--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can still recall old Mister Barnslow…" description: "\"I can still recall old Mister Barnslow getting out every morning and nailing a fresh load of tadpoles to the old board of his. Then he'd spin it round ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/jack-handey-829_boards_i-can-still-recall-old-mister-barnslow-g_319529.jpg" --- # I can still recall old Mister Barnslow getting out every… ![“I can still recall old Mister Barnslow getting out every morning and nailing a fresh load of tadpoles to the old board of his. Then he'd spin it round and round, like a wheel of fortune, and no matter where it stopped he'd yell out, "Tadpoles! Tadpoles is a winner!" We all thought he was crazy…” quote by Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/jack-handey-829_boards_i-can-still-recall-old-mister-barnslow-g_319529.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/jack-handey-829_boards_i-can-still-recall-old-mister-barnslow-g_319529.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/jack-handey-829_boards_i-can-still-recall-old-mister-barnslow-g_319529.jpg) > “I can still recall old Mister Barnslow getting out every morning and nailing a fresh load of tadpoles to the old board of his. Then he'd spin it round and round, like a wheel of fortune, and no matter where it stopped he'd yell out, "Tadpoles! Tadpoles is a winner!" We all thought he was crazy. But then, we had some growing up to do.” [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A quirky anecdote about a man who treats random tadpoles as a winning lottery, illustrating absurd optimism. **In simple terms:** Finding joy in silly, unexpected things. Key Takeaway Embrace playful optimism. Themes humor absurdity optimism Mood lighthearted playful Type humorous anecdotal When to use this quote - office banter - creative brainstorming - stress relief Key Concepts randomness belief playfulness Questions to Reflect On - When have you turned a nonsense idea into motivation? - Can absurdity inspire real progress? A Different Perspective Such optimism can ignore reality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boards/) [Crazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crazy/) [Deep thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-thought/) [Every morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-morning/) [Fortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortune/) [Growing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Tadpoles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tadpoles/) [Tadpoles Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tadpoles-old-3014165/) [Tadpoles Tadpoles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tadpoles-tadpoles-3014166/) [Tadpoles Winner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tadpoles-winner-3014163/) [Wheel of fortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wheel-of-fortune/) [Wheels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wheels/) [Winner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winner/) [Yell Tadpoles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yell-tadpoles-3014164/) ## Related quotes > [When I drove for British teams... they called me The Tadpole because I was too small to be a frog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-prost/when-i-drove-for-british-teams-they-called-me-the-tadpole-because-i/) [Alain Prost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-prost/) > [When you were a tadpole and I was a fish In the Paleozoic time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/langdon-smith/when-you-were-a-tadpole-and-i-was-a-fish-in-the-paleozoic-time/) [Langdon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/langdon-smith/) > [“I've always wanted to be an expert on tadpoles; I've always fancied being a tadpole expert. It's a wonderful life if you become an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cook/i-ve-always-wanted-to-be-an-expert-on-tadpoles-i-ve-always-fancied/) [Peter Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cook/) > ["This is Lakshmi Singh." It's like a tadpole dying in muck. Take a drink. Wet your mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/this-is-lakshmi-singh-it-s-like-a-tadpole-dying-in-muck-take-a-drink/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [And now she was just Gabby, currently staying in a dreamy, magnificent castle in Scotland with a Fae prince who did all kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/and-now-she-was-just-gabby-currently-staying-in-a-dreamy-magnificent/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Sometimes when I talk to little children I remind them of the fact that when I was growing up myself, I used to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/sometimes-when-i-talk-to-little-children-i-remind-them-of-the-fact/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [Question four: What book would you give to every child? Answer: I wouldn't give them a book. Books are part of the problem: this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/question-four-what-book-would-you-give-to-every-child-answer-i-wouldn/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [I know every numbskull will babble on about "black man," "maneater," "chance," and "retrospective interpretation," in order to banish something terribly inconvenient that might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/i-know-every-numbskull-will-babble-on-about-black-man-maneater-chance/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [I ran around with the other youngsters, hunting, fishing and raising tadpoles and all the rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deforest-kelley/i-ran-around-with-the-other-youngsters-hunting-fishing-and-raising/) [DeForest Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deforest-kelley/) > [In a world full of monochromatic tadpoles, if you are fluorescent it does not matter what size of tadpole you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subroto-bagchi/in-a-world-full-of-monochromatic-tadpoles-if-you-are-fluorescent-it/) [Subroto Bagchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subroto-bagchi/) > [When you were a tadpole and I was a fish, in the Palæozoic time And side by side in the sluggish tide, we sprawled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/langdon-smith/when-you-were-a-tadpole-and-i-was-a-fish-in-the-pal-ozoic-time-and/) [Langdon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/langdon-smith/) > [Brahms once remarked that the mark of an artist is how much he throws away. Nature, the great creator, is always throwing things away.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-nachmanovitch/brahms-once-remarked-that-the-mark-of-an-artist-is-how-much-he-throws/) [Stephen Nachmanovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-nachmanovitch/) > [Like all my poems, 'Negotiations' has several sources. It deals with aging lovers and the often silent deals they make. Thinking about bargains made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/like-all-my-poems-negotiations-has-several-sources-it-deals-with/) [Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/) > [I'm not a diva. I'm a tadpole trying to be a frog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-braxton/i-m-not-a-diva-i-m-a-tadpole-trying-to-be-a-frog/) [Toni Braxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-braxton/) > [Why it is that animals, instead of developing in a simple and straightforward way, undergo in the course of their growth a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-maitland-balfour/why-it-is-that-animals-instead-of-developing-in-a-simple-and/) [Francis Maitland Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-maitland-balfour/) ## More by Jack Handey > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [I think the best Thanksgiving we ever had was one where we didn't even have a turkey. Mom and Dad sat us kids down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-think-the-best-thanksgiving-we-ever-had-was-one-where-we-didn-t/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [At first I thought, if I were Superman, a perfect secret identity would be "Clark Kent, Dentist," because you could save money on tooth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/at-first-i-thought-if-i-were-superman-a-perfect-secret-identity-would/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Sometimes I wonder if I'm patriotic enough. Yes, I want to kill people, but on both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-i-wonder-if-i-m-patriotic-enough-yes-i-want-to-kill-people/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [I don't understand people who say life is a mystery, because what is it they want to know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-don-t-understand-people-who-say-life-is-a-mystery-because-what-is/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [It's probably not a good idea to be chewing on a toothpick if you're talking to the president, because what if he tells a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/it-s-probably-not-a-good-idea-to-be-chewing-on-a-toothpick-if-you-re/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Probably to a shark, about the funniest thing there is is a wounded seal, trying to swim to shore, because WHERE DOES HE THINK…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/probably-to-a-shark-about-the-funniest-thing-there-is-is-a-wounded/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [I wish I lived back in the Old West days, because I'd save up my money for about twenty years so I could buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-wish-i-lived-back-in-the-old-west-days-because-i-d-save-up-my-money/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Why do there have to be rules for everything? It's gotten to the point that rules dominate just about every aspect of our lives.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/why-do-there-have-to-be-rules-for-everything-it-s-gotten-to-the-point/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Most people don't realize that large pieces of coral, which have been painted brown and attached to the skull by common wood screws, can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/most-people-don-t-realize-that-large-pieces-of-coral-which-have-been/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Here's a suggestion for a new animal, if some new ones get created or evolve: something that stings you, then laughs at you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/here-s-a-suggestion-for-a-new-animal-if-some-new-ones-get-created-or/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [When you go ice-skating, try not to swing your arms too much, because that really annoys me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/when-you-go-ice-skating-try-not-to-swing-your-arms-too-much-because/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [When you go to a party at somebody's house, don't automatically assume that the drinks are free. Ask, and ask often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/when-you-go-to-a-party-at-somebody-s-house-don-t-automatically-assume/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [He was a cowboy, mister, and he loved the land. He loved it so much he made a woman out of dirt and married…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/he-was-a-cowboy-mister-and-he-loved-the-land-he-loved-it-so-much-he/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [If you were a gladiator in olden days, I bet the inefficiency of how the gladiator fights were organized and scheduled would just drive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/if-you-were-a-gladiator-in-olden-days-i-bet-the-inefficiency-of-how/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) [Explore all 358 Jack Handey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) ## More Boards quotes > [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/) [Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/) > [I am somewhat influenced by the years that I've spent trying to actually get things done, whether it was reforming education in Arkansas or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-am-somewhat-influenced-by-the-years-that-i-ve-spent-trying-to/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Cows are a lot smarter across the board than bulls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-haden-church/cows-are-a-lot-smarter-across-the-board-than-bulls/) [Thomas Haden Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-haden-church/) > [Some guys need to see things on a grease board, ... I like when you can see it in your mind. And that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peyton-manning/some-guys-need-to-see-things-on-a-grease-board-i-like-when-you-can/) [Peyton Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peyton-manning/) > [I am formally accountable to the steering board of the PIC, and I meet with nine ambassadors from the PIC every week. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paddy-ashdown/i-am-formally-accountable-to-the-steering-board-of-the-pic-and-i-meet/) [Paddy Ashdown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paddy-ashdown/) > [You are also asked to take an oath, and that's the oath of service. 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We have been rigorous and willful in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/perhaps-we-have-failed-as-human-beings-perhaps-we-have-embarrassed/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [Once scouting fully opens its doors to all who desire the same experience that so fully enriched me as a young person, I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/once-scouting-fully-opens-its-doors-to-all-who-desire-the-same/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [Politicians should be dedicated to the welfare of the people, but sometimes politics becomes like a game of chess, in which the sole aim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/politicians-should-be-dedicated-to-the-welfare-of-the-people-but/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) > [This world is not a platform where you will hear Thalberg-piano-playing. 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There is therefore no point in seeking marginal improvements in how we spend our time. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-koch/our-current-use-of-time-is-not-rational-there-is-therefore-no-point/) [Richard Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-koch/) > [When I was in college, I lost my scholarship one year. I had enough money for tuition, but not room and board. So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/when-i-was-in-college-i-lost-my-scholarship-one-year-i-had-enough/) [Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/) [Browse all 1,220 Boards quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boards/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I can still recall old Mister Barnslow getting out every morning and nailing a fresh load of tadpoles to the old board of his. Then he'd spin it round and round, like a wheel of fortune, and no matter where it stopped he'd yell out, \"Tadpoles! 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