Everything's much too big here,' thought Moominmamma. 'Or perhaps I'm too small.

I don't want to hear about them any more. I could vomit on the Moomintrolls.

The lamp sizzled as it burned. It made everything seem close and safe, a little family circle they all knew and trusted. Outside this circle lay everything that was strange and frightening, and the darkness seemed to reach higher and higher and further and further away, right to the end of the world.

It was a particularly good evening to begin a book.

For a while she considered being ill, but she changed her mind.

But he thought all the strange words were beautiful, and he had never had a book of his own before.

He didn't remember, he didn't worry, he just was.