Thursday, October 28, 2010

Redwall Quotes II

Picture by Cybercatmia
The two mice hugged each other. They danced around amid the chaos of paper, chanting with joy, "The gatehouse is the threshold, the gatehouse is the threshold." The Abbot, who was passing by, heard the noise. He shook his head at Ambrose Spike who was coming from the opposite direction. "Mayhaps they've been at the October Ale a little too much, Father Abbot," said the hedgehog.

No use tempting fickle Dame Fortune.

Methuselah polished agitatedly at his spectacles. "Where is she now? Will someone please enlighten me?" "She's on top of the roof, walking with a foot on either side of the apex towards the gable,"yelled Abbot Mortimer.
Methuselah sniffed. "No need to shout, Father Abbot. I'm only hard of sight, not hearing."

Cluny actually smiled. Sela shuddered.

"Play with fire, you'll get yourself burned," warned the hare.

"You are either very brave or raving mad."
"A little bit of both, I suppose," said the young mouse.

"Oh, spare me your platitudes, mouse," Julian replied in a world-weary voice.

"We have done no harm to any living creature, violence is against our nature. We-"
"Silence," Cluny snapped "Or I'll teach you what violence is."

"You ask quite a lot. I wouldn't do this for anyone else, you know."

For the first time in many days, Matthias laughed heartily. He felt so good within himself. After all the action and mental strain, travel and grief, he felt suddenly reborn, larger than life and brimming with a new-found self-confidence. Certainly there were great difficulties and hard tasks ahead of him; when the time came he would handle them. For the present he was satisfied with a feeling of immense happiness.

"But the Abbot's such a decent old buffer that he believes that there's good in everyone, even Cluny. What?"
"And so do I," Jess muttered. "I believe Cluny will be good someday. Good and dead!"

Cluny's voice shook as he address the nightmare visitor. "Who are you?" The warrior stepped forward into the daylight. Sunrays glinted diamond-like off his sword. "I am that is!"

The final conflict had begun.

Here ends the story.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Swallows and Amazons Forever

Swallows and Amazons
by Arthur Ransome

When the Walker children row out to an island on the lake, they aren't children. They're explorers, catching sharks, diving for pearls, and generally turning everything into an adventure. But when two harum-scarum "pirate" girls claim that Wild Cat Island is their own, that's where the real adventure begins.

After a fantastic and glorious war, they team up against a greater enemy, the beastly Captain Flint (alias Uncle Jim). There are boat-chases, treasure-hunts, and real-live burglars.
Not to mention loads of fun.

I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a book so much!
They totally reminded me of myself when I was a kid. The way children think was depicted so perfectly, what with the grown-ups being "natives" and the many innocent yet swashbuckling adventures.
It was an absolute joy from beginning to end. I simply could not put it down.

Do I recommend it? You bet I do!

Objectionable Content: None

Related Reads:
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Bridge to Terebithia by Katherine Peterson

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Upular

This is so cool!

An Australian DJ named Pogo took different sounds from Pixar's "Up" and made it into a song.
Very catchy, I must say.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Books Are So Suprising

I recently bought a book: "Titanic: The Long Night" by Diane Hoh. It's an excellent read that I highly recommend, but that's not the point.
The point is that I was flipping through it and found these small bits of painted paper on page 365.

I love it when I find remnants of a past reader. Once I found a fancy bookmark, and twice I stumbled across trading cards tucked between the pages.

Has anyone else had a similar experience?




Saturday, October 9, 2010

Redwall Quotes Part 1

Picture by Cybercatmia
Who says that I am dead/Knows nought at all./I - am that is,/Two mice within Redwall./The Warrior sleeps/‘Twixt Hall and Cavern Hole./I - am that is,/Take on my mighty role./Look for the sword/In moonlight streaming forth,/At night, when day’s first hour/Reflects the North./From o’er the threshold/Seek and you will see;/I - am that is,/My sword will wield for me.

Was it magic? Of course it was.

Would Miss Cornflower like to sit next to him? She most certaintly would!

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves, giggling like silly little otter cubs that have caught a beetle."

"What idiotic mice you are, to be sure."

Matthias felt he had found an ally.

"Go, while you still have skulls."

"Matthias, you're a very brave young mouse, so please try to set an example by not becoming a foolish or dead one."

"No beast I know of could climb those walls."
"Except you?"
"Except me."

"A touching little speech, vole, but you wrong me. I don't want to capture the spirit of Redwall. I mean to kill it!"

Legendary swords didn't rust and wear away to nothing; otherwise they'd never get to be in legends.

"Well, curl my whiskers! The young scoundrel has a brain, and it works too."

It was a dangerous game, but one that she had played well thus far.

"Time provides all the answers."

Monday, October 4, 2010

An Unsung Heroine

You know, I really love heroes in the old stories that people have never heard of. But sometimes, it'd be nice if other people gave them recognition.
Anyway, you've all heard of King arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Lancelot, Gawain, and many others. There was also a Sir Pellias (or Pelleas, as some spell it).
A young maiden came to Camelot one day, and she had a quest for Sir Pellias.

Her name was Parcenet.

Who accomponied Pellias on his quest?
Parcenet.
Who rescued him and his honor?
Parcenet.
Who friggin' saved his life in the forest when he was too weak to call for help?
Parcenet!

And how many Google results do you get with her name?
A big fat 0.

So, please, let's appreciate the damsel who did what a knight could not.
Picture by Howard Pyle