"I took a train to Virginia, got out, walked up and down in the Shenandoah Valley in the beautiful springtime, then returned to New York by rail. While asleep in an upper berth, I dreamed of a small character who had the features of a mouse, was nicely dressed, courageous, and questing. When I woke up, being a journalist and thankful for small favors, I made a few notes about this mouse-child — the only fictional figure ever to have honored and disturbed my sleep."What caught my eye is the phrase "being a journalist and thankful for small favors." As usual, White nails it in a few words. When one makes a living asking other people questions, one is grateful for information. And inspiration.
It took 15 years after the mouse-child appeared in his dream for White to complete the manuscript for Stuart Little. Talk about inspiration. I'm grateful for small favors.
First Edition Cover from Wikipedia