Strega Nona Strega Nona Quotes

Strega Nona

Quote 1

"Anthony, […] you must sweep the house and wash the dishes. You must weed the garden and pick the vegetables. You must feed the goat and milk her. And you must fetch the water. For this, I will give you three coins and a place to sleep and food to eat." (10)

Now that's a clear job description. It's easy to see that Strega Nona is someone who values clear rules and order.

Strega Nona

Quote 2

"The one thing you must never do," said Strega Nona, "is touch the pasta pot. It is very valuable and I don't let anyone touch it!" (10)

There aren't a lot of exclamation points in this book, so we know Strega Nona takes this rule very seriously.

Strega Nona

Quote 3

"The punishment must fit the crime." (32)

So says Strega Nona, and clearly the townspeople agree. By the time Big Anthony finishes eating all that pasta, he might wish they had just gone ahead and strung him up.