"Once indeed I think we had longer names, but," she added, smiling, "how much trouble it saves to limit each one to a single sound.

It is uncivil to one's neighbours to burden their tongues with double duty when half would do." "But have you no patronymics--nothing to show the child comes of the same source as his father came ?" "We have no fathers." "What! no fathers ?" I said, starting and staring at her.
"No, nor mothers either, or at least none that we remember, for again, why should we?
Mayhap in that strange district you come from you keep count of these things, but what have we to do with either when their initial duty is done.

Look at that painted butterfly swinging on the honey-laden catkin there.

What knows she of the mother who shed her life into a flowercup and forgot which flower it was the minute afterwards.

We, too, are insects, stranger." "And do you mean to say of this great concourse here, that every atom is solitary, individual, and can claim no kindred with another save the loose bonds of a general fraternity--a specious idea, horrible, impracticable!" Whereat An laughed.