Harriet the Spy Quotes

“Don't mess with anybody on a Monday. It's a bad, bad day.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“[Harriet] hated math. She hated math with every bone in her body. She spent so much time hating it that she never had time to do it.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“Sometimes you have to lie. But to yourself you must always tell the truth.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“People who love work, love life.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“Little lies that make people feel better are not bad, like thanking someone for a meal they made even if you hated it, or telling a sick person they look better when they don't, or someone with a hideous new hat that it's lovely. But to yourself you must tell the truth”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“WHEN SOMEBODY GOES AWAY THERE'S THINGS YOU WANT TO TELL THEM. WHEN SOMEBODY DIES MAYBE THAT'S THE WORST THING. YOU WANT TO TELL THEM THINGS THAT HAPPEN AFTER.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“YOU CAN'T BE TOO OLD TO SPY EXCEPT IF YOU WERE FIFTY YOU MIGHT FALL OFF A FIRE ESCAPE, BUT YOU COULD SPY AROUND ON THE GROUND A LOT.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“Life is a struggle and a good spy goes in there and fights.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“LIFE IS A GREAT MYSTERY. IS EVERYBODY A DIFFERENT PERSON WHEN THEY ARE WITH SOMEBODY ELSE?”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“She didn't care anymore... and she got no pleasure from the work she did, but she did it. Everything bored her. She found that when she didn't have a notebook it was hard for her to think. The thoughts came slowly, as though they had to squeeze through a tiny door to get to her, whereas when she wrote, they flowed out faster than she could put them down. She sat very stupidly with a blank mind until finall 'I feel different' came slowly to her mind.

Yes, she thought, after a long pause. And then, after more time, 'Mean, I feel mean.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“I WONDER IF WHEN YOU DREAM ABOUT SOMEBODY THEY DREAM ABOUT YOU.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“This was too much. "I refuse. I absolutely REFUSE to be an onion.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“Ole Golly: The time has come, the walrus said...
Harriet M. Welsch: To talk of many things...
Ole Golly: Of shoes and ships and ceiling wax...
Harriet M. Welsch: Of cabbages and kings...
Ole Golly: And why the sea is boiling hot...
Harriet M. Welsch: And whether pigs have wings!”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“Life is very strange.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“I feel all the same things when I do things alone as when Ole Golly was here. The bath feels hot, the bed feels soft, but I feel there's a funny little hole in me that wasn't there before, like a splinter in your finger, but this is somewhere above my stomach.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“Harriet: How do you practice being an onion?”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“Harriet: Is it fun being married?
Ole Golly: How should I know? I've never been married. However, I doubt it's all fun. Nothing ever is, you know.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“Writing is to put love into the world.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“JANIE GETS STRANGER EVERY YEAR.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“I had”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“Harriet pushed her hair back and looked at him seriously. 'Sport, what are you going to be when you grow up?'

'You know what. You know I'm going to be a ball player.'

'Well, I'm going to be a writer. And when I say that's a mountain, that's a mountain.' Satisfied, she turned back to her town.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“THERE IS MORE TO THIS THING OF LOVE THAN MEETS THE EYE. I AM GOING TO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THIS A GREAT DEAL BUT I DON'T THINK IT WILL GET ME ANYWHERE. I THINK MAYBE THEY'RE ALL RIGHT WHEN THEY SAY THERE ARE DOME THINGS I WON'T KNOW ABOUT UNTIL I'M OLDER.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“Miss Elson came into the room and they all stood up and said, “Good morning, Miss Elson.” Miss Elson bowed and said, “Good morning, children.” Then they all sat down and punched each other.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“She never minded admitting she didn't know something. So what, she thought; I could always learn.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“IF YOU CAN KEEP YOUR HEAD WHEN ALL ABOUT YOU ARE LOSING THEIRS AND BLAMING IT ON YOU”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“SOMETHING TERRIBLE IS GOING TO HAPPEN. I KNOW IT. EVERY TIME I HAD A BAD DREAM I FEEL LIKE LEAVING TOWN. THEN I FEEL THAT SOMETHING TERRIBLE IS GOING TO HAPPEN. AND THIS IS THE WORST DREAM I'VE EVER HAD IN MY WHOLE LIFE.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“Well,” Mrs. Plumber was saying decisively into the telephone, “I have discovered the secret of life.” Wow, thought Harriet. “My dear, it’s very simple, you just take to your bed. You just refuse to leave it for anything or anybody.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“Well, I’m going to be a writer. And when I say that’s a mountain, that’s a mountain.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“Harriet never minded admitting when she didn't know something. 'So what,' she thought, 'I can always learn.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

“Some people are one way and some people are another and that's that.”
― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy