"If you liked it then you should have put a ring on it."

"But what she noticed first was a bright red wooden tray with a number of rings on it. They were in pairs-- a yellow one and a green one together, then a little space, and then another yellow one and another green one. They were no bigger than ordinary rings, and no one could help noticing them because they were so bright. They were the most beautifully shiny little things you can imagine. If Polly had been a very little younger she would have wanted to put one in her mouth."

The Magician's Nephew, C. S. Lewis.


I love the way this leads up to the final sentence which is perfect and accurate, because by the end of the paragraph, the words have become so delicious, I want to be Polly and slip the shiny little ring in my mouth too. The genius of "a very little younger!"