Original artwork, not a still
The Minpins ‧ 1991
And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Dahl's last piece of advice to children, and it works as a farewell: look closely, because wonder is hidden in small places, and people who have decided there is no magic will walk straight past it. The Minpins make the point literally, since a whole city sits unseen in a tree. It is now one of the most shared Dahl lines, printed in school libraries and on nursery walls.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The MinpinsShow the scene
The Minpins (1991, illustrated by Patrick Benson) was published shortly after Dahl's death in November 1990 and is his last work of literature. Little Billy is forbidden by his mother to enter the Forest of Sin behind his house, where she says terrible beasts live. He goes in anyway, flees a monster trailing red-orange smoke, and climbs a tree. Windows open all along its branches and Billy finds a whole city of tiny people, the Minpins, living inside. The line itself is advice addressed straight to the reader, set beside the opening of that forbidden adventure.
Sources (2)
- Wikipedia: The MinpinsIntro and SynopsisReference checked
- Wikiquote: Roald DahlThe Minpins (1991) sectionReference checked
Context reviewed
