My family and other animals

A tiny green grasshopper with a long, melancholy face sat twitching his hind legs nervously. A fragile snail sat on a moss sprig, meditating and waiting for the evening dew.

I had a letter from George this morning

you were so much more surprised at everything when you were ignorant.

one should have nightingales at this time of day, not motor-car horns.'

All the nice gulls love a sailor

Look what happened to the Ancient Mariner.

Old Plop was a large and ancient terrapin that lived in one of the canals.

Anyway, their first performance was to be Tosca.

Up in the north of the island lay a large lake with the pleasant, jingling name of Antiniotissa

But in spite of all this Mother continued to lead her strange caravan off into the olive-groves at five o'clock every evening.