Jane Yolen [and Lewis Carroll] on sense, sound, moral and the reader

[Quoting Lewis Carroll:] " 'Tut, tut, child!' said the Duchess. 'Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it.' "

and 

“Take care of the sense and the sounds will take care of themselves.”

and 

“[I]t's ridiculous to leave all the conversation to the pudding!”

and 

“When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’ 

" 'The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’ 

" 'The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master — that’s all.” 

[Yolen:]  "I have tried to be master in these short stories.  I am sure they have morals somewhere.  I took good care of the sense.

"The rest is up to the readers--you, dear puddings."

from Twelve Impossible Things Before Breakfast by Jane Yolen

[Note:  I cut out one she did not refer to and extended the quote on another which I found of note.]