Sublime

Fairy tales do not give the child his first idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey.

Playing as children mean playing is the most serious thing in the world; and as soon as we have small duties or small sorrows we have to abandon to some extent so enormous and ambitious a plan of life.

Regress to being a good little boy or girl, calling upon the leftover responses of a child and therefore pleasing those “big-people” that you learned to regard as superior to you. Your regression is safer than risk.

Aardvark and Rabbit were embarrassed for their friend’s embarrassment, but they understood completely.

“No, you’re a rabbit.” “A rabbit?” Poppy made a face. “I don’t like that. Why am I a rabbit?”

The good child has been deprived of one of the central ingredients of a properly privileged upbringing: the experience of other people witnessing and surviving their mischief.