William Steig Quotes & Sayings

Oh, Life, I am yours. Whatever it is you want of me, I am ready to give. — William Steig

Why did the world go on being so beautiful in spite of the ugliness he had experienced? The lake was beautiful, serenely beautiful. The forest was beautiful, greenly beautiful. Lake and forest, the whole shimmering world was painfully beautiful. He loved this world, but he was too hurt to enjoy it. — William Steig

I think I feel a little differently than other people do. For some reason I've never felt grown up. — William Steig

I've always despised old people. I got angry at my father when he began to show signs of age. — William Steig

Why had he wanted to be rich, or to feel rich? Was he an unhappy mouse before? Didn't he see the King himself often looking sad? Was anyone completely happy? — William Steig

The damp occupants of the cave stood close together in the vaulted entrance like actors who had played their parts and could now watch the rest of the show from the wings. — William Steig

His mother was ugly and his father was ugly, but Shrek was uglier than the two of them put together. By the time he toddled, Shrek could spit flame a full ninety-nine yards and vent smoke from either ear. — William Steig

People are no damned good. — William Steig

And they lived horribly ever after, scaring the socks off all who fell afoul of them. — William Steig

Rain caused one to reflect on the shadowed, more poignant parts of life - the inescapable sorrows, the speechless longings, the disappointments, the regrets, the cold miseries. It also allowed one the leisure to ponder questions unasked in the bustle of brighter days; and if one were snug under a sound roof, as Abel was, one felt somehow mothered, though mothers were nowhere around, and absolved of responsibilities. — William Steig

Otchky-potchky, itchky-pitch,
Pay attention to this witch.
A donkey takes you to a knight
Him you conquer in a fight.
Then you wed a princess who
Is even uglier than you.
Ha ha ha and cockadoodle,
The magic words are 'Apple Strudel — William Steig

He began to develop an obstinate patience. — William Steig

Abel also kept busy taking it easy. Only when taking it easy, he'd learned, could one properly do one's wondering. — William Steig

To tell the truth, I don't read children's books. I'm an adult. I just write them. — William Steig

He was able to love them again, but he loved them now in a wiser way, knowing their weakness. — William Steig

Never had he been subjected to such rude treatment. How long could it last? How long, he wondered, could he abide it? — William Steig

Somewhere out there, in the night sky-and it could only be night-were the glittering stars, and among them his, the one he had always known. This star, his, millions of miles away, was yet closer than Amanda, because if he had the will and the strength to get up, uncover his window, and look out, he could see it. He knew, therefore, that it existed. But as for Amanda, father, mother, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and the rest of society and the animal kingdom, he had to believe they were there, and it was hard to have this faith. As far as he really knew, he himself was the only, lonely, living thing that existed, and in his coma of coldness, he was not so sure of that. — William Steig

How did the world ever manage without me before I was born?' he wondered. 'Didn't they feel something was missing? — William Steig

The stubbornness of his character stood him now in good stead. He refused to consider himself defeated. — William Steig

I wish I were a rock,' he said, and he became a rock. — William Steig

Later she sat on the ground in the forest between school and home, and spring was so bright and beautiful, the warm air touched her so tenderly, she could almost feel herself changing into a flower. Her light dress felt like petals.
"I love everything," she heard herself say.
"So do I," a voice answered.
Pearl straightened up and looked around. No one was there. — William Steig

When they had eventually calmed down a bit, and had gotten home, Mr. Duncan put the magic pebble in an iron safe. Some day they might want to use it, but really, for now, what more could they wish for? They all had all that they wanted. — William Steig

Did you ever see anybody so disgusting: said lightning to thunder, "never," growled thunder, "let's give him the works. — William Steig

The world was all magic, and he had a special bottle of it in his right hand. — William Steig

People are no damn good. — William Steig

How deeply one felt when alone. — William Steig