"And if his grandmother told them stories, he always interrupted her; besides, if he could manage it, he would get behind her, put on her spectacles,… - Hans Christian Andersen

Il mare appariva come una volta eterea, come un cielo solido e senza stelle sotto di noi, e nell'aria trasparente si perdeva nell'immensità; nessuna striscia, scura o luminosa, limitava l'orizzonte; c'era una chiarità, una vastità infinita, che non si può dipingere né descrivere, se non nella profondità eterna del pensiero.

"He found whole figures which represented a written word; but he never could manage to represent just the word he wanted - that word was 'eternity', and the Snow Queen had said, "If you can discover that figure, you shall be your own master, and I will make you a present of the whole world and a pair of new skates." But he could not find it out."

There was a proud Teapot, proud of being made of porcelain, proud of its long spout and its broad handle. It had something in front of it and behind it; the spout was in front, and the handle behind, and that was what it talked about. But it didn't mention its lid, for it was cracked and it was riveted and full of defects, and we don't talk about our defects - other people do that. The cups, the cream pitcher, the sugar bowl - in fact, the whole tea service - thought much more about the defects in the lid and talked more about it than about the sound handle and the distinguished spout. The Teapot knew this.