Tove Jansson

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.

It is simply this: do not tire, never lose interest, never grow indifferent__ose your invaluable curiosity and you let yourself die. It's as simple as that.

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!

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.

A very long time ago, Grandmother had wanted to tell about all the things they did, but no one had bothered to ask. And now she had lost the urge.

She had picked the spot the day before and carried out a stool low enough to sit on and still have her paintbox and her water cup within reach. Anna didn't use an easel. Easels seemed to her an altogether too assertive aid, too obvious. She liked to work as unobtrusively as possible, the paper spread on a board in her lap, close to her hand.

She started thinking about all the euphemisms for death, all the anxious taboos that had always fascinated her. It was too bad you could never have an intelligent discussion on the subject. People were either too young or too old, or else they didn't have time.

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.

If you're not afraid, how can you be really brave?

The room had lost its morning light, the glow of expectation and potential. The daylight was now gray, and the new day was already used, a little soiled by mistaken thoughts and makeshift undertakings.

Sophia," she said, "this is really not something to argue about. You can see for yourself that life is hard enough without being punished for it afterwards. We get comfort when we die, that's the whole idea

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.

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

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.

a person can also find solitude with others, though it is more difficult

There are empty spaces that must be respected _ those often long periods when a person can__ see the pictures or find the words and needs to be left alone.

Quite, quite,' she thought with a little sigh. 'It's always like this in their adventures. To save and be saved. I wish somebody would write a story sometime about the people who warm up the heroes afterward.

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.