40 quotes
We’re neither good nor evil. We’re simply interested in things as they are.
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964)
Craftsmanship isn’t like water in an earthen pot, to be taken out by the dipperful until it’s empty. No, the more drawn out the more remains.
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964)
You have conquered only the enchantments of evil. That was the easiest of your tasks, only a beginning, not an ending.
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964)
The destinies of men are woven one with the other, and you can turn aside from them no more than you can turn aside from your own.
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964)
Even in a fantasy realm, growing up is accomplished not without cost.
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964)
Now I know who I am: myself and none other. I am Taran.
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964)
A crown is a pitiless master, harsher than the staff of a pig-keeper; while a staff bears up, a crown weighs down, beyond the strength of any man to wear it lightly.
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964)
“Count yourself lucky,” the potter went on, “that you have understood this now and not spent your years in vain hope. This much have you learned, and no learning is wasted.”
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964)
Child, child, do you not see? For each of us comes a time when we must be more than what we are.
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964)
Well, that is one of the three foundations of learning: see much, study much, suffer much.
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964)
"I don't even know who I am."
"In a way," answered Gwydion, "that is something we must all discover for ourselves."
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964)
If I do find pride, I'll not find it in what I was or what I am, but what I may become. Not in my birth, but in myself.
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964)
If I fret over tomorrow, I'll have little joy today.
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964)
Evil cannot be conquered by wishing.
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964)
“There is much to be known,” said Adaon, “and above all much to be loved, be it the turn of the seasons or the shape of a river pebble. Indeed, the more we find to love, the more we add to the measure of our hearts.”
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964)
I am a true grower of turnips, and a gatherer of apples. No warrior whatever, save that I am needed thus for a while. My garden longs for me as much as I long for it.
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964)
Take this as a gift from a crone to a maiden, and know there is not so much difference between the two. For even a tottering granddam keeps a portion of girlish heart, and the youngest maiden a thread of old woman’s wisdom.
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964)
Most of us are called on to perform tasks far beyond what we believe we can do. Our capabilities seldom match our aspirations, and we are often woefully unprepared. To this extent, we are all Assistant Pig-Keepers at heart.
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964)
"Neither refuse to give help when it is needed," Medwyn continued, "nor refuse to accept it when it is offered."
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964)
And so they lived many happy years, and the promised tasks were accomplished. Yet long afterward, when all had passed away into distant memory, there were many who wondered whether King Taran, Queen Eilonwy, and their companions had indeed walked the earth, or whether they had been no more than dreams in a tale set down to beguile children. And, in time, only the bards knew the truth of it.
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964)