Beautiful lines from children's books

[NettJarrp]

Just came across this line in DD's current favourite bedtime story:
"Then Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh walked hand in hand down the forest path and they said goodbye. So they went off together. But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the forest a little boy and his bear will always be playing."
I'm in tears. It's times like this that I wish that I could share these feelings with DD's father (I'm widowed - not a thread about that though).

What lines in children's stories pull at your heart strings?

Giles Andreae - The Lion Who Wanted To Love

"You've got to be strong to be different,
And when you've got love on your side
You've got the most valuable gift that there is,
We want you as King of our pride."

I hope this message stays with my children always.

The last page from Wibbly Pig's Big Silly Bear. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but if you've read it you'll know what I mean

When the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.

Peter Pan

Also the bit in Where the Wild Things Are

"Oh please don't go, we'll eat you up we love you so"

It is the echo of what went before, when Max was told off for telling his mother that he would 'eat her up'. I am not exactly sure what that is saying but it is definitely saying something about the nature of love as it manifests itself in parent children relationships. Gives me a shiver every time.

I've probably read my DD The Paper Dolls at least 200 times by now and I still cry when I hit the memories page. Every. Single. Time.

And, again in common with tonnes of you, Neil Gaiman's Blueberry Girl is another book which makes my heart lurch with happy/sad: m.youtube.com/watch?v=QH4lyJWa_84

But the closing paragraphs with a proven track record of making me do full blown ugly crying* are from The Steadfast Tin Soldier:

"He looked at the little maiden, and she looked at him; and he felt that he was melting away, but he still managed to keep himself erect, shouldering his gun bravely.
A door was suddenly opened, the draught caught the little dancer and she fluttered like a sylph, straight into the fire, to the soldier, blazed up and was gone!

By this time the soldier was reduced to a mere lump, and when the maid took away the ashes next morning she found him, in the shape of a small tin heart. All that was left of the dancer was her spangle, and that was burnt as black as a coal."

(*I haven't gone near The Selfish Giant or The Happy Prince since I had DD. I have them, I need to brave them and our daughter deserves to know them but I'm scared I would actually dissolve)

The line from Good Wives that finished me every time:
"As Beth had hoped, the `tide went out easily', and in the dark hour before dawn, on the bosom where she had drawn her first breath, she quietly drew her last, with no farewell but one loving look, one little sigh. "

Oh there are some wonderful lines here! I have so many books to reread!
Most of mine have already been mentioned. Toms midnight garden, goodnight Mr Tom, peepo. I also love the Jinny books and polar express.

I haven't read the full thread, so apologies if I'm repeating, but I've always loved,"Where the Wild Things Are" and the line

“And Max, the king of all wild things, was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all.” ...

Roald Dahl, from the Twits

"A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely."

The last three pages of The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Less more. So very lovely and so very poignant.

Yes to Heart in A Bottle "and the little girl reached in "

I get teary just picking up Love You Forever.

I'm a blubbering mess on the train.

Heart in a Bottle! We found it on our little library bus when DD was tiny and got it out with a stack of others. DD was most bemused when it reduced me to a blubbering wreck. It is an extraordinarily moving and lovely book.

Oh I can't believe other people have mentioned that line from 'Dogger'! I'm glad it's not just me!

The New Small Person by Lauren Child made me cry. I can't remember the exact line that got me though. I'll have to get it out of the library next time I go.

@CryHavoc I love that bit of Carrie's War too. Have you heard the audio version on radio 4? It's great - it's on iPlayer ATM.

Lucas the littlest lizard...
"The crowd cheered for Lucas the new star of the zoo
Who couldn't believe his dream had come true.
Now Lucas knows what's most important of all, to believe in your heart you are never too small"

Also a new Nancy Tillman fan - DS only 11 weeks old.

I love The Crown on Your Head - so many beautiful lines.
"In other words from your very first day, you were chosen to glow in a very big way."

"And if you fall down, remember your glorious, marvellous crown. It won't flicker or fade. It won't dim."

"That's why every night when I put you to bed, I'm careful to kiss the crown on your head."

Also from A.A. Milne:

James James Robinson Robinson
Wetherby George Dupree
Took great care of his mother
Though he was only three
James James said to his mother
Mother, he said, said he
You must never go down
To the end of the town
If you don't go down
With me.

Etc.

Maybe it doesn't qualify as beautiful but the rhyming and rhythm are top notch. I think this poem appeared in When We Were Very Young. Or was it Now We Have Sex ? I can't remember.

Oops. I've just remembered it's Morrison, not Robinson. Twit.

Now We Have SexThat's a new one on me... I've only got "Now we are Six" A bit risqué for AA Milne.

Witchend. It was strictly ' under the counter, for discerning adults and students of filthy poetry'.

I'm obviously not discerning enough.

I do know the whole of James James etc off by heart as I learnt it in junior 4. I quote it at the children when they're going into town. They love me really.

There was also the Changing Of The Guard when Christopher Robin went down on Alice. But anyway, I've hijacked this thread enough. I'll see myself out .

"But I gave Buns to the Elephant when I went down to the zoo" could be an interesting innuendo.

Nancy Tillman- the crown on your head.
The whole story is beautiful but I especially love the first bit. I read this story lots to ds when he was seriously ill and it made me well up (and still does). The words ring so true to my boy.

On the day that we met you and I put you to bed, I noticed a crown on the top of your head.
It was made up of sparkling glimmering things like moonlight and fireflies, and dragon wings.
As the days came and went, It was faithful and true...
and It grew right along with the rest of you.
I always knew just what your crown meant.
It said that you were MAGNIFICENT.

Wind in the Willows, when Mole smells home:

Poor Mole found it difficult to get any words out between the upheavals of his chest that followed one upon another so quickly and held back speech and choked it as it came. 'I know it's a— shabby, dingy little place,' he sobbed forth at last, brokenly: 'not like— your cosy quarters— or Toad's beautiful hall— or Badger's great house— but it was my own little home— and I was fond of it— and I went away and forgot all about it— and then I smelt it suddenly— on the road, when I called and you wouldn't listen, Rat— and everything came back to me with a rush— and I wanted it!— O dear, O dear!— and when you wouldn't turn back, Ratty— and I had to leave it, though I was smelling it all the time— I thought my heart would break.— We might have just gone and had one look at it, Ratty— only one look— it was close by— but you wouldn't turn back, Ratty, you wouldn't turn back! O dear, O dear!'