James and the Giant Peach

by

Roald Dahl

The Old-Green-Grasshopper Character Analysis

The Old-Green-Grasshopper is the oldest and most distinguished of the bugs that James discovers living inside the giant peach. He’s quiet much of the time and leaves most of the talking to the Centipede and the Earthworm. However, he does speak up to defend his honor—when the Centipede notes that the Old-Green-Grasshopper was a “pest” in his youth, the Old-Green-Grasshopper insists he’s never been a pest. Instead, the Old-Green-Grasshopper thinks of himself as a musician. As a short-horned grasshopper, the Old-Green-Grasshopper can use his wing and hind leg to create music much like that of a violin, which James finds very impressive. From the Old-Green-Grasshopper, James also learns that it’s rude to make assumptions about other people’s bodies. For James, it’s a shock to learn that grasshoppers’ ears are on either side of their abdomen, rather than on either side of their head—but the Old-Green-Grasshopper and the Centipede make the case that it’s just as silly to have ears on one’s head as it is to have them on one’s belly. When he’s not imparting lessons like these to James, though, the Old-Green-Grasshopper is prone to panicking loudly and dramatically during difficult situations, which makes him a foil for James’s maturity and penchant for creative problem-solving. In New York City, the Old-Green-Grasshopper joins the New York City Symphony Orchestra.

The Old-Green-Grasshopper Quotes in James and the Giant Peach

The James and the Giant Peach quotes below are all either spoken by The Old-Green-Grasshopper or refer to The Old-Green-Grasshopper. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Children vs. Adults Theme Icon
).
Chapter 13 Quotes

Already, he was beginning to like his new friends very much. They were not nearly as terrible as they looked. In fact, they weren’t really terrible at all. They seemed extremely kind and helpful in spite of all the shouting and arguing that went on between them.

Related Characters: James Henry Trotter, The Centipede, Miss Spider, The Old-Green-Grasshopper, The Earthworm, The Ladybug
Page Number: 43
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 17 Quotes

“But my dear friends!” cried the Old-Green-Grasshopper, trying to be cheerful, “we are there!”

“Where?” they asked. “Where? Where is there?”

“I don’t know, the Old-Green-Grasshopper said. “But I’ll bet it’s somewhere good.”

Related Characters: The Old-Green-Grasshopper (speaker), James Henry Trotter, The Centipede, Miss Spider, The Earthworm, The Ladybug
Page Number: 56
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18 Quotes

“None of us three girls can swim a single stroke.”

“But you won’t have to swim,” said James calmly. “We are floating beautifully. And sooner or later a ship is bound to come along and pick us up.”

They all stared at him in amazement.

“Are you quite sure that we are not sinking?” the Ladybug asked.

“Of course I’m sure,” answered James.

Related Characters: James Henry Trotter (speaker), Miss Spider (speaker), The Ladybug (speaker), The Centipede, The Old-Green-Grasshopper, The Earthworm
Related Symbols: The Peach
Page Number: 58
Explanation and Analysis:

“You must be crazy! You can’t eat the ship! It’s the only thing that is keeping us up!”

“We shall starve to death if we don’t!” said the Centipede.

“And we shall drown if we do!” cried the Earthworm.

[...]

“You can eat all you want,” James answered. It would take us weeks and weeks to make any sort of a dent in this enormous peach. Surely you can see that?”

“Good heavens, he’s right again!” cried the Old-Green-Grasshopper, clapping his hands.

Related Characters: James Henry Trotter (speaker), The Centipede (speaker), The Old-Green-Grasshopper (speaker), The Earthworm (speaker), Miss Spider, The Ladybug
Related Symbols: The Peach
Page Number: 61
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 21 Quotes

“Why, it’s absolutely brilliant!” cried the Old-Green-Grasshopper when James had explained his plan.

“The boy’s a genius!” the Centipede announced. “Now I can keep my boots on after all.”

“Oh, I shall be pecked to death!” wailed the poor Earthworm.

“Of course you won’t.”

“I will, I know I will! And I won’t even be able to see them coming at me because I have no eyes!”

James went over and put an arm gently around the Earthworm’s shoulders. “I won’t let them touch you,” he said. “I promise I won’t.”

Related Characters: James Henry Trotter (speaker), The Centipede (speaker), The Old-Green-Grasshopper (speaker), The Earthworm (speaker)
Related Symbols: The Peach
Page Number: 73
Explanation and Analysis:

“Action stations!” James shouted. “Jump to it! There’s not a moment to lose!” He was the captain now, and everyone knew it. They would do whatever he told them.

Related Characters: James Henry Trotter (speaker), The Centipede, Miss Spider, The Old-Green-Grasshopper, The Earthworm, The Ladybug, The Silkworm
Related Symbols: The Peach
Page Number: 74
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 24 Quotes

“My dear young fellow,” the Old-Green-Grasshopper said gently, “there are a whole lot of things in this world of ours that you haven’t started wondering about yet. Where, for example, do you think that I keep my ears?”

“Your ears? Why, in your head, of course.”

Everyone burst out laughing.

Related Characters: The Old-Green-Grasshopper (speaker), James Henry Trotter
Page Number: 87
Explanation and Analysis:

“You’re joking,” James said. “Nobody could possibly have his ears on his legs.”

“Why not?”

“Because...because it’s ridiculous, that’s why.”

“You know what I think is ridiculous?” the Centipede said, grinning away as usual. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I think it is ridiculous to have ears on the sides of one’s head. It certainly looks ridiculous. You ought to take a peek in the mirror some day and see for yourself.”

Related Characters: James Henry Trotter (speaker), The Centipede (speaker), The Old-Green-Grasshopper (speaker)
Page Number: 88
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 37 Quotes

“Don’t be frightened of us, please!” James called out. “We are so glad to be here!”

“What about those others beside you?” shouted the Chief of Police. “Are any of them dangerous?”

“Of course they’re not dangerous!” James answered. “They’re the nicest creatures in the world! Allow me to introduce them to you one by one and then I’m sure you will believe me.”

Related Characters: James Henry Trotter (speaker), The Centipede, Miss Spider, The Old-Green-Grasshopper, The Earthworm, The Ladybug, The Silkworm, The Glow-worm
Page Number: 133-134
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Old-Green-Grasshopper Quotes in James and the Giant Peach

The James and the Giant Peach quotes below are all either spoken by The Old-Green-Grasshopper or refer to The Old-Green-Grasshopper. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Children vs. Adults Theme Icon
).
Chapter 13 Quotes

Already, he was beginning to like his new friends very much. They were not nearly as terrible as they looked. In fact, they weren’t really terrible at all. They seemed extremely kind and helpful in spite of all the shouting and arguing that went on between them.

Related Characters: James Henry Trotter, The Centipede, Miss Spider, The Old-Green-Grasshopper, The Earthworm, The Ladybug
Page Number: 43
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 17 Quotes

“But my dear friends!” cried the Old-Green-Grasshopper, trying to be cheerful, “we are there!”

“Where?” they asked. “Where? Where is there?”

“I don’t know, the Old-Green-Grasshopper said. “But I’ll bet it’s somewhere good.”

Related Characters: The Old-Green-Grasshopper (speaker), James Henry Trotter, The Centipede, Miss Spider, The Earthworm, The Ladybug
Page Number: 56
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18 Quotes

“None of us three girls can swim a single stroke.”

“But you won’t have to swim,” said James calmly. “We are floating beautifully. And sooner or later a ship is bound to come along and pick us up.”

They all stared at him in amazement.

“Are you quite sure that we are not sinking?” the Ladybug asked.

“Of course I’m sure,” answered James.

Related Characters: James Henry Trotter (speaker), Miss Spider (speaker), The Ladybug (speaker), The Centipede, The Old-Green-Grasshopper, The Earthworm
Related Symbols: The Peach
Page Number: 58
Explanation and Analysis:

“You must be crazy! You can’t eat the ship! It’s the only thing that is keeping us up!”

“We shall starve to death if we don’t!” said the Centipede.

“And we shall drown if we do!” cried the Earthworm.

[...]

“You can eat all you want,” James answered. It would take us weeks and weeks to make any sort of a dent in this enormous peach. Surely you can see that?”

“Good heavens, he’s right again!” cried the Old-Green-Grasshopper, clapping his hands.

Related Characters: James Henry Trotter (speaker), The Centipede (speaker), The Old-Green-Grasshopper (speaker), The Earthworm (speaker), Miss Spider, The Ladybug
Related Symbols: The Peach
Page Number: 61
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 21 Quotes

“Why, it’s absolutely brilliant!” cried the Old-Green-Grasshopper when James had explained his plan.

“The boy’s a genius!” the Centipede announced. “Now I can keep my boots on after all.”

“Oh, I shall be pecked to death!” wailed the poor Earthworm.

“Of course you won’t.”

“I will, I know I will! And I won’t even be able to see them coming at me because I have no eyes!”

James went over and put an arm gently around the Earthworm’s shoulders. “I won’t let them touch you,” he said. “I promise I won’t.”

Related Characters: James Henry Trotter (speaker), The Centipede (speaker), The Old-Green-Grasshopper (speaker), The Earthworm (speaker)
Related Symbols: The Peach
Page Number: 73
Explanation and Analysis:

“Action stations!” James shouted. “Jump to it! There’s not a moment to lose!” He was the captain now, and everyone knew it. They would do whatever he told them.

Related Characters: James Henry Trotter (speaker), The Centipede, Miss Spider, The Old-Green-Grasshopper, The Earthworm, The Ladybug, The Silkworm
Related Symbols: The Peach
Page Number: 74
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 24 Quotes

“My dear young fellow,” the Old-Green-Grasshopper said gently, “there are a whole lot of things in this world of ours that you haven’t started wondering about yet. Where, for example, do you think that I keep my ears?”

“Your ears? Why, in your head, of course.”

Everyone burst out laughing.

Related Characters: The Old-Green-Grasshopper (speaker), James Henry Trotter
Page Number: 87
Explanation and Analysis:

“You’re joking,” James said. “Nobody could possibly have his ears on his legs.”

“Why not?”

“Because...because it’s ridiculous, that’s why.”

“You know what I think is ridiculous?” the Centipede said, grinning away as usual. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I think it is ridiculous to have ears on the sides of one’s head. It certainly looks ridiculous. You ought to take a peek in the mirror some day and see for yourself.”

Related Characters: James Henry Trotter (speaker), The Centipede (speaker), The Old-Green-Grasshopper (speaker)
Page Number: 88
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 37 Quotes

“Don’t be frightened of us, please!” James called out. “We are so glad to be here!”

“What about those others beside you?” shouted the Chief of Police. “Are any of them dangerous?”

“Of course they’re not dangerous!” James answered. “They’re the nicest creatures in the world! Allow me to introduce them to you one by one and then I’m sure you will believe me.”

Related Characters: James Henry Trotter (speaker), The Centipede, Miss Spider, The Old-Green-Grasshopper, The Earthworm, The Ladybug, The Silkworm, The Glow-worm
Page Number: 133-134
Explanation and Analysis: