Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories Quotes

“I’m king of a cow! And I’m king of a mule! I’m king of a house! And a bush! And a cat! But that isn’t all. I’ll do better than that! My throne shall be higher!”

“Of all the beasts in the world, I’m the best! On land, and on sea... even up in the sky no animal lives who is better than I!”

“She plucked off a berry. She started to gnaw it. It tasted just awful. Almost made her sick. But she wanted that tail, so she swallowed it quick. Then she felt something happen! She felt a small twitch as if she’d been tapped, down behind, by a switch. And Gertrude looked ‘round. And she cheered! It was true! Two feathers! Exactly like Lolla-Lee-Lou!”

″ ‘I’m the ruler,’ said Yertle, ‘of all that I see. But I don’t see enough. That’s the trouble with me. With this stone for a throne. I look down on my pond but I cannot look down on the places beyond. This throne that I sit on is too, too low down. It ought to be higher!’ ”

“They sparkled like diamonds and gumdrops and gold! Like silk! Like spaghetti! Like satin! Like lace! They burst out like rockets all over the place! They waved in the air and they swished in the breeze! And some were as long as the branches of trees.”

“And, finally, when all the pulling was done, Gertrude, beind her, again had just one...That one little feather she had as a starter. But now that’s enough, because now she is smarter.”

“Mr. Bear, do you see these two ears on my head? My ears are so keen and so sharp and so fine. No ears in the world can hear further than mine!”

“If I could sit high, how much greater I’d be! What a king! I’d be ruler of all I could see!”

″ ‘Hooray! shouted Yertle. ‘I’m king of the trees! I’m king of the birds! And I’m king of the bees! I’m king of the butterflies! King of the air! Ah, me! What a throne! What a wonderful chair! I’m Yertle the Turtle! Oh, marvelous me! For I am the ruler of all that I see!’ ”

“Your Majesty, please...I don’t like to complain. But down here below, we are feeling great pain. I know, up on top you are seeing great sights. But down at the bottom we, too, should have rights. We turtles can’t stand it. Our shells will all crack! Besides, we need food. We are starving!”