favorite things. I always lie and look at them before I go to sleep, and wonder who is on them and how one could get there. The sky looks so friendly with all those little eyes twinkling in it.

Tove Jansson / quote

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14c. 1957 AD

Everyone must imagine his own snakes because no one else's snakes can ever be as awful.

Tove Jansson / quote

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15c. 1957 AD

I'm afraid we shall waste an awful lot of time.""Don't worry," answered Snufkin, "we shall have wonderful dreams, and when we wake up it'll be spring.

Tove Jansson / quote

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16c. 1957 AD

Sophia," she said, "this is really not something to argue about. You can see for yourself that life is hard enough without being punished for it afterwards. We get comfort when we die, that's the whole idea

Tove Jansson / quote

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17c. 1957 AD

The room had lost its morning light, the glow of expectation and potential. The daylight was now gray, and the new day was already used, a little soiled by mistaken thoughts and makeshift undertakings.

Tove Jansson / quote

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18c. 1957 AD

If you're not afraid, how can you be really brave?

Tove Jansson / quote

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19c. 1957 AD

When they reached the top of the hill they turned and looked down at the valley. Moominhouse was just a blue dot, and the river a narrow ribbon of green: the swing they couldn't see at all. "We've never been such a long way from home before," said Moomintroll, and a little goose-fleshy thrill of excitement came over them at the thought.

Tove Jansson / quote

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20c. 1957 AD

She had picked the spot the day before and carried out a stool low enough to sit on and still have her paintbox and her water cup within reach. Anna didn't use an easel. Easels seemed to her an altogether too assertive aid, too obvious. She liked to work as unobtrusively as possible, the paper spread on a board in her lap, close to her hand.

Tove Jansson / quote

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21c. 1957 AD

A very long time ago, Grandmother had wanted to tell about all the things they did, but no one had bothered to ask. And now she had lost the urge.

Tove Jansson / quote

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22c. 1957 AD

And that night he couldn't sleep, but lay looking out at the light June night which was full of lonely whisperings and rustlings and the pattering of feet. The air was sweet with the smell of flowers.

Tove Jansson / quote

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23c. 1957 AD

The star we're looking for isn't so very friendly," said Moomintroll. "Quite the contrary, in fact.""What did you say?" said Sniff.Moomintroll went a bit red. "I mean -- stars in general," he said, "big and small, friendly and unfriendly, and so on.""Can they be unfriendly?" asked Snufkin."Yes -- ones with tails," answered Moomintroll. "Comets."At last it dawned on Sniff. "You're hiding something from me!" he said accusingly. "That pattern we saw everywhere, and you said it didn't mean anything!""You're too small to be told everything," answered Moomintroll."Too small!" screamed Sniff. "I must say it's a fine thing to take me on an expedition of discovery and not tell me what I'm supposed to be discovering!

Tove Jansson / quote

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24c. 1957 AD

It is simply this: do not tire, never lose interest, never grow indifferent—lose your invaluable curiosity and you let yourself die. It's as simple as that.

Tove Jansson / quote

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