The Complete Saki

Find yourself a cup of tea, the teapot is behind you. Now tell me about hundreds of things.

The cook was a good cook, as cooks go; and as cooks go, she went.

Mother, may I go and maffick, Tear around and hinder traffic?

It follows that they never understood Reginald, who came down late to breakfast, and nibbled toast, and said disrespectful things about the universe. The family ate porridge, and believed in everything, even the weather forecast.

But, good gracious, you've got to educate him first. You can't expect a boy to be vicious till he's been to a good school.

it was decorated with Japanese fans and Chinese lanterns, which gave it a very Old English effect.

addresses are given to us to conceal our whereabouts.

And in the sting and misery of his defeat, he began to chant loudly and defiantly the hymn of his threatened idol: Sredni Vashtar went forth, His thoughts were red thoughts and his teeth were white. His enemies called for peace, but he brought them death. Sredni Vashtar the Beautiful.

Neither man was talkative and each was grateful to the other for not being talkative. That is why from time to time they talked.

Laurence was an artist-chap, just that and nothing more, though you might make it sound more important by calling him an animal painter;

In spite of everything that proverbs may say, poverty keeps together more homes than it breaks up.

the fact of a leading organ of Evangelical thought being edited for two successive fortnights from Trouville and Monte Carlo was generally admitted to have been a mistake.

Latimer Springfield was a rather cheerless, oldish young man, who went into politics somewhat in the spirit in which other people might go into half-mourning.

When one has nothing left to one but memories, one guards and dusts them with especial care.

With us," said Reginald, "a Cabinet usually gets the credit of being depraved and worthless beyond the bounds of human conception by the time it has been in office about four years.

That’s what the mother of the gardener’s boy said,” remarked Teresa; “she wanted me to have it destroyed, but I pointed out to her that she had eleven children and I had only one elk.

I love Americans, but not when they try to talk French. What a blessing it is that they never try to talk English.

von Kwarl had made up his mind to accept the world as it was, and to that philosophical resolution, steadfastly adhered to, he attributed his excellent digestion and his unruffled happiness.

The aunt-by-assertion was one of those people who think that things spoil by use and consign them to dust and damp by way of preserving them.

how unfortunate that we should have had that very cold weather at a time when coal was so dear! So distressing for the poor.” “Someone has observed that Providence is always on the side of the big dividends,” remarked Reginald.

She was one of those who shape their opinions rather readily from the standpoint of those around them.

In the same way, whenever a massacre of Armenians is reported from Asia Minor, every one assumes that it has been carried out "under orders" from somewhere or another, no one seems to think that there are people who might LIKE to kill their neighbours now and then.

one can discourage too much history in one's family, but one cannot always prevent geography.

The dear Archdeacon is getting so absent-minded. He read a list of box-holders for the opera as the First Lesson the other Sunday, instead of the families and lots of the tribes of Israel that entered Canaan. Fortunately no one noticed the mistake.

To say that anything was a quotation was an excellent method, in Eleanor's eyes, for withdrawing it from discussion,

After all,” said the Duchess vaguely, “there are certain things you can’t get away from. Right and wrong, good conduct and moral rectitude, have certain well-defined limits.” “So, for the matter of that,” replied Reginald, “has the Russian Empire. The trouble is that the limits are not always in the same place.

I wonder,” said Reginald, “if you have ever walked down the Embankment on a winter night?” “Gracious, no, child! Why do you ask?” “I didn’t; I only wondered. And even your philanthropy, practised in a world where everything is based on competition, must have a debit as well as a credit account. The young ravens cry for food.” “And are fed.” “Exactly. Which presupposes that something else is fed upon.

Not that I ever indulge in despair about the Future; there always have been men who have gone about despairing of the Future, and when the Future arrives it says nice, superior things about their having acted according to their lights. It is dreadful to think that other people’s grandchildren may one day rise up and call one amiable. There are moments when one sympathises with Herod.

Susan Mebberley was a charming woman, but she was also an aunt.