“Moomintroll’s mother and father always welcomed all their friends in the same quiet way, just adding another bed and putting another leaf in the dining-room table. And so Moominhouse was rather full- a place where everyone did what they liked and seldom worried about tomorrow.”
“And that was how they found the Hobgoblin’s Hat and took it home with them, without guessing for one moment that this would cast a spell on the Valley of the Moomins, and that before long they would all see strange things...”
″‘Now you’ve got a new piece of furniture again,’ he said, grinning, for Snufkin could never understand why people liked to have things. He was quite happy wearing the old suit he had had since he was born and the only possession he didn’t give away was his mouth-organ.”
″‘It’s finished. There isn’t a stamp, or an error that I haven’t collected. Not one. What shall I do now?’
‘I think I’m beginning to understand,’ said Moomintroll slowly. ‘You aren’t a collector anymore, you’re only an owner, and that isn’t nearly so much fun.‘”
“But this butterfly was golden.
‘What can that mean?’ said Moomintroll. ‘I’ve never seen a golden butterfly before.’
‘Gold is even better than yellow,’ said the Snork Maiden.”
″‘You can carry the provisions,’ he said, ‘because you haven’t got anything else to do, have you? I’m too busy to think about things like that when I’m the Path Pioneer.‘”
″‘It must be the sea!’ exclaimed Moomintroll with a whoop of joy, and he started running upwind, his heart thumping with excitement, for if there is anything Moomintrolls really love, it is swimming.”
“Here’s little Moomintroll, none other, harrying home with milk for mother. Quick, Moomintroll, it’s nearly night. Run home while there’s a bit of light. Don’t hang around in woods like these, strange creatures lurk between the trees.”