“You see, Momo,' he [Beppo Roadsweeper] told her one day, 'it's like this. Sometimes, when you've a very long street ahead of you, you think how terribly long it is and feel sure you'll never get it swept.'
He gazed silently into space before continuing. 'And then you start to hurry,' he went on. 'You work faster and faster, and every time you look up there seems to be just as much left to sweep as before, and you try even harder, and you panic, and in the end you're out of breath and have to stop - and still the street stretches away in front of you. That's not the way to do it.'
He pondered a while. Then he said, 'You must never think of the whole street at once, understand? You must only concentrate on the next step, the next breath, the next stroke of the broom, and the next, and the next. Nothing else.'
Again he paused for thought before adding, 'That way you enjoy your work, which is important, because then you make a good job of it. And that's how it ought to be.'
There was another long silence. At last he went on, 'And all at once, before you know it, you find you've swept the whole street clean, bit by bit. What's more, you aren't out of breath.' He nodded to himself. 'That's important, too,' he concluded.”
― Momo
He gazed silently into space before continuing. 'And then you start to hurry,' he went on. 'You work faster and faster, and every time you look up there seems to be just as much left to sweep as before, and you try even harder, and you panic, and in the end you're out of breath and have to stop - and still the street stretches away in front of you. That's not the way to do it.'
He pondered a while. Then he said, 'You must never think of the whole street at once, understand? You must only concentrate on the next step, the next breath, the next stroke of the broom, and the next, and the next. Nothing else.'
Again he paused for thought before adding, 'That way you enjoy your work, which is important, because then you make a good job of it. And that's how it ought to be.'
There was another long silence. At last he went on, 'And all at once, before you know it, you find you've swept the whole street clean, bit by bit. What's more, you aren't out of breath.' He nodded to himself. 'That's important, too,' he concluded.”
― Momo
The Rory Gilmore Book Club
— 23671 members
— last activity May 29, 2026 01:12PM
Reading is sexy! This group is for fans of literature and the Gilmore Girls. Join us for some witty banter, numerous pop culture references, and enlig ...more
SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
— 42729 members
— last activity 2 hours, 14 min ago
Hi there! SFFBC is a welcoming place for readers to share their love of speculative fiction through group reads, buddy reads, challenges, ...more
Queen Maas' Assassins
— 13428 members
— last activity Apr 15, 2026 06:26PM
A group dedicated to the queen that is the New York Times & USA Today best-selling author Sarah J. Maas. This is a place to discuss her works, includ ...more
The Book Lovers Haven
— 539 members
— last activity May 28, 2026 09:59PM
“...her dearest friends are characters in books.” ― Heir of Fire, Sarah J. Maas Welcome to The Book Lovers Haven! Are you addicted to books? Then co ...more
The Overbooked Society
— 2493 members
— last activity Feb 22, 2026 03:05PM
Do you read to escape this world, even if it's only for a short amount of time? Does reading transport you to a whole new world? If reading is your li ...more
Alara’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Alara’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Alara
Lists liked by Alara
























































