I am not going to stop talking to him merely because he pays no attention. I like hear myself talk. It is one of my greatest pleasures. I often have long conversations all by myself, and I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I am saying.
Chanced upon Oscar Wilde’s short stories while on short stay at Prague.
(The Happy Prince and Other Tales (sometimes called The Happy Prince and Other Stories) is a collection of stories for children by Oscar Wilde first published in May 1888. It contains five stories: “The Happy Prince”, “The Nightingale and the Rose”, “The Selfish Giant”, “The Devoted Friend”, and “The Remarkable Rocket”.)
Don’t even remember last time I had read Wilde’s stories. What refreshing short stories and storytelling. Each story is narrated in such an engrossing yet comical style – surely to catch the attention of young readers. Each story though with such a strong moral has been told in a light breezy style.
Well, good-bye : I have enjoyed our conversation very much I assure you.
“Conversation indeed!” said the Rocket. “You have talked the whole time yourself. This is not conversation.”
“Somebody must listen.” answered the Frog, “and I like to do all the talking myself. It saves time and prevents arguments.”
“But I like arguments” said the Rocket.
“I hope not” said the Frog complacently. “Arguments are extremely vulgar, for everybody in good society holds exactly the same opinions”
Reading his stories now bring a different perspective and better appreciation. Guess morals like common sense never becomes obsolete yet so rare to find 😀
Some of my other favourite quotes of him:
- Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.
- Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth
- One should always play fairly when one has the winning cards.
- The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible.
- The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it… I can resist everything but temptation.
- Do you really think it is weakness that yields to temptation? I tell you that there are terrible temptations which it requires strength, strength and courage to yield to.
- Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.
- Society exists only as a mental concept; in the real world there are only individuals.
- How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being.
- When the gods wish to punish us they answer our prayers.
Reflections 