Jay Williams > Quotes

“Then Joe said, “I know what it was — split personality — when a man is two people at once.”

“Huh?” Danny grunted.

“Sure. I saw it on another TV horror show,” said Joe. “There was this good guy, and when the moon was full he turned into a monster—”

“Don’t be silly,” Danny said. “The moon isn’t even out now.”

“Is that all you watch on TV, Joe?” Irene asked, pursing up her lips. “Horror movies?”

“Nope.” Joe shook his head. “I only watch those before going to bed.”

“Hmf,” Irene sniffed. “Your parents shouldn’t allow you to watch such
things.”

“They don’t,” Joe grinned.”
― Jay Williams, Danny Dunn and the Weather Machine

“Well, that was last year. I was only a kid then,”
― Jay Williams, Danny Dunn and the Anti-Gravity Paint

“Boy! There are times when I get the feeling that science develops things that are supposed to be good for us, but that just make trouble.”

Dr. Tresselt’s blue eyes seemed to throw out sparks of amusement. “I know how you feel, Joe,” he said. “But my stars, boy, nobody can be alive and never have any trouble! Being alive is just meeting troubles every day and overcoming them. Just to stand up straight against the pull of gravity is a fight, isn’t it?”
― Jay Williams, Danny Dunn and the Fossil Cave

“I’m positive he turned north into Cowbridge Road, because that’s the short cut leading from Route 2 northward and over to U.S. 1. You can see it on the map.” “So what? Just because a man”
― Jay Williams, Danny Dunn and Heat Ray

“The glowing liquid was somewhat heavier than water—more like light oil—and, working speedily, he was able to get quite a bit of it into the tubes.”
― Jay Williams, Danny Dunn and the Anti-Gravity Paint

“Everyday Weather and How It Works, by Mr. Herman Schneider.”
― Jay Williams, Danny Dunn and the Weather Machine

“Vultures!” Joe cried with his mouth full. “Go away! We’re not dead yet.” “They aren’t vultures,” said the Professor, “but boobies.” “How do you know they’re boobies? They haven’t done anything stupid yet.” “It’s only what they’re called, Joe.” “They certainly look beautiful in flight,” said Danny. “Look how their wings catch the air currents.” “They’d look more beautiful in a plate with gravy and mashed potatoes,” Joe grinned. “I don’t think you’d enjoy them. They are fish-eaters, and they have a strong, fishy taste,” said the Professor. “We couldn’t cook them in the raft anyway,” Danny added. “Gee, that’s right,” said Joe. “We haven’t any potatoes.”
― Jay Williams, Danny Dunn on a Desert Island

“I’m the only millionaire zoologist there is.”
― Jay Williams, Danny Dunn and the Swamp Monster

“Irene threw her arms about him and kissed him. Then she grinned and said, “Why, Danny Dunn! The water’s almost light enough for me to see you blush.”
― Jay Williams, Danny Dunn on the Ocean Floor

“wish we had been able to fly our SuperCub. Unfortunately, it’s being repaired. This Tri-Pacer is a little more difficult to use for a job like this: it has no tank, for one thing. We have”
― Jay Williams, Danny Dunn and the Weather Machine

“He put out a hand to steady himself, and his hand went right through the speaker of the radio. There was a crash. The Professor shot backward through the air like a torpedo. And after him came floating a cloud of little pieces of metal and glass—the fragments of broken radio tubes.”
― Jay Williams, Danny Dunn and the Anti-Gravity Paint

“Professor Bullfinch had taken up the obsidian ax, and he hefted it thoughtfully. “I should hate to have to turn this against a person,” he said. “Still, a scientist should not shrink from new experiences”
― Jay Williams, Danny Dunn on a Desert Island

“You’re right about that,” said Grimes. “We can prepare to defend ourselves.” “Oh, I didn’t mean that. I meant that we could visit them.” At this, Dr. Grimes turned perfectly purple. “You dreamer! You visionary!” he exclaimed. “Visit them? We’ll undoubtedly have them visit us before long—with their butcher knives ready. Why don’t you just sprinkle yourself with parsley and lie down on a plate?” “Well, chiefly because we haven’t any parsley,” said the Professor gently. “Come, now, Grimes. We have no proof that these people are unfriendly. And we certainly have no proof that they’re cannibals.” “Proof?” Dr. Grimes controlled himself with an effort. “Bullfinch, I have no intention of waiting to be put into a pot for proof.”
― Jay Williams, Danny Dunn on a Desert Island

“It’s more than just an electrical conductor, it’s a superconductor. “You might think of it this way: the conductor is a road with lots of obstacles in it. The electrons carrying the charge are deflected from their path so the traffic is slowed up. But this plastic is like a wide speedway. The electrons can move in large loops and avoid all the obstacles. So they go around and around at high speed, and if the speedway is a circle, they will never stop.” “Never?” Danny gazed up at the Professor in wonder. “You mean it would be a kind of perpetual motion? But I thought that wasn’t possible.” “Nevertheless, that’s just what it would be.” Professor Bullfinch leaned forward to inspect the plastic. “Look here. The two ends of this coil are touching. It forms a closed ring. When you dropped the cable, it started a charge going through the coil. Now, my boy, a moving charge of electricity flowing around a circuit produces a magnetic field. What we have here is a very powerful ring magnet, so powerful that when I tried to touch it the magnetic field caught and held the metal of my wrist watch.” “A supermagnet,” said Danny. “That’s right. And it will go on being a magnet, with the current flowing on and on around the circle until I break the current. Like this.” Professor Bullfinch glanced about. He found a pair of heavy rubber gloves and put them on. He seized the coil and pulled its two ends apart. There was a flash and a snap. The Professor turned to Dr. Fenster. “As you can see, this means—” he was beginning.”
― Jay Williams, Danny Dunn and the Swamp Monster

“Long ago,” he said, “a great naturalist wrote, ‘Out of Africa always come new things.’ We’ve seen one of the strangest of them today.”
― Jay Williams, Danny Dunn and the Swamp Monster

“Grumman twin-engine Goose,”
― Jay Williams, Danny Dunn and the Swamp Monster

“A delightful land, England,” Mr. Franklin said. “I confess my thoughts have often turned to making my home there, although I cannot persuade my good Debby to cross the seas. Of all the enviable things England has, I envy it most its people. That pretty island, with”
― Jay Williams, Danny Dunn, Time Traveler

“Oh, Danny has quite a reputation for headstrongery.” “Eh? Headstrongery?” said Mr. Pippit. “What kind of a word is that?” “Kind of nice, isn’t it?” Joe said, proudly. “I just invented it. I also invented a motto for him: ‘Leap before you look.’ My own motto is, ‘Sleep before you look.”
― Jay Williams, Danny Dunn and Heat Ray

“How quiet it is,' Danny said, digging in his knapsack for the canteen full of water he had brought. 'You don’t realize how scary it is, having a whole mountain on top of you, until you’re in the dark as I was in that tunnel, or when you begin hearing the silence.'

'I didn’t know you could hear silence,' said Irene.

'Then just listen.'

They sat still, and Danny added, 'Put out the flashlights for a minute.'

In the dark, they understood what he meant. All the familiar noises of the upper world were gone: the wind, the rustle of branches or leaves, the chirping of birds, the sounds of automobiles and doors slamming, and people laughing. There was nothing but the faint tinkle of droplets of water, each drop like a distant musical chime, and each one pursued by tiny echoes. Then, after such a note had sounded there would be a long and empty quiet in which they could hear their own breathing and the steady beating of their hearts. They found themselves straining their eyes to see something, anything — the slightest sign of light, but they could not even tell the difference between opening their eyes and shutting them.

Irene burst out suddenly, 'Put on the lights!'

Danny let out his breath with a whoosh. They all snapped on their lamps, and as the welcome light flooded the chamber, he said, 'It’s — it’s like being buried alive.'

'Don’t let’s try that experiment again,' Irene said, with a shiver. 'I just hope we get out of here before our flashlights give out.”
― Jay Williams, Danny Dunn and the Fossil Cave