Sea and Little Fishes by Terry Pratchett
Nanny Ogg's wild youth was an open book, although only available in plain covers. (SLF)
Fools rush in, but they are laggards compared to little old ladies with nothing left to fear. (SLF)
… she would do you a good turn for your own good even if a good turn wasn’t what was good for you. (SLF)
Nanny had nothing against witches being married. It wasn’t as if there were rules. She herself had had many husbands, and had even been married to three of them. (SLF)
Even if someone was your worst enemy, you invited them in and gave them tea and biscuits. In fact, the worser your enemy, the better the crockery you got out and the higher the quality of the biscuits. You might wish black hell on ‘em later, but while they were under your roof you’d feed ‘em till they choked. (SLF)
Many people could say things in a cutting way, Nanny knew. But Granny Weatherwax could listen in a cutting a way. She could make something sound stupid just by hearing it. (SLF)
She was a witch, after all. Scratch any witch and…well, you’d be facing a witch you’d just scratched. (SLF)
Granny sniffed. ‘Do they speak highly of me?’ she said.
‘No, they speak quietly of you, Esme.’
‘Good.’ (SLF)
Granny Weatherwax was not an advertisement for witchcraft. Oh, she was one of the best at it, no doubt about that. At a certain kind, certainly. But a girl starting out in life might well say to herself, is this it? You worked hard and denied yourself things and what you got at the end of it was hard work and self-denial. (SLF)
Granny was an old-fashioned witch. She didn’t do good for people, she did right by them. But Nanny knew that people don’t always appreciate right. (SLF)
In Granny Weatherwax’s worldview there was no place for second place. You won, or you were a loser. There was nothing wrong with being a loser except for the fact that, of course, you weren’t the winner. Nanny had always pursued the policy of being a good loser. People liked you when you almost won, and bought you drinks, (SLF)
As a still it was the best-kept secret there could be, since everyone in the kingdom knew exactly where it was, and a secret kept by so many people must be very secret indeed. (SLF)
Cats spend a lot of time carefully eyeing one another. When they have to fight, that’s merely to rubber-stamp something that’s already been decided in their heads. (SLF)
Keeping secrets made you powerful. Being powerful earned you respect. Respect was hard currency. (SLF)
... a group of witches wasn't a coven, it was a small war .... (SLF)
'Who’s the fat girl on now? Got a backside on her like a bowling ball on a short seesaw.' (SLF)
The magic of wizards, the magic of witches did not usually involve the application of much raw power. The difference is between hammers and levers. Witches generally tried to find the small point where a little changes made a lot of result. To make an avalanche you can either shake the mountain, or maybe you can just find exactly the right place to drop a snowflake. (SLF)
Fools rush in, but they are laggards compared to little old ladies with nothing left to fear. (SLF)
… she would do you a good turn for your own good even if a good turn wasn’t what was good for you. (SLF)
Nanny had nothing against witches being married. It wasn’t as if there were rules. She herself had had many husbands, and had even been married to three of them. (SLF)
Even if someone was your worst enemy, you invited them in and gave them tea and biscuits. In fact, the worser your enemy, the better the crockery you got out and the higher the quality of the biscuits. You might wish black hell on ‘em later, but while they were under your roof you’d feed ‘em till they choked. (SLF)
Many people could say things in a cutting way, Nanny knew. But Granny Weatherwax could listen in a cutting a way. She could make something sound stupid just by hearing it. (SLF)
She was a witch, after all. Scratch any witch and…well, you’d be facing a witch you’d just scratched. (SLF)
Granny sniffed. ‘Do they speak highly of me?’ she said.
‘No, they speak quietly of you, Esme.’
‘Good.’ (SLF)
Granny Weatherwax was not an advertisement for witchcraft. Oh, she was one of the best at it, no doubt about that. At a certain kind, certainly. But a girl starting out in life might well say to herself, is this it? You worked hard and denied yourself things and what you got at the end of it was hard work and self-denial. (SLF)
Granny was an old-fashioned witch. She didn’t do good for people, she did right by them. But Nanny knew that people don’t always appreciate right. (SLF)
In Granny Weatherwax’s worldview there was no place for second place. You won, or you were a loser. There was nothing wrong with being a loser except for the fact that, of course, you weren’t the winner. Nanny had always pursued the policy of being a good loser. People liked you when you almost won, and bought you drinks, (SLF)
As a still it was the best-kept secret there could be, since everyone in the kingdom knew exactly where it was, and a secret kept by so many people must be very secret indeed. (SLF)
Cats spend a lot of time carefully eyeing one another. When they have to fight, that’s merely to rubber-stamp something that’s already been decided in their heads. (SLF)
Keeping secrets made you powerful. Being powerful earned you respect. Respect was hard currency. (SLF)
... a group of witches wasn't a coven, it was a small war .... (SLF)
'Who’s the fat girl on now? Got a backside on her like a bowling ball on a short seesaw.' (SLF)
The magic of wizards, the magic of witches did not usually involve the application of much raw power. The difference is between hammers and levers. Witches generally tried to find the small point where a little changes made a lot of result. To make an avalanche you can either shake the mountain, or maybe you can just find exactly the right place to drop a snowflake. (SLF)
