My Family And Other Animals Quotes
"The sea was like a warm, silky coverlet that moved my body gently to and fro."
"The minute vegetable and animal life in the water is filtered off somewhere inside the sausage, and passed to the simple mechanism of the sea-slug's stomach."
"No one could say that the sea-slugs led interesting lives."
"Whenever we had made use of the sea-slugs' services we always swam out and returned them to their forest of weed."
"The lesson then proceeded, while the shoals of little fish would gather about us and nibble gently at our legs."
"In the drooping clusters of olives a cicada whispered gently to itself."
"He had already been warned of the Frenchmen's approach by a friendly gull."
"Across the mouth of the bay a sun-bleached boat would pass, rowed by a brown fisherman in tattered trousers."
"We made our way up through the olive-groves, striped and dappled with white sunlight."
"The island dozed below us, shimmering like a water-picture in the heat-haze."
"Lying below decks with the battle still raging above, he murmured his last words: 'Kiss me, Hardy,' and then he died."
"Roger followed them, a look of intense concentration on his face."
"After the swim, my body felt heavy and relaxed, and my skin as though it was covered with silky crust of salt."
"The thick fingers of his stumpy hands twitched as he slept."
"The poor fellow flung himself about in his agony."
"The slide of the mouth-parts of the rat flea could almost be imagined as a human face."
"The walls were lined with tall bookshelves filled with volumes on freshwater biology, botany, astronomy, medicine, folk-lore."
"The ancient olives, bent and hollowed by a thousand springs, decked themselves in clusters of minute creamy flowers."
"The wedding night - or rather day - of a tortoise is not exactly inspiring."
"The urge to go and assist the poor creature was almost overwhelming."
"The incredibly heavy-handed and inexpert way the male would attempt to hoist himself on to the female's shell, slipping and slithering, was extremely painful to watch."
"Once a male was infinitely more bungling than usual, and fell down three times during the mounting."
"The female, obviously bored by the male's inadequacy, moved a few steps towards a dandelion leaf."
"This final blow seemed to be too much for him, because, instead of trying to right himself, he simply folded himself up in his shell and lay there mournfully."
"The female, meanwhile, ate the dandelion leaf."
"As a punishment for her callous behaviour I carried her up to the most barren and desiccated part of the hillside."
"I got on such intimate terms with her that I christened her Madame Cyclops."
"Far from being the ordinary, charming people that Larry had promised, they all turned out to be the most extraordinary eccentrics."
"After a good night's sleep he awoke refreshed and invigorated, and rushed back to the orchard to complete his picture."
"During the night a spring storm had playfully stripped all the orchards in the vicinity of their blossom."
"I swore I would never paint again... never! But slowly I am recovering my nerves."
"The entire family then vacated the table, and, gathering Theodore en route, we sped up the four flights of stairs."
"Theodore, his eyes twinkling with pride, 'anything can happen.'"
"In the fields the maize was starting to fill out, the silken tassels turning from brown to butter-blond."
"The olives seemed weighed down under the weight of their fruit, smooth drops of green jade."
"In the orange-groves, among the dark and shiny leaves, the fruit was starting to glow redly."
"The first guest to arrive was Theodore, sitting spick and span in a carriage, his best suit on, his boots polished."
"On opening the parcel I was delighted to find that it contained a fat volume entitled Life in Ponds and Streams."
"It's not the action that counts, it's the brainwork behind it, the quickness of wit, the ability to keep your head when all about you are losing theirs."
"In one case I believe it was something like twenty-five years."
"Breeding some of them is, of course, a task, but a most rewarding one, I find, especially the crosses."
"By Jove! Twelve o'clock already...winged time indeed...Dear me."
"It's a question of wave-length. I put it all down to this slowing-up process."
"They hold long conversations with each other ... at least I presume them to be conversations, for I don't understand what they're saying, naturally."
"The things you see! The extraordinary things that happen all around you, that you never even suspected before!"
"They're just like people. Put too many together and they get on each other's nerves and start to wilt."
"It's in this way that we become familiar with a language."
"I recall that once - many years ago when I was in England - I was instrumental in saving a lady's life."
"The brute, froth flecking its yawning mouth, leapt and snarled, waiting for an opening."
"I plunged my hand into his mouth, seized his tongue, and twisted it as hard as I could."
"The beauty of these walks was that, no matter which direction we set out in, we invariably found ourselves, somehow or other, in the bird market."
"I am so very flattered that you asked to see me."
"Take flowers. Have you heard flowers talking?"
"I have a theory that you do not slow down at all, but that life slows down for you."
"When I die they will be able to pack my coffin deep with it, and it will probably go on growing after my body is dust."
"I'm sure she'll be delighted to see you, of course, but I'd better just go and see if it's convenient."
"All I know is that I have, so far, not felt sick in a car."
"I'm a convict... I have another two years to do."
"He's never let anyone else touch him without biting."
"I felt this was understating my feelings. I would have sold my soul for such a gull."
"It was like being offered an angel. A slightly sardonic-looking angel, it's true, but one with the most magnificent wings."
"I call him Alecko. He'll come when you call."
"My name's Kosti," he said, "Kosti Panopoulos. I killed my wife."
"No one but a murderer would have thought of giving Gerry that albatross."
"All the nice gulls love a sailor," observed Theodore with immense satisfaction.
"It may give you pleasure to be woken at half past three in the morning by a pigeon who seems intent on pushing his rectum into your eye."
"The glasses clinked, knives and forks clattered, and the wine-bottles glugged as we progressed through the meal."