--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Instead of putting a quarter under a…" description: "\"Instead of putting a quarter under a kid's pillow, how about a pinecone? That way, he learns that \"wishing\" isn't going to save out national forests.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9b/jack-handey-829_deep-thought_instead-of-putting-a-quarter-under-a-kid_3078362.jpg" --- # Instead of putting a quarter under a kid's pillow, how… ![“Instead of putting a quarter under a kid's pillow, how about a pinecone? That way, he learns that "wishing" isn't going to save out national forests.” quote by Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9b/jack-handey-829_deep-thought_instead-of-putting-a-quarter-under-a-kid_3078362.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9b/jack-handey-829_deep-thought_instead-of-putting-a-quarter-under-a-kid_3078362.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9b/jack-handey-829_deep-thought_instead-of-putting-a-quarter-under-a-kid_3078362.jpg) > “Instead of putting a quarter under a kid's pillow, how about a pinecone? That way, he learns that "wishing" isn't going to save out national forests.” [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. The joke uses a pinecone instead of money to teach that wishes alone won’t protect forests, emphasizing action over fantasy. **In simple terms:** Wishes won’t save forests; need real action. Key Takeaway Take concrete steps to protect nature. Themes environment education humor Mood playful thought‑provoking Type humor lesson When to use this quote - parental advice - environmental education - children’s lessons Key Concepts conservation responsibility mythbusting learning Questions to Reflect On - How can we teach kids responsibility effectively? - What actions replace wishful thinking? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex environmental issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deep thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-thought/) [Forests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forests/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Learns Wishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learns-wishing-5239930/) [Pillow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pillow/) [Pillow Pinecone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pillow-pinecone-5239929/) [Pinecone Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pinecone-way-5239931/) [Quarters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quarters/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) [Wishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wishing/) [Wishing Isn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wishing-isn-5239928/) ## Related quotes > [I think a pillow should be the peace symbol, not the dove. The pillow has more feathers than the dove, and it doesn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-think-a-pillow-should-be-the-peace-symbol-not-the-dove-the-pillow/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [I'm so tired after dinner I fall asleep with my clothes on, almost as soon as my head hits the pillow, and so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-m-so-tired-after-dinner-i-fall-asleep-with-my-clothes-on-almost-as/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [If you bury your face in your tear-stained pillow and beg God to please send you your soul mate, may you not slur your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brezsny/if-you-bury-your-face-in-your-tear-stained-pillow-and-beg-god-to/) [Rob Brezsny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brezsny/) > [It is easy to decide on what is wrong to wear to a party, such as deep-sea diving equipment or a pair of large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-easy-to-decide-on-what-is-wrong-to-wear-to-a-party-such-as-deep/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I'm manic, I'm so awake and alert, that my eyelashes fluttering on the pillow sound like thunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/when-i-m-manic-i-m-so-awake-and-alert-that-my-eyelashes-fluttering-on/) [Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/) > [Of course, when we got home, we found that Dagda had peed on my down comforter. He had also eaten part of Mom's maidenhair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-tiernan/of-course-when-we-got-home-we-found-that-dagda-had-peed-on-my-down/) [Cate Tiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-tiernan/) > [If you ever need a pillow, I can make you a pillow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittney-griner/if-you-ever-need-a-pillow-i-can-make-you-a-pillow/) [Brittney Griner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittney-griner/) > [Im sporting a neck pillow!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-brothers/im-sporting-a-neck-pillow/) [Jonas Brothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-brothers/) > [I sat up in bed. My T-shirt was soaking wet. My pillow was wet. My hair was wet. And my room was sticky and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/i-sat-up-in-bed-my-t-shirt-was-soaking-wet-my-pillow-was-wet-my-hair/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [I can compare you to my pillow. Without you, I can't sleep at night. ~Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-pierce/i-can-compare-you-to-my-pillow-without-you-i-can-t-sleep-at-night/) [Morgan Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-pierce/) > [Jesus was the poorest of the poor. Roman Catholicism, which claims to be His church, is the richest of the rich, the wealthiest institution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avro-manhattan/jesus-was-the-poorest-of-the-poor-roman-catholicism-which-claims-to/) [Avro Manhattan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avro-manhattan/) > [A clear conscience is the softest pillow in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-r-narayana-murthy/a-clear-conscience-is-the-softest-pillow-in-the-world/) [N. R. Narayana Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-r-narayana-murthy/) > [The desire to never leave your side, the desire to never see you again. The desire to see your face asleep on the pillow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/the-desire-to-never-leave-your-side-the-desire-to-never-see-you-again/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I bit a pillow. Or two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/i-bit-a-pillow-or-two/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) ## 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 Deep thought quotes > [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 had always assumed that the right way to do it was to these engineers, put them in offices by themselves with doors that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/i-had-always-assumed-that-the-right-way-to-do-it-was-to-these/) [Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/) > [The amount you give isn't important. What matters is what that amount represents in terms of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/the-amount-you-give-isn-t-important-what-matters-is-what-that-amount/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [As the light changed from red to green to yellow and back to red again, I sat there thinking about life. Was it nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-the-light-changed-from-red-to-green-to-yellow-and-back-to-red/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I never knew an early-rising, hard-working, prudent man, careful of his earnings, and strictly honest who complained of bad luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/i-never-knew-an-early-rising-hard-working-prudent-man-careful-of-his/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [The biggest battle in life is with yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-biggest-battle-in-life-is-with-yourself/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [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/) > [Be bold in your caring, and be bold in your dreaming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/be-bold-in-your-caring-and-be-bold-in-your-dreaming/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [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/) > [I guess I kinda lost control, because in the middle of the play I ran up and lit the evil puppet villain on fire.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-guess-i-kinda-lost-control-because-in-the-middle-of-the-play-i-ran/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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/) > [I release all criticism. I only give out that which I wish to receive in return. My love and acceptance of others is mirrored…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/i-release-all-criticism-i-only-give-out-that-which-i-wish-to-receive/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [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/) [Browse all 683 Deep thought quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-thought/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Instead of putting a quarter under a kid's pillow, how about a pinecone? That way, he learns that \"wishing\" isn't going to save out national forests.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jack Handey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/instead-of-putting-a-quarter-under-a-kid-s-pillow-how-about-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Deep thought" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/instead-of-putting-a-quarter-under-a-kid-s-pillow-how-about-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9b/jack-handey-829_deep-thought_instead-of-putting-a-quarter-under-a-kid_3078362.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9b/jack-handey-829_deep-thought_instead-of-putting-a-quarter-under-a-kid_3078362.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9b/jack-handey-829_deep-thought_instead-of-putting-a-quarter-under-a-kid_3078362.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Instead of putting a quarter under a kid's pillow, how about a pinecone? That way, he learns that \"wishing\"…” — Jack Handey", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jack Handey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Instead of putting a quarter under...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/instead-of-putting-a-quarter-under-a-kid-s-pillow-how-about-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/instead-of-putting-a-quarter-under-a-kid-s-pillow-how-about-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```