It's tough at the top. It's tough at the bottom. But in between you could use them for horse-shoes.

Life is a trick, and you get one chance to learn it.

They were also slightly less intelligent than he was. This is a quality you should always pray for in your would-be murderer.

Dwarfs were not a naturally religious species, but in a world where pit props could crack without warning and pockets of fire damp could suddenly explode they'd seen the need for gods as the sort of supernatural equivalent of a hard hat. Besides, when you hit your thumb with an eight-pound hammer it's nice to be able to blaspheme. It takes a very special and strong-minded kind of atheist to jump up and down with their hand clasped under their other armpit and shout, "Oh, random-fluctuations-in-the-space-time-continuum!" or "Aaargh, primitive-and-outmoded-concept on a crutch!

I'm interested in mythology generally, but India has no special place in my heart - although Hindu gods seem a lot more fun.

When much is taken, something is returned.

A horse's skull always looks scary, even if someone has put lipstick on it.