The Wonderful O Quotes

“Taking a single letter from the alphaber," he said, "should make life simpler."

"I don't see why. Take the F from life and you have lie. It's adding a letter to simple that makes it simpler. Taking a letter from hoarder makes it harder.”
― James Thurber, The Wonderful O

“Books can be burned,” croaked Black.

“They have a way of rising from the ashes,” said Andreus.”
― James Thurber, The Wonderful O

“Dius gre gling minus gress” meant “Odious ogre ogling ominous ogress,” but only scholars knew it.”
― James Thurber, The Wonderful O

“It was written all in O, or nearly so, and all the O's are gone," said Andrea. "When coat is cat, and boat is bat, and goatherd looks like gathered, and booth is both, since both are bth, the reader's eye is bothered."

"And power is power, and zero zer, and, worst of all, a hero's her." The old man sighed as he said it.

"Anoon is ann, and moan is man." Andrea smiled as she said it.

"And shoe," Andreus said, "is she."

"Ah, woe," the old man said, "is we.”
― James Thurber, The Wonderful O

“Geese were safe as long as one of them did not stray from the rest and become a goose, and if one of a family of mice wandered from the nest, he became a mouse and lost his impunity.”
― James Thurber, The Wonderful O

“And so it went, and some lads lost their lasses, and most men lost their tempers, and all men lost their patience, and a few men lost their minds.”
― James Thurber, The Wonderful O

“When coat is cat, and boat is bat, and goathered looks like gathered, and booth is both, since both are bth, the readers eye is bothered.”
― James Thurber, The Wonderful O

“Ink runs in their veins, immortal ink, the ink of song and story.” It was the voice of Andreus.

“Ink can be destroyed,” cried Black, “and men who are made of ink. Name me their names!”

They came so swiftly from the skies Andreus couldn’t name them all, streaming out of lore and legend, streaming out of song and story, each phantom flaunting like a flag his own especial glory: Lancelot and Ivanhoe, Athos, Porthos, Cyrano, Roland, Rob Roy, Romeo; Donalbane of Birnam Wood, Robinson Crusoe and Robin Hood; the moody Doones of Lorna Doone, Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone; out of near and ancient tomes, Banquo’s ghost and Sherlock Holmes; Lochinvar, Lothario, Horatius, and Horatio; and there were other figures, too, darker, coming from the blue, Shakespeare’s Shylock, Billy Bones, Quasimodo, Conrad’s Jones, Ichabod and Captain Hook—names enough to fill a book.

“These wearers of the O, methinks, are indestructible,” wailed Littlejack.

“Books can be burned,” croaked Black.

“They have a way of rising out of ashes,” said Andreus.”
― James Thurber, The Wonderful O