Quotes from Tove Jansson

Sometimes it's better to look at things than own them... owning means anxiety and lots of bags to carry around.

Those damn Moomins. I don't want to hear about them any more. I could vomit on the Moomintrolls.

A theatre is the most important sort of house in the world because that's where people are shown what they could be if they wanted and what they'd like to be if they dared to and what they really are.

Nothing is as peaceful as when Christmas is over, when one has been forgiven for everything and can be normal again.

I'll have to calm down a bit. Or else I'll burst with happiness

There are those who stay at home and those who go away, and it has always been so. Everyone can choose for himself, but he must choose while there is still time and never change his mind.

You must go on a long journey before you can really find out how wonderful home is.

You can't ever be really free if you admire somebody too much.

Dogs are mute and obedient, but they have watched us and know us and can smell how pitiful we are.

Lie on the bridge and watch the water flowing past. Or run, or wade through the swamp in your red boots. Or roll yourself up and listen to the rain falling on the roof. It's very easy to enjoy yourself.

Mummy weighed sweets and nuts so that everyone would get exactly the same amount. During the year, everything is measured roughly, but at Christmas, it has to be absolutely fair. That's why it's such a strenuous time.

It's strange," Moominmamma thought. "Strange that people can be sad, and even angry because life is too easy. But that's the way it is, I suppose. The only thing to do is to start life afresh.

It was the winter of war, in 1939. It felt completely pointless to try to create pictures... I suddenly felt an urge to write down something that was to begin with 'Once upon a time.'

You can't always be friendly. It's impossible, there isn't the time.

Christmas always rustled. It rustled every time, mysteriously, with silver and gold paper, tissue paper and a rich abundance of shiny paper, decorating and hiding everything and giving a feeling of reckless extravagance.

People idealise their animals, and at the same time they patronisingly overlook a dog's natural life - biting fleas, burying bones, rolling in garbage, barking up an empty tree all night... But what do they do themselves? Bury stuff that will rot in secret and then dig it up and bury it again and rant and rave under empty trees!

When one's dead, one's dead... This squirrel will become earth all in his time. And still later on, there'll grow new trees from him, with new squirrels skipping about in them. Do you think that's so very sad?

On the morning, Daddy and I get up at six o'clock because Christmas trees must be bought in the dark. We walk to the other end of town, as the big harbour is just the right setting for buying a Christmas tree. We spend hours choosing, looking at every branch suspiciously. It's always cold.

I love borders. August is the border between summer and autumn; it is the most beautiful month I know.

One makes a trip by day, but by night, one sets out on a journey.

I wonder if the nursery and the chamber of horrors are as far apart as people think?

All men are chums who will never leave each other in the lurch. A chum doesn't forgive, he just forgets - women forgive everything but never forget. Being forgiven is very unpleasant.

One has to discover everything for oneself. And get over it all alone.

You can't ever be really free if you admire somebody too much.