--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They gulped, those stupid birds; they ate…" description: "\"“They gulped, those stupid birds; they ate from the bag and they swallowed with glee. And they choked on giant mouthfuls of my shit. My shit! Oh, the l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/078/garth-stein-1965_swallowed_they-gulped-those-stupid-birds-they-ate_3123810.jpg" --- # They gulped, those stupid birds; they ate from the bag and… ![“They gulped, those stupid birds; they ate from the bag and they swallowed with glee. And they choked on giant mouthfuls of my shit. My shit! Oh, the looks on their faces! The stunned silence. The indignation! The shaking of heads, and then they flew off en masse to the neighbour up the street with…” quote by Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/078/garth-stein-1965_swallowed_they-gulped-those-stupid-birds-they-ate_3123810.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/078/garth-stein-1965_swallowed_they-gulped-those-stupid-birds-they-ate_3123810.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/078/garth-stein-1965_swallowed_they-gulped-those-stupid-birds-they-ate_3123810.jpg) > ““They gulped, those stupid birds; they ate from the bag and they swallowed with glee. And they choked on giant mouthfuls of my shit. My shit! Oh, the looks on their faces! The stunned silence. The indignation! The shaking of heads, and then they flew off en masse to the neighbour up the street with the dribbling fountain so they could wash their beaks.”” [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A vivid, grotesque scene showing birds being fed something repulsive, highlighting absurdity and the consequences of careless generosity. **In simple terms:** Feeding birds something disgusting leads to chaos. Key Takeaway Think before you give. Themes absurdity consequence humor Mood irritated amused Type satirical humorous When to use this quote - urban wildlife feeding - public spaces - environmental ethics Key Concepts animal behavior social commentary Questions to Reflect On - What does this scene say about human responsibility? - How would you handle a similar situation? A Different Perspective May be seen as overly graphic, limiting broader appeal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“Aubade with a Multitude of Birds" Still dark and already the stupid birds are at it outside the window how could anyone possibly be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-mcclain/aubade-with-a-multitude-of-birds-still-dark-and-already-the-stupid/) Nathan McClain > [“Birds ate my face.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/birds-ate-my-face/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Say that the berries on a tree fermented / say that some birds ate them got drunk demented / couldn't fly straight flew straight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/say-that-the-berries-on-a-tree-fermented-say-that-some-birds-ate-them/) [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) > [“We ate the birds. We ate them. 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You had a clean getaway and risked it all for me?" I Swallowed. "It wouldn't have been a clean getaway without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/is-it-true-you-had-a-clean-getaway-and-risked-it-all-for-me-i/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“For a long time before I met you, I felt my life was this kind of test. I was in deep, cold water, swimming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-raeder/for-a-long-time-before-i-met-you-i-felt-my-life-was-this-kind-of-test/) [Leah Raeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-raeder/) ## More by Garth Stein > [What I want now is what I've always wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/what-i-want-now-is-what-i-ve-always-wanted/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [“Man's closest relative is not the chimpanzee, as the TV people believe, but is, in fact, the dog. 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The driver who cannot tear his eyes away from the wall as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/in-racing-they-say-that-your-car-goes-where-your-eyes-go-the-driver/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [When I return to the world, I will be a man. I will walk among you. I will lick my lips with my small,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/when-i-return-to-the-world-i-will-be-a-man-i-will-walk-among-you-i/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [My soul has learned what it came to learn, and all the other things are just things. We can't have everything we want. Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/my-soul-has-learned-what-it-came-to-learn-and-all-the-other-things/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [I hear hundreds of years of life. I hear wind and rain and fire and beetles. 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Any problems that may occur have ultimately been caused by you, because you are responsible for where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/know-who-is-driving-next-to-you-any-problems-that-may-occur-have/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [“Pretend you are a dog like me and listen to other people rather than steal their stories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/pretend-you-are-a-dog-like-me-and-listen-to-other-people-rather-than/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [That which we manifest is before us; we are the creators of our own destiny. Be it through intention or ignorance, our successes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/that-which-we-manifest-is-before-us-we-are-the-creators-of-our-own/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [The race is long. It is better to drive within oneself and finish the race behind the other than it is to drive too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/the-race-is-long-it-is-better-to-drive-within-oneself-and-finish-the/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) [Explore all 187 Garth Stein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) ## More Swallowed quotes > [“For a long time before I met you, I felt my life was this kind of test. I was in deep, cold water, swimming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-raeder/for-a-long-time-before-i-met-you-i-felt-my-life-was-this-kind-of-test/) [Leah Raeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-raeder/) > [Is it true? You had a clean getaway and risked it all for me?" I Swallowed. 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She sat and folded her hands on her lap. She felt like she was in trouble. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-charlins/anna-swallowed-and-pulled-out-a-chair-she-sat-and-folded-her-hands-on/) [Claire Charlins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-charlins/) > [“How will you feel when you're being swallowed up?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-schneider/how-will-you-feel-when-you-re-being-swallowed-up/) michel schneider > [“Zoe swallowed, wishing she hadn’t started the list on her”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanya-anne-crosby/zoe-swallowed-wishing-she-hadn-t-started-the-list-on-her/) [Tanya Anne Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanya-anne-crosby/) > [“spills of mire I swallowed inside the tower”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-celan/spills-of-mire-i-swallowed-inside-the-tower/) [Paul Celan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-celan/) > [“I never swallowed before. The idea of it wigged me out, but not with him. Apparently, it was my inner porn star.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-lynn/i-never-swallowed-before-the-idea-of-it-wigged-me-out-but-not-with/) [J. Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-lynn/) > [“I live well! I may have been swallowed, but I have no intention of being eaten.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-barnett/i-live-well-i-may-have-been-swallowed-but-i-have-no-intention-of/) [Mac Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-barnett/) > [“She swallowed it. So bitter. "Vile," she said. "Vile." "I know, but it helps. Trust me. I know." "Trust you," she said. "Hah." "Clearly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-chase/she-swallowed-it-so-bitter-vile-she-said-vile-i-know-but-it-helps/) [Loretta Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-chase/) > [We're swallowed up only when we are willing for it to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathalie-sarraute/we-re-swallowed-up-only-when-we-are-willing-for-it-to-happen/) [Nathalie Sarraute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathalie-sarraute/) > [“By lack of understanding they remained sane. They simply swallowed everything, and what they swallowed did them no harm, because it left no residue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/by-lack-of-understanding-they-remained-sane-they-simply-swallowed/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“She reminded me of the empty glass of a swallowed cocktail, and at the heart of the empty glass was a smashed lime rind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nic-pizzolatto/she-reminded-me-of-the-empty-glass-of-a-swallowed-cocktail-and-at-the/) [Nic Pizzolatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nic-pizzolatto/) Browse all 322 Swallowed quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“They gulped, those stupid birds; they ate from the bag and they swallowed with glee. And they choked on giant mouthfuls of my shit. My shit! Oh, the looks on their faces! The stunned silence. The indignation! 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