The Little Country

She knew this music--knew it down to the very core of her being--but she had never heard it before. Unfamiliar, it had still always been there inside her, waiting to be woken. It grew from the core of mystery that gives a secret its special delight, religion its awe. It demanded to be accepted by simple faith, not dissected or questioned, and at the same time, it begged to be doubted and probed.

I love this world," he added. "That is what rules my life. When I die, I want to have done all in my power to leave it in a better state than it was when I found it. At the same time I know that this can never be. The world has grown so complex that one voice can do little to alter it any longer. That doesn't stop me from doing what I can, but it makes the task hard. The successes are so small, the failures so large and many. It's like trying to stem a storm with one's bare hands.

Every book tells a different story to the person who reads it. How they perceive that book will depend on who they are. A good book reflects the reader, as much as it illuminates the author's text.

Myslela jsem si, že se to stává, když je člověk starý." Denzil se zakuckal. "A ty jsi poměrně stará, myslím. Sedmnáct, není-liž pravda?" "Osmnáct. A cítím se jako stařena.

Kindness is important, my little wren,” he would tell her. “Doesn’t matter how poor you are, you can still be kind.

Music is the one incorporeal entrance into the higher worlds of knowledge which comprehends mankind, but which mankind cannot comprehend. —attributed to Ludwig van Beethoven

Maybe the reason he keeps to himself is because there’s never been anyone else interested in the kinds of things he is,

Originally, the function of songs was devotional. Then in the balladeering centuries, they became a vehicle for the spreading of information, stories and opinions. Now in the 20th century, they have become a way of making money and achieving fame. I think the other two purposes were better. —Mike Scott, from an interview in Jamming, 1985 When Sick Is It Tea You Want?