“She was fascinated with words. To her, words were things of beauty, each like a magical powder or potion that could be combined with other words to create powerful spells.”
“Oysters, clams, and cockles were cat's magic words, and like all good magic words they could take her almost anywhere.”
“Words and magic were in the beginning one and the same thing, and even today words retain much of their magical power.”
“Words are powerful. Words make a difference. They can create and destroy. They can open doors and close doors. Words can create illusion or magic, love or destruction. … All those things.”
“And so he was reading the story as if it were a spell and the words of it, spoken aloud, could make magic happen.”
“Why certainly, words possess power. They do! But releasing their magic requires combining and arranging those words in the right order.”