#weekly theme: happy hogswatch

[pratchettquotes]

Ponder Stibbons had been worried to find himself, as a wizard, awaiting the arrival of the Hogfather. It's amazing how people define roles for themselves and put handcuffs on their experience and are constantly surprised by the things a roulette universe spins at them.

Terry Pratchett, Hogfather

#ponder stibbons #susan sto helit #hogfather #discworld #terry pratchett #weekly theme: happy hogswatch #childhood #adulthood #adulting #expectations #surprise #belief #roles #roulette universe

[pratchettquotes]

"Towel Wasps," said the Dean. "Well done, Archchancellor."

"Well, I mean, dammit, it's human nature, isn't it?" said Ridcully hotly. "Things go wrong, things get lost, it's natural to invent little creatures that--All right, all right, I'll be careful. I'm just saying man is naturally a mythopoeic creature."

"What's that mean?" said the Senior Wrangler.

"Means we make things up as we go along," said the Dean, not looking up.

Terry Pratchett, Hogfather

#the dean #mustrum ridcully #senior wrangler #hogfather #discworld #terry pratchett #weekly theme: happy hogswatch #belief #invention #myths #reality #language #power of words #human nature #towel wasps #mythopoeic creatures #making it up as we go

[pratchettquotes]

NEXT! AND WHAT'S YOUR NAME, LITTLE...He hesitated, but rallied, and continued...PERSON?

"Nobby Nobbs, Hogfather," said Nobby. [...]

AND HAVE YOU BEEN A GOOD BO...A GOOD DWA...A GOOD GNO...A GOOD INDIVIDUAL?

And suddenly Nobby found that he had no control at all of his tongue. Of its own accord, gripped by a terrible compulsion, it said: " 's."

He struggled for self-possession as the great voice went on: SO I EXPECT YOU'LL WANT A PRESENT FOR A GOOD MON...A GOOD HUM...A GOOD MALE?

Aha, got you bang to rights, you'll be coming along with me, my old chummy, I bet you don't remember the cellar at the back of the shoelace maker's in Old Cobblers, eh, all those Hogswatch mornings with a little hole in my world, eh?

The words rose in Nobby's throat but were overridden by something ancient before they reached his voice, and to his amazement were translated into: " 's."

SOMETHING NICE?

" 's."

There was hardly anything left of Nobby's conscious will now. The world consisted of nothing but his naked soul and the Hogfather, who filled the universe.

Terry Pratchett, Hogfather

#nobby nobbs #DEATH #hogfather #discworld #terry pratchett #weekly theme: happy hogswatch #christmas #christmas gifts #santa claus #mall santa #children #expectations #identity crisis #a good individual #something nice #the hogfather who fills the universe #long quote #extended quote

[pratchettquotes]

"Well, you brought some magic into that little life," said Albert, as the next child was hurried away.

IT'S THE EXPRESSION ON THEIR LITTLE FACES I LIKE, said the Hogfather.

"You mean the sort of fear and awe and not knowing whether to laugh or cry or wet their pants?"

YES. NOW THAT IS WHAT I CALL BELIEF.

Terry Pratchett, Hogfather

#DEATH #albert #hogfather #discworld #terry pratchett #weekly theme: happy hogswatch #children #childhood #magic #belief #experience #santa claus #shock and awe #fear #it's the expression on their little faces

[pratchettquotes]

IT IS...UNFAIR.

"That's life, master."

BUT I'M NOT.

"I meant, this is how it's supposed to go, master," said Albert.

NO. YOU MEAN THIS IS HOW IT GOES.

Terry Pratchett, Hogfather

#DEATH #albert #hogfather #discworld #terry pratchett #weekly theme: happy hogswatch #unfair #life isn't fair #how it's going #supposed to be #this is how it goes #that's life

[pratchettquotes]

The feast had vanished. The old man was looking blearily at the bare table.

HALF-EATEN LEAVINGS, said Death. WE COULD CERTAINLY DO BETTER THAN THIS. He reached into the sack.

Albert grabbed his arm before he could withdraw his hand. "Mind taking a bit of advice, master? I was brung up in a place like this."

[...] The old man was only dimly aware of some whispering. He sat hunched up, staring at nothing.

WELL, IF YOU ARE SURE...

"Been there, done that, chewed the bones," said Albert. "Charity ain't giving people what you wants to give, it's giving people what they need to get."

VERY WELL.

Terry Pratchett, Hogfather

#DEATH #albert #hogfather #discworld #terry pratchett #weekly theme: happy hogswatch #giving #charity #help #harm #poverty #psychology #generosity #wants and needs #giving people what they need to get

[pratchettquotes]

Holiday Theme: Happy Hogswatch!

It's that time of year --

-- when you don't quite get what you asked for.*

-- when things seem more real.**

-- when a man made out of bones reads your mind at the shops.***

-- when we all wait to see if the sun will rise tomorrow. ****

Happy Hogswatch, Tumblr.

BELIEVE.

This week's posts will feature some seminal moments of holiday cheer and existential dread from Pratchett's dearly loved Hogfather.

*But you may get something you need instead.

** (Even the bad things.)

*** Watch out for the pigs. And that particularly surly elf.

**** Don't worry. Someone took care of it.

#weekly theme: happy hogswatch