He read the classics, the French and the German among others, but primarily the Russian, which enchanted him with their heavy patience.

Akkurat n tenker jeg p nordlys. Man vet ikke om det finnes eller bare synes. Alt er meget usikkert, og det er nettopp det som beroliger meg.

Pearls' burst out the Snork Maiden excitedly. 'Could ankle rings be made out of pearls?' 'I should think they could,' said Moomintoll. 'Ankle-rings, and nose-rings and ear-rings and engagement rings...

Everyone must imagine his own snakes because no one else's snakes can ever be as awful.

You can't depend on people who just let things happen

Det er sn lyset," sa hun. "Alt blir pent i sn lys.

She counted out five sweets and put them on a saucer. Then she went and put them on the ledge in the cliff to cheer him up.

It takes a long time sometimes," she said, "It can take a terrible long time before things sort themselves out.

Ni vet ju att folk blir osynliga om man skr mmer dom f r ofta...

Fly! ropade muminmamman. Polisen r h r! Hon visste inte vad hennes mumintroll hade gjort men var alldeles s ker p att hon gillade det.

Irrational terror is so hard to deal with.

Mats har ingen hemmeligheter. Det er derfor han er s hemmelighetsfull. Ingen m forstyrre ham, han m f v re uforstyrret i en forenklet og ren verden.

No one can depict desolation who hasn't inhabited desolation and observed it very closely. Things condemned have a terrible beauty.

And that night he couldn't sleep, but lay looking out at the light June night which was full of lonely whisperings and rustlings and the pattering of feet. The air was sweet with the smell of flowers.

He did not confuse what he longed for with his gratitude for what he had. Extreme desires have their own sanctuary.

Before she left, she said, "Just remember one thing: Going along with something doesn't mean you give in to it.[...]

There was so much to talk about that nothing was said. It was warm sitting there on the steps. Everything seemed to be so right.

Even potted plants got to be a responsibility, like everything else you took care of that couldn't make decisions for itself.

My dear child," said Grandmother impatiently, "every human being has to make his own mistakes." She was very tired, and wanted to get home.

Englemos," sa sniff nonchalant. "Bare barnslig t v." I hvert fall for alle som har sett i en stjernekikkert.

Tell them it's a secret. Tell them they don't need to know.

No well-bred person goes ashore on someone else's island when there's no one home. But if they put up a sign, then you do it anyway, because it's a slap in the face

What is right and what is wrong is a very sensitive matter.

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

You can’t ever be really free if you admire somebody too much, I know.

Stol p meg, fr ken Aemelin, folk som man kan lure, liker man litt mindre.

Ja, det forst r jeg. En g r helst bare ut n r en m . Eller n r en har lyst. Det er vel best vente, og kjenne etter.

I'm afraid we shall waste an awful lot of time." "Don't worry," answered Snufkin, "we shall have wonderful dreams, and when we wake up it'll be spring.

Luultavasti myrskyj onkin vain siksi, ett niiden j lkeen saataisiin auringonnousu.

Of course, Moomintrolls don't wear clothes, except sometimes in bed.

There one is safe. In a museum or in a lap or in a tree. Perhaps under the bedclothes. But the best thing of all is to sit high up in a tree, that is if one isn't still inside one's Mummy's tummy.

Why do you smile all the time?" he said. "Because I am looking at you," she said

Sniff looked at them and noticed that they were much smaller than he was, so he felt kinder and said, condescendingly. "Hullo. Nice to see you.

How easy it is to love.

Does your sister read our books?” Anna wanted to know. “No. She reads literature.