“You swore you loved me, and laughed and warned me that you would not love me forever.
I did not hear you. You were speaking in a language I did not understand.”
″ ‘Who are you?’ I whispered. He shrugged again. ‘Something,’ he said. ‘Something like you, something like a beast, something like a bird, something like an angel.’ He laughed. ‘Something like that.’ ”
“Orange balloon,′ said another, starting on a clump of clover. ‘Orange balloon. . .’ said Mathilda. ‘That’s me!’ ‘You?’ the sheep laughed. ‘You’re not orange. And you’re not a balloon.”
“Sitting in his armchair in his small house at the other side of the wood, he laughed and laughed every time he thought about all the people he had tickled.
So, if you are in any way ticklish, beware of Mr Tickle and those extraordinary long arms of his. Just think. Perhaps, he’s somewhere about at this very moment while you’re reading this book.”
“On the seat of the great chief’s stool lay the little garden snake. Nyasha laughed with relief and joy. ‘My little friend!’ she exclaimed. ‘It’s such a pleasure to see you, but why are you here?’ ‘I am the king,’ Nyoka replied. And there, before Nyasha’s eyes, the garden snake changed shape.”
“All the other tugboats made fun of Little Toot, calling him a silly tugboat who only knew how to play. Poor Little Toot. He felt ashamed and angry. As he sailed away, puffing a trail of smoke balls, the other boats just laughed at him.”
“They all laughed, nervously, and the first seeds of trust were sown. Andres was invited to hop in among the twins’ menageries of puppets. There were more a dozen of them, jiggling on long strings suspended from wooden racks built into the roof of the van.”