It was very boring. Perhaps it was his job to be boring, Vivian thought, in which case he was very good at… — Diana Wynne Jones

Vivian stared. Never had she seen a boy with such long hair! In fact, she had a vague notion that boys were born with their hair short back and sides and only girls had hair that grew long.

"Can I eat these?" he said.

"No," said Vivian. "I'm hungry."

"I'll give you half," Sam said, plainly thinking he was being generous.

"But she's too big!" the anguished man said, still glaring at Vivian. "This girl is not the right size!"

…

"She was six when she went away, Father," Jonathan said. He did not seem in the least alarmed. "That was nearly six years ago. Think how much I've changed since then."

"So you have," said this alarming man, turning his glare on Jonathan as if he did not think the change was for the better. "I see," he said. "She grew."