60 quotes
Fantasy, by its power to move us so deeply, to dramatize, even melo-dramatize, morality, can be one of the most effective means of establishing a capacity for adult values.
Wishful Thinking – Or Hopeful Dreaming? (1968)
“What civilization would be complete without a cat?” the Professor went on. “What greater blessing to the home than the kindly yet watchful eye of this tiger of the fireside?”
Time Cat (1963)
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)
Our only hope for tomorrow is peace now.
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)
Keep reading. It's one of the most marvelous adventures that anyone can have.
Interview with Scholastic students (1999)
In the algebra of fantasy, A times B doesn't have to equal B times A. But, once established, the equation must hold throughout the story.
Mourn the dead by pitying the living.
The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain (1973)
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)
The raw materials of story are the raw materials of all human cultures. Story deals with the same questions as theology, philosophy, psychology. It is concerned with polarities: love and hate, birth and death, joy and sorrow, loss and recovery.
“Didn’t you ever see a cat before?”
“Of course I did,” said the boy. “Hundreds of them. But just because you’ve seen something, it doesn’t mean you stop looking. There’s always something you didn’t see before.”
Time Cat (1963)
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)
At heart, the issues raised in a work of fantasy are those we face in real life. In whatever guise—our own daily nightmares of war, intolerance, inhumanity; or the struggles of an Assistant Pig-Keeper against the Lord of Death—the problems are agonizingly familiar. And an openness to compassion, love and mercy, is as essential to us here and now as it is to any inhabitant of an imaginary kingdom.
Newbery Award acceptance speech (1969)
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)
“Oh yes,” said the Emperor. “That’s what you have to do when you approach the Celestial Presence—that’s me.”
“Well, I’m afraid that no cat in the world ever bowed to an emperor,” said Jason. “They just won’t do it, Ichigo, and you’re wasting your time if you try to force them. A cat does what he wants, when he wants, emperor or not.”
Time Cat (1963)
"I see you for what you are, Lord of Death. And I fear you, as all men do. For all that, you are a weak and pitiful king. You can destroy, but never build. You are less than the humblest creature, the frailest blade of grass, for these live, and every moment of their lives is a triumph over you. Your kingdom is dust; only the silent ending of things, never the beginnings."
The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain (1973)