Unicorn Quote by Peter S. Beagle
““…but to the unicorn’s eyes Molly was becoming a softer country, full of pools and caves, where old flowers came burning out of the ground. Under the dirt and indifference, she appeared only thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old - no older than Schmendrick, surely, despite the magician’s birthdayless face. Her rough hair bloomed, her skin quickened, and her voice was nearly as gentle to all things as it was when she spoke to the unicorn. The eyes would never be joyous, any more than they could ever turn green or blue, but they too had wakened in the earth. She walked eagerly into King Haggard’s realm on bare, blistered feet, and she sang often. And far away on the other side of the unicorn, Schmendrick the Magician stalked in silence. His black cloak was sprouting holes, coming undone, and so was he. The rain that renewed Molly did not fall on him, and he seemed ever more parched and deserted, like the land itself. The unicorn could not heal him. A touch of her horn could have brought him back from death, but over despair she had no power, nor over magic that had come and gone.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, 1968
Molly's fading vitality contrasts with her magical surroundings, highlighting mortality and unfulfilled healing.
In simple terms: Molly's life wanes despite magic.
Accept limits of help and embrace impermanence.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- caregiving
- grief support
- artistic creation
- environmental stewardship
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we cope when help fails?
- What does Molly's journey teach about resilience?
Even magic cannot reverse all decay.