Now everything was changed. She walked about with cautious, anxious steps, staring constantly at the ground, on the lookout for things that crept and crawled. Bushes were dangerous, and so were sea grass and rain water. There were little animals everywhere. They could turn up between the covers of a book, flattened and dead, for the fact is that creeping animals, tattered animals, and dead animals are with us all our lives, from beginning to end. Grandmother tried to discuss this with her, to no avail. Irrational terror is so hard to deal with.
Tove JanssonAnyway, solitary people interest me. There are so many different ways of being solitary.' 'I know just what you mean,' said X. 'I know exactly what you're going to say. Different kinds of solitude. Enforced solitude and voluntary solitude.' 'Quite,' said Viktoria. 'There's no need to go into it further. But when people understand one another without speaking, it can often leave them with very little to talk about, don't you think?
Tove JanssonI mean, anyone can let Danger out but the really clever thing is finding somewhere for it to go afterwards.
Tove JanssonThere are such a lot of things that have no place in summer and autumn and spring. Everything thatโs a little shy and a little rum. Some kinds of night animals and people that donโt fit in with others and that nobody really believes in. They keep out of the way all the year. And then when everythingโs quiet and white and the nights are long and most people are asleepโthen they appear.
Tove Jansson