“You must go on a long journey before you can really find out how wonderful home is.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“But that's how it is when you start wanting to have things. Now, I just look at them, and when I go away I carry them in my head. Then my hands are always free, because I don't have to carry a suitcase.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“It's funny about paths and rivers," he mused. "You see them go by, and suddenly you feel upset and want to be somewhere else--wherever the path or the river is going, perhaps.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“It’s only the sea,’ said Moomintroll. ‘Every wave that dies on the beach sings a little song to a shell. But you mustn’t go inside because it’s a labyrinth and you may never come out again.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“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 from Comet in Moominland
“Are you too frightened to go any farther?" asked the silk-monkey, who found all this very easy, having four legs herself.
"I'm never afraid," answered Sniff. "But I think the view is better from here.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“Fancy that! What fun! Coming all this way just to see me!"
"Well -- we didn't exactly," began Moomintroll, clambering ashore.
"Never mind!" answered Snufkin. "The main thing is that you're here. You'll stay the night, won't you?"
"We should love to," said Moomintroll. "We haven't seen a soul since we left home, and that was ages ago. Why in the world do you live here in this desert?"
"I'm a tramp, and I live all over the place," answered Snufkin. "I wander about, and when I find a place that I like I put up my tent and play my mouth-organ.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“Allting blir svårt när man vill äga saker, bära dem med sig och ha dem. Jag bara tittar på dem och när jag går min väg har jag dem inne i huvudet och kan ha roligare saker för mig än att bära kappsäckar.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“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 from Comet in Moominland
“Oh, dear me!" he lamented. "The raft has floated off and I suppose it's gone down that awful hole by now."
"Well, never mind. We're not on it," said Snufkin gaily. "What's a kettle here or there when you're out looking for a comet!”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“— Жизнь страшно осложняется, когда хочешь обладать вещами, носить, держать их при себе. Вот почему я только смотрю на вещи, а когда снимаюсь с места, уношу их в своей голове. По-моему, это куда приятнее, чем таскать за собой чемоданы.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“— Ах да, комета... — озабоченно сказала Муми-мама. — Ондатр рассчитал, что она упадет вечером прямо в наш огород. Так что я не стала пропалывать его.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“The garnets,' Sniff moaned. 'I didn't get a single one.'
Snufkin sat down beside him and said kindly: 'I know. But that's how it is when you start wanting to have things. Now I just look at them, and when I go away I carry them in my head. Then my hands are always free, because I don't have to carry a suitcase.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“Englemos," sa sniff nonchalant. "Bare barnslig tøv." I hvert fall for alle som har sett i en stjernekikkert.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“Of course, Moomintrolls don't wear clothes, except sometimes in bed.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“I can work anywhere," said the Muskrat. "It's all a matter of thinking. I sit and think about how unnecessary everything is."
"Really?" said Moominpappa, much impressed. "Perhaps I might offer you a glass of wine? Against the cold?"
"Wine, I am bound to say, is unnecessary," replied the Muskrat, "but a small drop nevertheless would not be unwelcome.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“Moominmamma had got up very early to pack their rucksacks, and was bustling to and fro with wooly stockings and packets of sandwiches, while down by the bridge Moominpappa was getting their raft in order.
"Mamma, dar," said Moomintroll, "we can't possibly take all that with us. Everyone will laugh."
"It's cold in the Lonely Mountains," said Moominmamma, stuffing in an umbrella and a frying pan. "Have you got a compass?"
"Yes," answered Moomintroll, "but couldn't you at least leave out the plates -- we can easily eat off rhubarb leaves.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“I am the Muskrat,” said the wretched creature faintly. “A philosopher, you know. I should just like to point out that your bridge-building activities have completely ruined my house in the river bank, and although ultimately it doesn't matter what happens, I must say even a philosopher does not care for being soaked to the skin.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“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!”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“All the other stars keep to their courses, and go along just like trains on their rails, but comets can go absolutely anywhere; they pop up here and there wherever you least expect them."
"Like me," said Snufkin, laughing. "They must be sky-tramps!"
Moomintroll looked disapprovingly at him. "It's nothing to laugh at," he said. "It would be a terrible thing if a comet hit the earth.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“Whatever are Snorks?"
"Don't you really know what a Snork is?" said Snufkin in amazement. "They must be the same family as you, I should think, because they look the same, except that they aren't often white. They can be any color in the world (like an Easter egg), and they change color when they get upset."
Moomintroll looked quite angry. "Well!" he said. "I've never heard of that branch of the family. A real Moomintroll is always white. Changing color indeed! What an idea!”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“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 from Comet in Moominland
“Mina küll ei usu, et me eriliselt julged oleksime," mõtiskles Muumitroll. "Me oleme lihtsalt sabatähega ära harjunud. Peaaegu et tuttavaks saanud. Meie olime esimesed, kes temast üldse teada said, ja oleme näinud teda päev-päevalt kasvamas ning suuremaks muutumas. Mõtle, kui üksildasena ta võib end tunda..." "Jah," ütles ka Nuuskmõmmik. "Mõtle, kui hüljatuna võib end tunda, kui kõik sind kardavad.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“The garnets would have gone in the rucksack," said Sniff miserably. "You don't need hands for that. It's not the same thing at all just looking at them. I want to touch them and know they're mine.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“You're too small to be told everything.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“There weren't so very many good boxes on this beach," said Sniff. "But I've made a great discovery."
"What was that?" asked Moomintroll, for a discovery (next to Mysterious Paths, Bathing, and Secrets) was what he liked most of all. Sniff paused and then said dramatically:
"A cave!"
"A real cave," asked Moomintroll, "with a hole to creep in through, and rocky walls, and a sandy floor?"
"Everything!" answered Sniff proudly. "A real cave that I found myself."
"That's splendid!" said Moomintroll. "Wonderful news. A cave is much better than a box.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“The Muskrat was still lying in his hammock and thinking.
"Good afternoon, Uncle Muskrat!" said Moomintroll. "Do you know that things have begun to happen?"
"Nothing new in any case," said the Muskrat.
"Oh, yes," said Moomintroll. "Completely new. There are people in the forest making secret signs everywhere -- threats or warnings or something. When the silk-monkey and I came home a little while ago, somebody had arranged mamma's jam pears in a pattern that looked like a star with a tail.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“I'm not a great one for beds, said the muskrat. They are unnecessary furniture, really. It was the only hole I lived in, but I was happy there. Of course, it's all the same to a philosopher whether he is happy or not, but it was a good hole . . .”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“Not one adventure in a whole day," said Sniff, who was taking his turn at steering now the current was slower. "Just grey banks and grey banks, and not even an adventure."
"I think it's very adventurous to float down a winding river," said Moomintroll. "You never know what you'll meet round the next corner. You always want adventures, Sniff, and when they come you're so frightened you don't know what to do."
"Well, I'm not a lion," said Sniff reproachfully. "I like small adventures. Just the right size.”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Comet in Moominland
“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 from Comet in Moominland
Tove Jansson
Born place: in Helsinki, Finland
Born date August 9, 1914
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