Once-ler Quotes in The Lorax (2012)

Once-ler: Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it's not.

Once-ler: It's a girl, isn't it?

Ted: What? No!

Once-ler: Really. Because when a guy does something stupid once, well, that's because he's guy. But he does the same stupid thing twice, that's usually to impress some girl.

The Lorax: Which way does a tree fall?

Once-ler: Uhhhh... down?

The Lorax: A tree falls the way it leans. be careful which way you lean.

Once-ler: Why are you so interested in trees, anyway? Why aren't you like other kids? Breakdancing and wearing bellbottoms and playing the Donkey Kongs?

Ted: [laughs] Yeah. Right, right. I don't know. Uh, I just thought it might be kinda cool to have one.

Once-ler: [knowingly] Uh-huh. It's a girl, isn't it?

Ted: [scoffs] What? No!

Once-ler: Really? Because when a guy does something stupid once, well that's because he's a guy. But if he does the same stupid thing twice, that's usually to impress some girl.

Ted: Hey, she is not just some girl! She's a woman. In high school. And she loves trees. And I'm gonna get her one.

Once-ler: Awww. How nice to see someone so undeterred by things like reality.

Ted: Thank you.

Ted: The last seed?

Once-ler: It's not about what it is. It's about what it can become. Just like... you're not just a boy.

Once-ler: It all started a long time ago.

Ted: Can we start not so long ago, maybe?

Once-ler: Do you want a tree?

Ted: Yes, yes.

Once-ler: Then it all started a long, long time ago.

Once-ler: You wanna know about trees? About what happened to them? They're gone.

[sadly]

Once-ler: It's because of me.

Ted: Huh?

[a Whisper-ma-Phone chutes down to Ted. Ted leans in to hear]

Once-ler: [shouts] IT'S BECAUSE OF ME!

Once-ler: Unless someone like you cares an awful lot, things aren't going to get better. They're not.

Ted: You do know that you are talking in rhyme, don't you?

Once-ler: Whoa, whoa, whoa! You wouldn't hit a woman.

The Lorax: Hoo! That's a woman?

Once-ler: [whispers] Thank you, Ted.

The Lorax: [first meets Once-ler] Hey!

[Once-ler screams and falls backwards]

The Lorax: Did you chop down this tree?

Once-ler: Uhh... No.

The Lorax: Who did it?

Once-ler: [gasps] What's that?

[the Lorax looks back and Once-ler drops his ax on Pipsqueak the Bar-ba-loot]

Once-ler: I think he did it.

The Lorax: [growls] Leave! Vacate the premises! Take your ax and get out!

Once-ler: And who are you?

The Lorax: Hey, hey! I-I'm the Lorax! Guardian of the forest. I speak for the trees.

[doesn't get a reaction from Once-ler]

The Lorax: So you're telling me, that you didn't see me magically appear out of that stump. With all the thunder and lightning. You didn't see any of that?

Once-ler: No. But, that sounds amazing. Can I see some of that?

The Lorax: Yeah, I could show you. But that's not how it works.

Once-ler: [admiring his first thneed] Now that's a thneed! Nothing unmanly about knitting. No sir!

Once-ler: [after being pulled from the river and revived by the Lorax] Now, I have a big day tomorrow, so I am going to get some sleep.

[walks off, but comes back and walks in the opposite direction]

Once-ler: Once I find my bed.