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A Shade Of Sorrow Passed Over Taliesin's Face. 'there Are Those,' He Said Gently, 'who Must First Learn Loss, Despair, And Grief. Of All Paths To Wisdom, This Is The Cruelest And Longest. Are You One Who Must Follow Such A Way? This Even I Cannot Know. If You Are, Take Heart Nonetheless. Those Who Reach The End Do More Than Gain Wisdom. As Rough Wool Becomes Cloth, And Crude Clay A Vessel, So Do They Change And Fashion Wisdom For Others, And What They Give Back Is Greater Than What They Won.

-Lloyd Alexander

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A Shade Of Sorrow

Lloyd Alexander

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A Shade Of Sorrow Passed Over Taliesin's Face. 'there Are Those,' He Said Gently, 'who Must First Learn Loss, Despair, And Grief. Of All Paths To Wisdom, This Is The Cruelest And Longest. Are You One Who Must Follow Such A Way? This Even I Cannot Know. If You Are, Take Heart Nonetheless. Those Who Reach The End Do More Than Gain Wisdom. As Rough Wool Becomes Cloth, And Crude Clay A Vessel, So Do They Change And Fashion Wisdom For Others, And What They Give Back Is Greater Than What They Won.

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Do You Not Believe That Animals Know Grief And Fear And Pain? The World Of Men Is Not An Easy One For Them.

That Is Why Your Sacrifice Was All The More Difficult. You Chose To Be A Hero Not Through Enchantment But Through Your Own Manhood.

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I Can't Stand People Who Say 'i Told You So.' That's Worse Than Somebody Coming Up And Eating Your Dinner Before You Have A Chance To Sit Down.

A Shade Of Sorrow Passed Over Taliesin's Face. 'there Are Those,' He Said Gently, 'who Must First Learn Loss, Despair, And Grief. Of All Paths To Wisdom, This Is The Cruelest And Longest. Are You One Who Must Follow Such A Way? This Even I Cannot Know. If You Are, Take Heart Nonetheless. Those Who Reach The End Do More Than Gain Wisdom. As Rough Wool Becomes Cloth, And Crude Clay A Vessel, So Do They Change And Fashion Wisdom For Others, And What They Give Back Is Greater Than What They Won.

A Taste For Adventure Is By No Means A Masculine Monopoly.

I Can't Make Sense Out Of That Girl," He Said To The Bard, "can You?" "never Mind," Fflewddur Said, "we Aren't Really Expected To.

No Matter What Has Happened, You're Not A Pig-boy; You're An Assistant Pig Keeper!

My Concern Is How We Learn To Be Genuine Human Beings.

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Even In A Fantasy Realm, Growing Up Is Accomplished Not Without Cost.

He Was A Great Poet" They Lamented. No, He Was Not A Great Poet," Said Theo, "he Was A Good Poet, He Could Have Been Better. That's The Real Loss Don't You See?

You Have A Point," Said Fronto, "and Even A Poet Must Occasionally Bow To Logic.

A Man Who Claims To Be Fearless Is An Idiot Or A Liar.

A Crown Is More Discomfort Than Adornment. If You Have Learned That, You Have Already Learned Much.

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Llonio Said Life Was A Net For Luck; To Hevydd The Smith Life Was A Forge; And To Dwyvach The Weaver-woman A Loom. They Spoke Truly, For It Is All Of These. But You,' Taran Said, His Eyes Meeting The Potter's, 'you Have Shown Me Life Is One Thing More. It Is Clay To Be Shaped, As Raw Clay On A Potter's Wheel.

Who But Lovers Dream Alike?

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The Muse In Charge Of Fantasy Wears Good, Sensible Shoes. No Foam-born Aphrodite, She Vaguely Resembles My Old Piano Teacher, Who Was Keen On Metronomes.

Any Fool Can Tell A Story. Take A Few Odds And Ends Of Things That Happen To You, Dress Them Up, Shuffle Them About, Add A Dash Of Excitement, A Little Color, And There You Have It.

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Count The Deed, Not The Thought.

If Life Is A Loom, The Pattern You Weave Is Not So Easily Unraveled.

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-"he Loved Her...it Was Noble Of Him. It Was Beautiful." -"it Was Stupid.

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Knowledge Wisdom

It Was 1943. The U.s. Had Already Entered World War Ii, So I Decided To Join The Army.

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Neither Refuse To Give Help When It Is Needed,... Nor Refuse To Accept It When It Is Offered.

There's This Huge Number Of Desperate People.

A Crown Is A Pitiless Master, Harsher Than The Staff Of A Pig-keeper; While A Staff Bears Up, A Crown Weighs Down, Beyond The Strength Of Any Man To Wear It Lightly.

Life's A Forge - Yes, And Hammer And Anvil, Too. You'll Be Roasted, Smelted, And Pounded, And You'll Scarce Know What's Happening To You. But Stand Proudly To It. Metal's Worthless Till It Is Shaped And Tempered. More Labor Than Luck. Face The Pounding, Don't Fear The Proving; And You'll Stand Well Against Any Hammer And Anvil.

Paradoxically, In Fantasy For Young People I Was Able To Express My Own Deepest Feelings And Attitudes More Than I Had Ever Done In Writing For Adults.

What! I Don't Care About Being A Princess! And Since I'm Already A Young Lady, How Else Could I Behave? That's Like Asking A Fish Not To Swim!" ~princess Eilonwy, Daughter Of Angharad, Daughter Of Regat, Of The Royal House Of Llyr

My Parents Were Horrified When I Told Them I Wanted To Be An Author.

I Only Suggest To You: Will You Dwell On Killing This Man? You Wish For Revenge? If You Do, He Has Already Killed You By Slow Poison. So, Let It Go. Why Waste Your Time? His Life Will See To His Death.

By All Means," Cried The Bard, His Eyes Lighting Up. "a Fflam To The Rescue! Storm The Castle! Carry It By Assault! Batter Down The Gates!" "there's Not Much Of It Left To Storm," Said Eilonwy. "oh?" Said Fflewddur, With Disappointment. "very Well, We Shall Do The Best We Can.

I Know That Some Readers Think (the High King) Should Have Ended Differently. I Cried For Three Days Afterwards.

If A Storyteller Worried About The Facts - My Dear Lucian, How Could He Ever Get At The Truth?

There Is More Honor In A Field Well Plowed Than In A Field Steeped In Blood.

He Will Not Succeed In This," Taran Said. "somehow, We Must Find A Way To Escape. We Dare Not Lose Hope." "i Agree Absolutely," Fflewddur Answered. "your General Idea Is Excellent; It's Only The Details That Are Lacking.

I Saw Myself. . . In The Time I Watched, I Saw Strength And Frailty, Pride And Vanity, Courage And Fear. Of Wisdom, A Little. Of Folly Much. Of Intentions Many Good Ones; But Many More Left Undone. On This Alas, I Saw Myself A Man Like Any Other. But This Too I Saw . . . Alike As Men May Seem, Each Is Different As Flakes Of Snow, No Two The Same.you Told Me You Had No Need To Seek The Mirror, Knowing You Were Annlaw Clay-shaper. Now I Know Who I Am: Myself And None Other. I Am Taran.

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The Dear Girl, I Fear, May Be Contemplating Some Alarming, Disruptive Perhaps Dangerous Project. In Which Case, I Would Naturally Do All In My Power To Keep Her From Any Such Rash Or Foolhardy Enterprise – Unless She Wished Me To Accompany Her.

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