The Borrowers Quotes
A secret family of four-inch people living inside the walls of a house must save their home from an evil real estate developer.
Ocious P. Potter: Quick. Where's town planning I need to register a demolition.
Town Hall Clerk: What's the magic word?
Ocious P. Potter: Listen, I'm in a hurry. I got a house to demolish.
Town Hall Clerk: I'm waiting.
Ocious P. Potter: [impatiently] So am I. Where is it?
Town Hall Clerk: Up the stairs, take a right at the top.
[Potter leaves]
Town Hall Clerk: [stops him] Straight on through the door, climb four flights. I imagine at this point, you'll have a catch your breath. Scuttle up two more flights, bear left, and turn right at Sewage. You will then see a door in front of you. Do not go through the door, instead go through the door on your right. And you will see a fire escape in front of you. Adjacent to the fire escape is the staircase. Go up the staircase three flights. Down the hall, turn right at Construction. Look out for Demolition. You can miss it.
Ocious P. Potter: [confused] Is there a faster way?
Town Hall Clerk: [sarcastically enunciates] Walk... quickly.
Town Hall Clerk: What's the magic word?
Ocious P. Potter: Listen, I'm in a hurry. I got a house to demolish.
Town Hall Clerk: I'm waiting.
Ocious P. Potter: [impatiently] So am I. Where is it?
Town Hall Clerk: Up the stairs, take a right at the top.
[Potter leaves]
Town Hall Clerk: [stops him] Straight on through the door, climb four flights. I imagine at this point, you'll have a catch your breath. Scuttle up two more flights, bear left, and turn right at Sewage. You will then see a door in front of you. Do not go through the door, instead go through the door on your right. And you will see a fire escape in front of you. Adjacent to the fire escape is the staircase. Go up the staircase three flights. Down the hall, turn right at Construction. Look out for Demolition. You can miss it.
Ocious P. Potter: [confused] Is there a faster way?
Town Hall Clerk: [sarcastically enunciates] Walk... quickly.
Arrietty 'Ett' Clock: [after taking the will from Potter] Come on, squirt, we've got to hurry!
Peagreen Clock: What for, idiot? We'll never get out of here without him seeing us.
Arrietty 'Ett' Clock: Look, we'll get out when the bean is on his lunch hour. It's always the safest time with beans.
Peagreen Clock: I still think we should wait here for mum and dad.
Arrietty 'Ett' Clock: Peagreen, try to understand: there won't BE a here unless we give this will to Pete, before that nasty, cheating, thieving, evil, mean, greedy, vicious, ugly bean destroys our house.
Ocious P. Potter: Ugly? Who are they calling ugly?
[Potter takes his hammer and rips out a floorboard]
Peagreen Clock: [in terror] Arrietty, we've been seen!
Peagreen Clock: What for, idiot? We'll never get out of here without him seeing us.
Arrietty 'Ett' Clock: Look, we'll get out when the bean is on his lunch hour. It's always the safest time with beans.
Peagreen Clock: I still think we should wait here for mum and dad.
Arrietty 'Ett' Clock: Peagreen, try to understand: there won't BE a here unless we give this will to Pete, before that nasty, cheating, thieving, evil, mean, greedy, vicious, ugly bean destroys our house.
Ocious P. Potter: Ugly? Who are they calling ugly?
[Potter takes his hammer and rips out a floorboard]
Peagreen Clock: [in terror] Arrietty, we've been seen!
[last lines]
Police Officer Steady: [after Potter's arrest] Little people, were they?
Ocious P. Potter: Yes, that's what I've been trying to tell you. They're everywhere. They're very good at climbing.
Police Officer Steady: Hmm. So, what? I suppose they have little houses, do they? With little tables, little chairs?
Ocious P. Potter: Yes, they do.
Police Officer Steady: Hmm.
[Steady laughs at this as do the whole station]
Police Officer Steady: [after Potter's arrest] Little people, were they?
Ocious P. Potter: Yes, that's what I've been trying to tell you. They're everywhere. They're very good at climbing.
Police Officer Steady: Hmm. So, what? I suppose they have little houses, do they? With little tables, little chairs?
Ocious P. Potter: Yes, they do.
Police Officer Steady: Hmm.
[Steady laughs at this as do the whole station]
Homily Clock: [hears a vacuum cleaner] What in the world...?
Pod Clock: It's not Thursday, is it?
Homily Clock: Oh, my goodness. They must've changed the schedule. They can't change the schedule! Can they?
Pod Clock: [as the vacuum cleaner trembles their home] EMERGENCY STATIONS, EVERYONE!
[the vacuum sucks up Peagreen by the floorboards until the vacuum moves away releasing Peagreen and causing a huge mess in the house]
Homily Clock: What! Honestly, Pod!
Pod Clock: What? Oh, I suppose this is all my fault, too!
Pod Clock: It's not Thursday, is it?
Homily Clock: Oh, my goodness. They must've changed the schedule. They can't change the schedule! Can they?
Pod Clock: [as the vacuum cleaner trembles their home] EMERGENCY STATIONS, EVERYONE!
[the vacuum sucks up Peagreen by the floorboards until the vacuum moves away releasing Peagreen and causing a huge mess in the house]
Homily Clock: What! Honestly, Pod!
Pod Clock: What? Oh, I suppose this is all my fault, too!
Police Officer Steady: Well, I've had reports that an Ice Cream Vendor...
Exterminator Jeff: Pest Control Operative.
Police Officer Steady: Oh, sorry.
Exterminator Jeff: That's all right, happens all the time.
Police Officer Steady: A Pest Control Operative...
[looks at Jeff]
Police Officer Steady: ...and a rather large man...
[eyes Ocious P. Potter for a moment]
Police Officer Steady: Well, that could be you, couldn't it, sir? Were seen arguing outside this house.
Exterminator Jeff: Pest Control Operative.
Police Officer Steady: Oh, sorry.
Exterminator Jeff: That's all right, happens all the time.
Police Officer Steady: A Pest Control Operative...
[looks at Jeff]
Police Officer Steady: ...and a rather large man...
[eyes Ocious P. Potter for a moment]
Police Officer Steady: Well, that could be you, couldn't it, sir? Were seen arguing outside this house.
Exterminator Jeff: [look at the objects by the floorboards] Borrowers!
Ocious P. Potter: You've seen this before?
Exterminator Jeff: No, but I've heard the stories, but that's what I thought they were, just stories: the fly with the human head, the poker-playing rats, the giant radioactive cockroaches.
Ocious P. Potter: Spare me the folklore, will you? Can you kill them or not?
Exterminator Jeff: Yes. Extermination is my middle name. But why do you want me to exterminate the Borrowers?
Ocious P. Potter: Because those little rats stole something very important from me. AND NOBODY STEALS FROM OCIOUS P. POTTER!
Exterminator Jeff: You mean borrowed, don't you?
Ocious P. Potter: What?
Exterminator Jeff: Oh, well, they're Borrowers. They don't steal, they...
[Potter gives him a disapproved look]
Exterminator Jeff: [goes serious] Right!
Ocious P. Potter: You've seen this before?
Exterminator Jeff: No, but I've heard the stories, but that's what I thought they were, just stories: the fly with the human head, the poker-playing rats, the giant radioactive cockroaches.
Ocious P. Potter: Spare me the folklore, will you? Can you kill them or not?
Exterminator Jeff: Yes. Extermination is my middle name. But why do you want me to exterminate the Borrowers?
Ocious P. Potter: Because those little rats stole something very important from me. AND NOBODY STEALS FROM OCIOUS P. POTTER!
Exterminator Jeff: You mean borrowed, don't you?
Ocious P. Potter: What?
Exterminator Jeff: Oh, well, they're Borrowers. They don't steal, they...
[Potter gives him a disapproved look]
Exterminator Jeff: [goes serious] Right!
