How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Grandpa became very serious. "None of these creatures are good. Not the way we think of good. None are safe. Much of morality is peculiar to mortality. The best creatures here are merely not evil." (5.158)
Right after Kendra and Seth drink the milk, Grandpa spells it out for them: cute doesn't necessarily equal good. Fairies, for instance, aren't to be considered good creatures just because they can enter the yard and frolic in the garden. Interesting that magical creatures seem to resist easy categorization.
Quote #2
"The fairies aren't safe?" Seth asked.
"They aren't out to harm anyone, or I wouldn't allow them in the yard. I suppose they are capable of good deeds, but they would not normally do them for what we would consider the right reasons." (5.159-160)
Again Grandpa has to spell it out for Seth: Fairies are nice to look at, and they're great gardeners, but that doesn't necessarily make them safe or nice or good. Fairies aren't really malicious, and they won't try to actively hurt you, but this—again—doesn't mean that they're good at heart.
Quote #3
Seth scooted forward in his chair. "I want to hear about the evil creatures. What's out there?" (5.172)
Oh, Seth—so young, so predictable. Does every preteen boy have a fascination with dangerous, scary, violent stuff? Grandpa does his best to sidestep the issue, but later in the book, it's gonna come back and haunt everyone (which might be a terrible pun depending on whether any of the bad guys at Midsummer Eve turn out to be ghosts).