--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As to animals,\" said the Count…" description: "\"“As to animals,\" said the Count unexpectedly, \"whatever one says, I maintain that the rodent family has a certain charm about it.\" \"The rodent family ...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d8/yukio-mishima-1418_animals_as-to-animals-said-the-count-unexpectedl_2451136.jpg" --- # As to animals," said the Count unexpectedly, "whatever one… ![“As to animals," said the Count unexpectedly, "whatever one says, I maintain that the rodent family has a certain charm about it." "The rodent family . . . ?" replied the Baron, not getting the drift at all. "Rabbits, marmots, squirrels, and the like." "You have pets of that sort, sir?" "No, sir…” quote by Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d8/yukio-mishima-1418_animals_as-to-animals-said-the-count-unexpectedl_2451136.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d8/yukio-mishima-1418_animals_as-to-animals-said-the-count-unexpectedl_2451136.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d8/yukio-mishima-1418_animals_as-to-animals-said-the-count-unexpectedl_2451136.jpg) > ““As to animals," said the Count unexpectedly, "whatever one says, I maintain that the rodent family has a certain charm about it." "The rodent family . . . ?" replied the Baron, not getting the drift at all. "Rabbits, marmots, squirrels, and the like." "You have pets of that sort, sir?" "No, sir, not at all. Too much of an odor. It would be all over the house." "Ah, I see. Very charming, but you wouldn't have them in the house, is that it?" "Well, sir, in the first place, they seem to have been ignored by the poets, d'you see. And what has no place in a poem has no place in my house. That's my family rule." "I see." "No, I don't keep them as pets. But they're such fuzzy, timid little creatures that I can't help thinking there's no more charming animal." "Yes, Count, I quite agree." "Actually, sir, every charming creature, no matter what sort, seems to have a strong odor." "Yes, indeed, sir. I believe one might say so.”” [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Count argues that animals with a distinct odor are overlooked by poets and thus excluded from his home, reflecting a personal rule that aesthetic appeal must be odorless. **In simple terms:** He believes smelly animals are ignored by art and should stay out of his house. Key Takeaway Accept that some creatures are valued despite flaws. Themes aesthetic preference odor social norms Mood reflective critical contemplative Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - literary discussion - home décor decisions - pet ownership debates Key Concepts subjectivity cultural bias personal rule Questions to Reflect On - Do you judge worth by superficial traits? - Can you appreciate value beyond appearance? A Different Perspective Not all valuable things fit conventional standards. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Animals Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals-said-571340/) [Creatures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creatures/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [First place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-place/) [Like Pets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-pets-571341/) [Replied Baron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/replied-baron-571343/) [Rodent Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rodent-family-571342/) ## Related quotes > [“There are men who cannot hear animals," he said. "And then there are men who cannot hear anything at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/there-are-men-who-cannot-hear-animals-he-said-and-then-there-are-men/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I always befriended animals and have said many a good word for them. 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Ispirač vadi pesak sa korita reke,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/svoju-patnju-koju-prihvatam-moram-da-prihvatim-kao-dragocenost-ne/) [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) > [I am one who has always been interested only in the edges of the body and the spirit, the outlying regions of the body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/i-am-one-who-has-always-been-interested-only-in-the-edges-of-the-body/) [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) > [Just let matters slide. How much better to accept each sweet drop of the honey that was Time, than to stoop to the vulgarity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/just-let-matters-slide-how-much-better-to-accept-each-sweet-drop-of/) [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) > [“Great cloud masses boiled up, immense in their quiet majesty. 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As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. 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I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) [Browse all 6,813 Animals quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As to animals,\" said the Count unexpectedly, \"whatever one says, I maintain that the rodent family has a certain charm about it.\" \"The rodent family . . . ?\" replied the Baron, not getting the drift at all. \"Rabbits, marmots, squirrels, and the like.\" \"You have pets of that sort, sir?\" \"No, sir, not at all. Too much of an odor. It would be all over the house.\" \"Ah, I see. Very charming, but you wouldn't have them in the house, is that it?\" \"Well, sir, in the first place, they seem to have been ignored by the poets, d'you see. And what has no place in a poem has no place in my house. That's my family rule.\" \"I see.\" \"No, I don't keep them as pets. But they're such fuzzy, timid little creatures that I can't help thinking there's no more charming animal.\" \"Yes, Count, I quite agree.\" \"Actually, sir, every charming creature, no matter what sort, seems to have a strong odor.\" \"Yes, indeed, sir. 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