Quotes from Tove Jansson

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

Hän seisoi hiljaa, aivan hiljaa, puristi posliinista kisssanpoikaa ja ajatteli: Voi, minun kaunis, ihana onnettomuuteni...

Är de arga, dedär drontarna? frågade jag försiktigt medan vi gick nedåt flodstranden. Jo, svarade Fredrikson. Men trampar på en bara av misstag. Gråter en vecka efteråt. Bekostar begravningen också.

And if one doesn't dare to do something immediately then one never does it.

Here is the most valuable thing in the whole of Moomin Valley, Groke! Do you know what has grown out of this hat? Raspberry juice and fruit trees, and the most beautiful little self-propelling clouds: the only Hobgoblin's Hat in the world!

At the same time they both caught sight of a third curly flourish on a tree-trunk right in front of them, but it was terribly high up, at least three feet above the ground. "That's it, I'm sure," said Sniff, stretching himself. "I must be taller than I thought!

The promises made by a guilty conscience acknowledge and settle no debts...

Mutta Muumipappa oli kuullut, etteivät hattivatit riitele koskaan. Ne ovat luonteeltaan hiljaisia, ja niitä kiinnostaa vain päästä eteenpäin niin kauas kuin mahdollista. Mieluimmin aina taivaanrantaan tai maailmanloppuun saakka, mikä luultavasti merkitsee samaa.

There is nothing sentimental about this world. Like the weather, this world asks only to be acknowledged. There is nothing comforting about it, and yet if you are afraid to see it in its own terms and look to it for comfort, for solace, you will be left worse off than you were before.

Sophia thought about the bathrobe more and more. The thing living in it was as quick as lightning but could lie in wait for days without moving. It could make itself thin and slide through a crack in the door, and then roll itself up again and crawl under the bed like a shadow. It didn't eat and never slept and hated everyone, most of all its own family. Sophia didn't eat either, that is, nothing but sandwiches.

Is it true you were born i the eighteen-hundreds?" Sophia yelled through the window. "What of it?" Grandmother answered, very distinctly. "What do you know about the eighteen-hundreds?" "Nothing, and i'm not interested, either," Sophia shouted and ran away.

The wind had risen. It pressed snow against the windows with a powerful whispering that had followed the people of the village for a long, long time. Between squalls there was silence.

Seules la passion et la joie peuvent être honnêtes. Rien de ce qu'on m'a forcée à faire n'a jamais apporté de joie. Ni à moi ni à ceux qui m'entourent.

You're too small to be told everything.

Toivokaamme hänelle hyvää teltanpaikkaa ja kevyttä sydäntä!

Anyone can lose his temper and fly off the handle. But it's better than being mean.

Making a whole is very important. Most people paint things and forget the whole.

Antakaa minulle jotain vahvistavaa, Taikuri sanoi. - Tämä alkaa käydä hermoilleni. Muumimamma juoksutti hänelle heti pannukakkua ja hilloa ja antoi hänelle suuren lautasen.

Every year, the bright Scandinavian summer nights fade away without anyone's noticing. One evening in August you have an errand outdoors, and all of a sudden it's pitch-black. A great warm, dark silence surrounds the house. It is still summer, but the summer is no longer alive. It has come to a standstill; nothing withers, and fall is not ready to begin. There are no stars yet, just darkness.

I have every respect for your deductions, but you are wrong, completely and absolutely, and without any doubt. – The Muskrat

She could easily have remarked on the heavy skiing weather, or asked how he could even see the road, or complained about the town not getting its ploughs out-- anything at all to show interest or pretend to show interest, the way people talk to make things a little more pleasant-- but no, not Katri Kling. There she stood squinting through her cigarette smoke, her black hair like a mane shrouding her face as she leaned over the table.

Käsitätkö," sanoi isä. "On saatava selville mere salaiset lait, se on kaiken perusta. Minun täytyy ymmärtää merta, jotta voisin pitää siitä. En voi rakastaa tätä saarta ellen pidä merestä.

When you were small you wanted to know. Now you want to become. I want to do.

A contract," Katri went on earnestly. "A contract is really much more remarkable than you might think. It doesn't just bind. I've noticed that for some people it's a relief to live with a contract. It frees them from indecision and confusion, they no longer have to choose. Both sides have agreed to share and assume responsibilities. It is, or ought to be, a deliberate promise where people have at least tried to be fair.