E. Nesbit Quotes & Sayings

They call it love," said Vernon. "I don't know what they mean by it. What do you mean [by love]?"
"I don't exactly know," said Temple slowly. "I suppose it's wanting to be with a person, and thinking about nothing else. And thinking they're the most beautiful and all that. And going over everything that they've ever said to you, and wanting - Well, I suppose if it's really love you want to marry them. — E. Nesbit

I'll tell you something," said Francis,urgent with shoe lace, "if we keep on saying things weren't when we know perfectly well they were, we shall soon dish up any sort of chance of magic we may ever have had. When do you find people in books going on like that? They just say 'This is magic!' and behave as if it was. They don't go pretending they're not sure. Why, no magic would stand it."
Book: Wet Magic, Chapter 2 — E. Nesbit

(I am tired of calling Roberta by her name. I don't see why I should. No one else did. Everyone else called her Bobbie, and I don't see why I shouldn't.) — E. Nesbit

If you say that the China Cat might have lost its ear-tips in battle you are the kind of person who always makes difficulties, and you may be quite sure that the kind of splendid magics that happened to Tavy will never happen to you. — E. Nesbit

Girls are just as clever as boys, and don't you forget it! — E. Nesbit

There was a pleasant party of barge people round the fire. You might not have thought it pleasant, but they did; for they were all friends or acquaintances, and they liked the same sort of things, and talked the same sort of talk. This is the real secret of pleasant society. — E. Nesbit

When you are young so many things are difficult to believe, and yet the dullest people will tell you that they are true
such things, for instance, as that the earth goes round the sun, and that it is not flat but round. But the things that seem really likely, like fairy-tales and magic, are, so say the grown-ups, not true at all. Yet they are so easy to believe, especially when you see them happening. — E. Nesbit

Besides, it is wrong to be angry with people for not being so clever as you are yourself. It is not always their faults. — E. Nesbit

And it's no use putting her on her honour, because - '
'Because she hasn't any,' Philip finished.
'I wouldn't say that,' said the parrot, 'of anybody. I'd only say we haven't come across it. — E. Nesbit

There is nothing more luxurious than eating while you read - unless it be reading while you eat. Amabel did both: they are not the same thing, as you will see if you think the matter over. — E. Nesbit

When the next Saturday came around everyone was a little nervous, but the Red Dragon was pretty quiet that day and only ate an Orphanage. — E. Nesbit

People think six is a great many, when it's children ... they don't mind six pairs of boots, or six pounds of apples, or six oranges, especially in equations, but they seem to think that you ought not to have five brothers and sisters. — E. Nesbit

She had been to her Great-Aunt Willoughby's before, and she knew exactly what to expect. She would be asked about her lessons, and how many marks she had, and whether she had been a good girl. I can't think why grownup people don't see how impertinent these questions are. Suppose you were to answer:
"I'm the top of my class, auntie, thank you, and I am very good. And now let us have a little talk about you, aunt, dear. How much money have you got, and have you been scolding the servants again, or have you tried to be good and patient, as a properly brought up aunt should be, eh, dear?"
Try this method with one of your aunts next time she begins asking you questions, and write and tell me what she says. — E. Nesbit

Perhaps she did more than anyone else, for she slapped the King and put him to bed without his tea, — E. Nesbit

Oh, Helen, I don't want to.'
'Then don't,' said Helen.
'Ah, but I do want to, too.'
'Then do,' said she.
'But don't you see, when you want to and don't want to at the same time, what are you to do? There are so many things to think of.'
'When it's like that, there's one thing you mustn't think of,' she said.
'What?' Philip asked.
'Yourself,' she said softly. — E. Nesbit

I see. Certainly. It would be nice to put his name on the buns with pink sugar, wouldn't it?" "Perks," said Peter, "it's not a pretty name." "His other name's Albert," said Phyllis; "I asked him once." "We might put A. P.," said Mother; "I'll show you how when the day comes." This — E. Nesbit

The Baby said, 'Wanty go walky'; and the fly stopped with a last rattle and jolt. — E. Nesbit

It is wonderful how quickly you get used to things, even the most astonishing. — E. Nesbit

Our darling Roberta,
No sorrow shall hurt her
If we can prevent it
Her whole life long.
Her birthday's our fete day,
We'll make it our great day,
And give her our presents
And sing her our song.
May pleasures attend her
And may the Fates send her
The happiest journey
Along her life's way.
With skies bright above her
And dear ones to love her!
Dear Bob! Many happy
Returns of the day! — E. Nesbit

I can't think what made him so horrid. Perhaps it was because he had been so very nice and kind all the earlier part of the day, and now he had to have a change. This is called reaction. One notices it now and then in oneself. Sometimes when one has been extra good for a longer time than usual, one is suddenly attacked by a violent fit of not being good at all. — E. Nesbit

There are some days when you seem to have got to the end of all the things that could ever possibly happen to you, and you feel you will spend all the rest of your life doing dull things just the same way. — E. Nesbit

I think everyone in the world is friends if you can only get them to see you don't want to be un-friends. — E. Nesbit

Being editors is not the best way to wealth. We all feel this now, and highwaymen are not respected any more like they used to be. — E. Nesbit

It's not respectable,' she said.
And when people say that, it's no use
anyone's saying anything. — E. Nesbit

There is no bond like having read and liked the same books. — E. Nesbit

There is a curtain, thin as gossamer, clear as glass, strong as iron, that hangs forever between the world of magic and the world that seems to us to be real. — E. Nesbit

Robert rushed to the gravel-pit, found the Psammead, and presently wished for - But that, too, is another story. — E. Nesbit

Presently she said, "Dears, when you say your prayers, I think you might ask God to show His pity upon all prisoners and captives." "To show His pity," Bobbie repeated slowly, "upon all prisoners and captives. Is that right, Mother?" "Yes," said Mother, "upon all prisoners and captives. All prisoners and captives." Chapter — E. Nesbit

Don't ask me no questions and I won't tell you no lies," the red-headed Ruth replied. "You'll know soon enough." Late — E. Nesbit

Daddy dear, I'm only four
And I'd rather not be more.
Four's the nicest age to be,
Two and two and one and three.
What I love is two and two,
Mother, Peter, Phil, and you.
What you love is one and three,
Mother, Peter, Phil, and me.
Give your little girl a kiss
Because she learned and told you this. — E. Nesbit

What a night it was! The jagged masses of heavy dark cloud were rolling at intervals from horizon to horizon, and thin white wreaths covered the stars. Through all the rush of the cloud river the moon swam, breasting the waves and disappearing again in the darkness.
I walked up and down, drinking in the beauty of the quiet earth and the changing sky. The night was absolutely silent. Nothing seemed to be abroad. There was no scurrying of rabbits, or twitter of the half-asleep birds. And though the clouds went sailing across the sky, the wind that drove them never came low enough to rustle the dead leaves in the woodland paths. Across the meadows I could see the church tower standing out black and grey against the sky. ("Man Size In Marble") — E. Nesbit

Robert explained how much simpler it was to pay money for things than to exchange them as the people were doing in the market. Later on the soldier gave the coins to his captain, who, later still, showed them to Pharaoh, who of course kept them and was much struck with the idea. That was really how coins first came to be used in Egypt. You will not believe this, I daresay, but really, if you believe the rest of the story, I don't see why you shouldn't believe this as well. — E. Nesbit

And that, my dear children, is the moral of this chapter. I did not mean it to have a moral, but morals are nasty forward beings, and will keep putting in their oars where they are not wanted. And since the moral has crept in, quite against my wishes, you might as well think of it ... — E. Nesbit

The ones as big as sheep were easier to avoid, because you could see them coming, but when they flew in at the window and curled up under your eiderdown, and you did not find them till you went to bed, it was always a shock. The ones this size did not eat people, only lettuces, but they always scorched the sheets and pillowcases dreadfully. — E. Nesbit

It is a curious thing that people only ask if you are enjoying yourself when you aren't. — E. Nesbit

Well, you're to stay here and be my little boy till we find out where father is. We shall let the police know. They're sure to find him." "The pleece!" Dickie cried in horror. "Why, father, 'e ain't done nothing." "No, no, of course not," said the lady in a hurry; "but the police know all sorts of things - about where people are, I know, and what they're doing - even when they haven't done anything." "The pleece knows a jolly sight too much," said Dickie, in gloom. — E. Nesbit

But it's raining cats and dogs,' said Jane. — E. Nesbit

(The Gentle Reader may perhaps have suffered from this difficulty.) — E. Nesbit

It is all very wonderful and mysterious, as all life is apt to be if you go a little below the crust, and are not content just to read newspapers and go by the Tube Railway, and buy your clothes ready-made, and think nothing can be true unless it is uninteresting. — E. Nesbit

This shows you that even mistakes are sometimes valuable, so do not be hard on grown-up people if they are wrong sometimes. — E. Nesbit

Oh, if I could choose," said Mabel, "of course I'd marry a brigand, and live in his mountain fastness, and be kind to his captives and help them to escape and-" "You'll be a real treasure to your husband." said Gerald. — E. Nesbit

Gerald's look assured her that he and the others would be as near angels as children could be without ceasing to be human. — E. Nesbit

For really there is nothing like wings for getting you into trouble. But, on the other hand, if you are in trouble, there is nothing like wings for getting you out of it. — E. Nesbit

It is a moment, and it is eternity. It is the centre of the universe and it is the universe itself. The eternal light rests on and illuminates the eternal heart of things. — E. Nesbit

Sometimes the thought of his mother working so hard while he did nothing would come suddenly upon his and he would rush off and try to help her, but whatever he did turned out wrong ... So that it always ended in his mother saying, 'Oh, run along for goodness' sakes, and let me get on with my work.' And then Jack would go and lie on his front ... and make up pretty poems about the Dignity of Labor, or about how dear and good mothers are. — E. Nesbit

He said that his eyes were red because he had a cold. — E. Nesbit

This is why I shall not tell you in this story about all the days when nothing happened. You will not catch me saying, 'thus the sad days passed slowly by'
or 'the years rolled on their weary course'
or 'time went on'
because it is silly; of course time goes on
whether you say so or not. So I shall just tell you the nice, interesting parts
and in between you will understand that we had our meals and got up and went to bed, and dull things like that. — E. Nesbit

There are brown eyes in the world, after all, as well as blue, and one pair of brown that meant heaven to me as the blue had never done — E. Nesbit

Time and space are only forms of thought. — E. Nesbit

Grown-up people find it difficult to believe really wonderful things, unless they have what they call proof. But children will believe almost anything, and grown-ups know this. That is why they tell you that the earth is round like an orange, when you can see perfectly well that it is flat and lumpy; and why they say that the earth goes round the sun, when you can see for yourself any day that the sun gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night like a good sun as it is, and the earth knows its place, and lies as still as a mouse. Yet I daresay you believe all that about the earth and the sun, and if so you will find it quite easy to believe that before Anthea and Cyril and the others had been a week in the country they had found a fairy. — E. Nesbit

Everyone felt as if it had been trying not to cry all its life, — E. Nesbit

Time is but a mode of thought — E. Nesbit

Life will give you what you ask of here if only you ask long enough and plainly enough. — E. Nesbit

Oh, Len, isn't she a darling? Just because she saw how our Bandboxful of furniture would rattle about in that big house like a peanut in a cocoanut shell, to lend us all hers! She is a darling. — E. Nesbit

It's an odd thing- the softer and more easily hurt a woman is the better she can screw herself up to do what has to be done. — E. Nesbit

I've not got much money, but I've got heaps of ideas. — E. Nesbit

I'll plant and water, sow and weed, Till not an inch of earth shows brown, And take a vow of each small seed To grow to greenness and renown: And then some day you'll pass my way, See gold and crimson, bell and star, And catch my garden's soul, and say: "How sweet these cottage gardens are!" — E. Nesbit

Oh!" said Roberta, drawing a long breath; "it was like a great dragon tearing by. Did you feel it fan us with its hot wings?" "I suppose a dragon's lair might look very like that tunnel from the outside," said Phyllis. — E. Nesbit

These gardens are green, because green is the color that most pleases and soothes men's eyes; and however you may shut people up between bars of yellow and mud color, and however hard you may make them work, and however little wage you may pay them for working, there will always be found among those people some men who are willing to work a little longer, and for no wages at all, so that they may have green things growing near them. — E. Nesbit

I'd like to marry a lady who had trances, and only woke up once or twice a year — E. Nesbit

Trying not to believe things when in your heart you are almost sure they are true, is as bad for the temper as anything I know. — E. Nesbit

A red, red rose, all wet with dew, With leaves of green by red shot through. — E. Nesbit

Time is, as you are probably aware, merely a convenient fiction. There is no such thing as time. — E. Nesbit

Also she had the power of silent sympathy. That sounds rather dull, I know, but it's not so dull as it sounds. It just means that a person is able to know that you are unhappy, and to love you extra on that account, without bothering you by telling you all the time how sorry she is for you. — E. Nesbit

Don't you think it's rather nice to think that we're in a book that God's writing? If I were writing a book, I might make mistakes. But God knows how to make the story end just right
in the way that's best for us."
Do you really believe that, Mother?" Peter asked quietly.
Yes," she said, "I do believe it
almost always
except when I'm so sad that I can't believe anything. But even when I don't believe it, I know it's true
and I try to believe it. — E. Nesbit

They didn't know being dead is only being asleep, and you're bound to wake up somewhere or other, either where you go to sleep or some better place. — E. Nesbit

Grown-up people find it very difficult to believe really wonderful things, unless they have what they call proof. But children will believe almost anything, and grown-ups know this. That is why they tell you that the earth is round like an orange, when you can see perfectly well that it is flat and lumpy; and why they say that the earth goes round the sun, when you can see for yourself any day that the sun gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night like a good sun it is, and the earth knows its place, and lies as still as a mouse. — E. Nesbit

I don't agree with you in the least," said Temple - "about marriage, I mean. A man ought to want to get married - "
"To anybody? Without its being anybody in particular?"
"Yes," said Temple stoutly. "If he gets to thirty without wanting to marry any one in particular, he ought to look about till he finds some one he does want. It's the right and proper thing to marry and have kiddies. — E. Nesbit

But what's the use of belonging anywhere if you're invisible? — E. Nesbit

Everything has an end, and you get to it if you only keep all on. — E. Nesbit

I never read prefaces, and it is not much good writing things just for people to skip. I wonder other authors have never thought of this. — E. Nesbit

Germ of endearment — E. Nesbit

My Lamb, you are so very small, You have not learned to read at all; Yet never a printed book withstands The urgence of your dimpled hands. So, though this book is for yourself, Let mother keep it on the shelf Till you can read. O days that pass, That day will come too soon, alas! — E. Nesbit

The rule of the giant's wife, a most worthy woman, whose only fault was that she was to ready to trust boys. — E. Nesbit

It is not, Dear, because I am alone, For I am lonelier when the rest are near, But that my place against your heart has grown Too dear to dream of when you are not here. — E. Nesbit

So he caught her in his arms and kissed her, and they were very happy, and told each other what a beautiful world it was, and how wonderful it was that they should have found each other, seeing that the world is not only beautiful but rather large. — E. Nesbit

There are a thousand spears in my back,' said a little sharp voice, 'and they are all devoted to the Princess and to her alone. — E. Nesbit

For London is like prison for children, especially if their relations are not rich. — E. Nesbit

The chestnut's proud, and the lilac's pretty, The poplar's gentle and tall, But the plane tree's kind to the poor dull city - I love him best of all. — E. Nesbit

Perhaps there's given up being magic because people didn't believe in it any more. — E. Nesbit

Feathers, and a shield and a lance and a sword. His armor and his weapons were all, I am almost sure, of quite different periods. The shield was thirteenth century, while the sword was of the pattern used in the Peninsular War. The cuirass was of the time of Charles I., and the helmet dated from the Second Crusade. The arms on the shield were very grand - three red running lions on a blue ground. The tents were of the latest brand approved of by our modern War Office, and the whole appearance of camp, army, and leader might have been a shock to some. But Robert was dumb with admiration, and it all seemed to him perfectly correct, because he knew no more of heraldry or archaeology than the gifted artists who usually drew the pictures for the historical romances. The scene was indeed "exactly like a picture." He admired — E. Nesbit

If you're lucky enough to be different, don't you ever changed - Taylor Swift — E. Nesbit

I don't understand," says Gerald, alone in his third- class carriage, "how railway trains and magic can go on at the same time."
And yet they do. — E. Nesbit

So you see it was all right in the end. But if one does that sort of thing, one has to be careful to do it in the right way. For, as Mr. Perks said, when he had time to think it over, it's not so much what you do, as what you mean. — E. Nesbit

Then suddenly Jack was a changed boy. Something wonderful had happened to him, and it had made him different. It sometimes happened to people that they see or hear something quite wonderful and then they are never altogether the same again. — E. Nesbit

And where are you going?"
"I dunno," said the Spangled Boy. "I'm running from, not to."
Book: Wet Magic, Chapter 5. — E. Nesbit

Out, out, into the night,
The belfry bells are ours by right! — E. Nesbit

Yes, I know," Lionel interrupted. "Well, I shall read them all. I love to read. I am so glad I learned to read. — E. Nesbit

Ladylike is the beastliest word there is, I think. If a girl isn't a lady, it isn't worth while to be only like one, she'd better let it alone and be a free and happy bounder. — E. Nesbit

With gloomy face he picked it up And took it to his Mother, Though even he could not suppose That she could make another; For those who perished on the line He did not seem to care, His engine being more to him Than all the people there. And now you see the reason why Our Peter has been ill: He soothes his soul with pigeon-pie His gnawing grief to kill. He wraps himself in blankets warm And sleeps in bed till late, Determined thus to overcome His miserable fate. And if his eyes are rather red, His cold must just excuse it: Offer him pie; you may be sure He never will refuse it. — E. Nesbit

It was to keep it whole. — E. Nesbit

The house was three miles from the station, but, before the dusty hired hack had rattled along for five minutes, the children began to put their heads out of the carriage window and say, "Aren't we nearly there? — E. Nesbit

Mother did not spend all her time in paying dull calls to dull ladies, and sitting dully at home waiting for dull ladies to pay calls to her. She was almost always there, ready to play with the children, and read to them, and help them to do their home-lessons. Besides this she used to write stories for them while they were at school, and read them aloud after tea, and she always made up funny pieces of poetry for their birthdays and for other great occasions, such as the christening of the new kittens, or the refurnishing of the doll's house, or the time when they were getting over the mumps. — E. Nesbit

Albert-next-door doesn't care for reading, and he has not read nearly so many books as we have, so he is very foolish and ignorant, but it cannot be helped ... Besides, it is wrong to be angry with people for not being so clever as you are yourself. — E. Nesbit

You will think that they ought to have been very happy. And so they were, but they did not know HOW happy till the pretty life in the Red Villa was over and done with, and they had to live a very different life indeed. The — E. Nesbit

It wouldn't do to go mixing up the present and the past, and cutting bits out of one to fit into the other. — E. Nesbit

He goes in and the door is shut. I think we will not open the door or follow him. I think that just now we are not wanted there. I think it will be best for us to go quickly and quietly away. At the end of the field, among the thin gold spikes of grass and the harebells and Gipsy roses and St. John's Wort, we may just take one last look, over our shoulders, at the white house where neither we nor anyone else is wanted now. — E. Nesbit

I think magic went out when people began to have steam-engines, and newspapers, and telephones and wireless telegraphing. — E. Nesbit