Tove Jansson Quotes

She started thinking about all the euphemisms for death, all the anxious taboos that had always fasc...

A very long time ago, Grandmother had wanted to tell about all the things they did, but no one had b...

You were talking about the wind," the Fillyjonk said suddenly. "A wind that carries off your washing...

He was the owner of the moonlight on the ground, he fell in love with the most beautiful of the tree...

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

Можно лежать на мосту и смотреть, как течет вода. Или бегать, или побродить по болоту в красных сапо...

The hemulen woke up slowly and recognised himself and wished he had been someone he didn't know.

What are you thinking of discovering?"Moomintroll cleared his throat and felt very proud. "Oh, every...

All men have parties and are pals who never let each other down. A pal can say terrible things which...

On the morning, Daddy and I get up at six o'clock because Christmas trees must be bought in the dark...

Christmas always rustled. It rustled every time, mysteriously, with silver and gold paper, tissue pa...

Pearls' burst out the Snork Maiden excitedly. 'Could ankle rings be made out of pearls?''I should th...

The room had lost its morning light, the glow of expectation and potential. The daylight was now gra...

Making a whole is very important. Most people paint things and forget the whole.

The star we're looking for isn't so very friendly," said Moomintroll. "Quite the contrary, in fact."...

Are you too frightened to go any farther?" asked the silk-monkey, who found all this very easy, havi...

Moominmamma had got up very early to pack their rucksacks, and was bustling to and fro with wooly st...

It is simply this: do not tire, never lose interest, never grow indifferent—lose your invaluable cur...

Really good films don't diminish anything, they don't close things off. On the contrary, they open u...

There are empty spaces that must be respected – those often long periods when a person can’t see the...

Not one adventure in a whole day," said Sniff, who was taking his turn at steering now the current w...

How happy he must be, this Hobgoblin," exclaimed Sniff."He isn't a bit," replied Snufkin, "and he wo...

Where's your home, then?" asked the Snork Maiden."Nowhere" said Snufkin a little sadly, "or everywhe...

Damp veils of mist swirled around them. They were dreadfully cold (Moomintroll thought longingly of ...

Here is the most valuable thing in the whole of Moomin Valley, Groke! Do you know what has grown out...

Now you can all have a wish -- the Moomin family first!"Moominmamma hesitated a bit. "Should it be s...

Small animals are a great problem. I wish God had never created small animals, or else that He had m...

I know I do everything. I've been doing everything for an awfully long time, and I've seen and lived...

Now everything was changed. She walked about with cautious, anxious steps, staring constantly at the...

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

Sniff looked at them and noticed that they were much smaller than he was, so he felt kinder and said...

Thingumy and Bob sighed contentedly and settled down to contemplate the precious stone. They stared ...

We've decided to wake a miss for you because you are nice. We want a booby as roomful as ours."Every...

Clever of you, Hemul. But, on the other hand, think how lonely the Groke is because nobody likes her...

The Groke looked at the hat. Then she looked at Thingumy and Bob. Then she looked at the hat again. ...

Then -- they saw the Groke. Everybody saw her. She sat motionless on the sandy path at the bottom of...

Someone who eats pancakes and jam can't be so awfully dangerous. You can talk to him.

But Moominmamma was quite unperturbed. "Well, well!" she said, "it seems to me that our guests are h...

I'm afraid we shall waste an awful lot of time.""Don't worry," answered Snufkin, "we shall have wond...

I wish I was more Moomin-minded.

Quite, quite,' she thought with a little sigh. 'It's always like this in their adventures. To save a...

There are such a lot of things that have no place in summer and autumn and spring. Everything that’s...

The lamp sizzled as it burned. It made everything seem close and safe, a little family circle they a...

We sat talking on a rock. The air was filled with the tang of sea-weed and of something else that co...

I cannot stress enough the perils of your friends marrying or becoming court inventors. One day you ...

Malander had an idea and was trying to work it out, but it would take him time. Sometimes people nev...

Sophia and Grandmother sat down by the shore to discuss the matter further. It was a pretty day, and...

And that night he couldn't sleep, but lay looking out at the light June night which was full of lone...

Nothing can be as peaceful and endless as a long winter darkness, going on and on, like living in a ...

Sometimes people are very predictable: they want a kitten in June, for example, and come the first o...

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

Nothing is as peaceful as when Christmas is over, when one has been forgiven for everything and can ...

Mummy weighed sweets and nuts so that everyone would get exactly the same amount. During the year, e...

Sophia," she said, "this is really not something to argue about. You can see for yourself that life ...

And all you can do is just read," she said. She raised her voice an screamed, "You just read and rea...

The voice of the waves was now mixed with strange sounds; laughter, running feet and the clanging of...

Thingumy whispered something again. The Hemulen nodded. "It's a secret," he said. "Thingumy and Bob ...

When they reached the top of the hill they turned and looked down at the valley. Moominhouse was jus...

Oh!" said Moominmamma with a start, "I believe those were mice disappearing into the cellar. Sniff, ...

But when people understand one another without speaking, it can often leave them with very little to...

Passion. As you can see, I've lived quite a long time, which is to say I've been working for quite a...

She had picked the spot the day before and carried out a stool low enough to sit on and still have h...

When Mats came in the evenings, they would drink tea in the kitchen while reading their books and ta...