Tales from Moominvalley

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

He was the owner of the moonlight on the ground, he fell in love with the most beautiful of the trees, he made wreaths of leaves and strung them around his neck.

‎''Just think, never to be glad or disappointed. Never to like anyone and get cross at him and forgive him. Never to sleep or feel cold, never to make a mistake and have a stomach-ache and be cured from it, never to have a birthday party, drink beer, and have a bad conscience... How terrible.

You were talking about the wind," the Fillyjonk said suddenly. "A wind that carries off your washing. But I'm speaking about cyclones. Typhoons, Gaffsie dear. Tornadoes, whirlwinds, sandstorms... Flood waves that carry houses away... But most of all I'm talking about myself and my fears, even if I know that's not done. I know everything will turn out badly. I think about that all the time. Even while I'm washing my carpet. Do you understand that? Do you feel the same way?

I, who see the end of the world every day, and still I'm going on putting my clothes, and taking them off again, and eating and washing-uo the dishes and receiving visits, just as if nothing ever happened!

You're an idiot," Snufkin said. "Or still worse, you're a story spoiler.

You'll never have a face of your own until you've learned to fight. (Little My to Ninny the Invisible Child)

It was definitely finished, and for one moment the sadness of completion overtook the Hemulen.

Tonight I'm alone with my tune, and tonight isn't tomorrow.

Nuuskamuikkunen pysähtyi sammalikkoon, ja hänen tuli äkkiä vähän paha olla. Muumipeikko. Se suri ja kaipasi kauheasti, se odotti kotona odottamistaan, ihaili häntä ja sanoi: tietenkin sinun täytyy olla vapaa. Sehän on selvä, että sinun täytyy lähteä tiehesi. Totta kai minä käsitän, että sinun on toisinaan saatava olla yksin. Mutta Muumipeikoin silmät olivat silloin mustat pettymyksestä ja avuttomasta kaipauksesta.

Oh, my, oh, my. He's got such a lot of feelings, this Moomintroll. I won't think of him now. He's a splendid Moomin, but I don't have to think of him now. Tonight I'm alone with my tune, and tonight isn't tomorrow.

Isn't it a nice thing to know that someone's longing for you and waiting and waiting to see you again? (Little Creep to Snufkin)

Of course you have to feel free. Naturally you must go away. I do understand that you have to be alone sometimes. (Moomintroll to Snufkin)

And I was sitting on my verandah believing they were so remarkable and free, just because they never spoke a word and were always on the move. They hadn't a single word to say and nowhere to go...

Dear Gaffsie, believe me, we are so very small and insignificant, and so are our tea cakes and carpets and all those things, you know, and still they're so important, but always they're threatened by mercilessness.

She suddenly remembered that in her youth she had wanted to explore the Amazon, to learn deep-sea diving, to build a large nice house for lonely children, to see a volcano, and to arrange a gigantic party for all her friends. But all that was too late now, of course. She had no friends at all, because she had only collected beautiful things, and that takes a lot of your time.

Förresten hade pappan börjat tänka på ett alldeles nytt sätt. Mer och mer sällan funderade han över allt han hade varit med om under sitt vänliga och brokiga liv, och lika sällan drömde han om vad alla de kommande dagarna skulle ge honom. Hans tankar gled som båten, utan minnen och drömmar, de var som gråa vandrande vågor som inte ens hade lust att komma fram till horisonten. Pappan försökte inte prata med hatifnattarna längre. Han stirrade ut över havet som de, hans ögon hade blivit bleka som deras och lånade himlens växlande färg. Och när nya öar kom emot dem rörde han sig inte, bara svansen slog några slag mot durken. Jag undrar, tänkte pappan en gång när de glöd framåt i en lång trött dyning, jag undrar om jag inte håller på att börja likna en hatifnatt.

Minun täytyy saada Kampsu ymmärtämään, hän ajatteli. Minun täytyy saada joku ymmärtämään, että pelkään, joku joka voi vastata ja sanoa, että tietenkin pelkäät, käsitän sen erinomaisen hyvin. Tai vaikkapa: Mutta hyvä ystävä, mitä pelättävää sinulla on? Näin kauniina, tyynenä kesäpäivänä? Kummin tahansa, mutta jotenkin.

Snufkin bit hard at his pipe and raised his eyebrows. ‘You foolish little beast,’ he said.

The fewer possessions she had left, the lighter she felt.