Skip to content

"Why can't you fly now, mother?"
"Because I am grown up, dearest. When people grow up they forget the way."
"Why do they forget the way?"
"Because they are no longer gay and innocent and heartless. It is only the gay and innocent and heartless who can fly."

— J. M. Barrie Peter and Wendy (1911)

Another quote →

More quotes by J. M. Barrie

To look upon you was to rejoice that so fair a thing could be; to think of you is still to be young.

The Little Minister (1891)

Shall we make a new rule of life from tonight: always to try to be a little kinder than is necessary?

The Little White Bird (1902)

We never understand how little we need in this world until we know the loss of it.

Margaret Ogilvy (1897)

Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.

Christ's Second Coming Fulfilled (1917)

Never ascribe to an opponent motives meaner than your own.

All J. M. Barrie quotes →

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: J. M. Barrie (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.