We Man and the Natural World Quotes

They say that there is a kind of flower that blooms only once a century. Then couldn't there be one that flowers only once every thousand years—or once every ten thousand years? Maybe there are and we just don't know it because today is itself that once-in-a-thousand-year moment. (23.1)

But what you didn't know, and few do, is that a small group of them survived and stayed to live there, behind the walls. Naked, they went off into the woods. They learned from the trees, the beasts, the birds, the flowers, the sun. They grew hair all over, but under their fur, they harbored hot, red blood. It's worse for you: you are overgrown with numbers, numbers crawl all over you, like lice. You all need to be stripped of everything and be driven out naked into the forest. Let it teach you to shiver from fear, from joy, from mad rage, from the cold and to pray to the fire. And we, MEPHI, we want … (28.38)

But we—we know, meanwhile, that there is no final number. Though we might forget it too. Yes—it's highly probable that we will forget it when we grow older—and everyone inevitably grows older. And then, unavoidably, down we will go like autumn leaves from a tree … just like all of you, the day after tomorrow when … No, no, my sweet—not you yourself. You are on our side, of course, you are on our side! (30.27)