---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: …\"we saw this big dark red leech hanging…"
description: "\"…\"we saw this big dark red leech hanging off his back. We were dancing round yelling: ‘We’ll burn it off! Get the petrol! Stay still Mr Kassar, you can..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/john-marsden-3782_bigs_we-saw-this-big-dark-red-leech-hanging-o_1842776.jpg"
---

#  …"we saw this big dark red leech hanging off his back. We…

![“…&quot;we saw this big dark red leech hanging off his back. We were dancing round yelling: ‘We’ll burn it off! Get the petrol! Stay still Mr Kassar, you can trust us!’ He wimped out though, and made us use salt. Very boring.” quote by John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/john-marsden-3782_bigs_we-saw-this-big-dark-red-leech-hanging-o_1842776.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/john-marsden-3782_bigs_we-saw-this-big-dark-red-leech-hanging-o_1842776.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/john-marsden-3782_bigs_we-saw-this-big-dark-red-leech-hanging-o_1842776.jpg)

> “…"we saw this big dark red leech hanging off his back. We were dancing round yelling: ‘We’ll burn it off! Get the petrol! Stay still Mr Kassar, you can trust us!’ He wimped out though, and made us use salt. Very boring.”

[John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A chaotic, reckless attempt to solve a problem with dangerous methods, showing youthful bravado and poor judgment.

**In simple terms:** Kids try risky fixes without thinking.

Key Takeaway

Think before acting impulsively.

Themes

recklessness peer pressure danger

Mood

anxious tense adventurous

Type

narrative cautionary

When to use this quote

- schoolyard pranks
- emergency situations
- group decision making

Key Concepts

adventure survival impulsivity

Questions to Reflect On

- What safer alternatives could have been chosen?
- How does peer pressure influence risky behavior?

A Different Perspective

Such actions can cause more harm than good.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Boring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boring/) [Dancing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancing/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Leech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leech/) [Leech Hanging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leech-hanging-2364227/) [Leeches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leeches/) [Ll Burn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ll-burn/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Red](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red/) [Red Leech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red-leech-2364228/) [Salt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/salt/) [Salt Boring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/salt-boring-2364229/) [Saws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saws/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Yelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yelling/)

## Related quotes

> [A leech who, having penetrated the shell of a turtle only to find that the creature has long been dead, deems it expedient to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/a-leech-who-having-penetrated-the-shell-of-a-turtle-only-to-find-that/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [I think the more rational explanation is that the excision of a five-to-six-foot leech from the surface of a human body means that that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-sim/i-think-the-more-rational-explanation-is-that-the-excision-of-a-five/)

[Dave Sim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-sim/)

> [A leech that will not quit the skin until sated with blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/a-leech-that-will-not-quit-the-skin-until-sated-with-blood/)

[Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/)

> [“Regin the Radiant and Emmaline Troy: 'Alrighty then, have it your way- you're on your own... Now, if you come across a leech, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/regin-the-radiant-and-emmaline-troy-alrighty-then-have-it-your-way/)

[Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/)

> [“Beware the gods and their horrors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-emerson/beware-the-gods-and-their-horrors/)

[Kevin Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-emerson/)

> [“Ever since she had become my Manager, my raises had become smaller and smaller. The last raise had been a huge leech shaped like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/ever-since-she-had-become-my-manager-my-raises-had-become-smaller-and/)

[Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/)

> [“The difference between the rich and the poor, is finding true love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/the-difference-between-the-rich-and-the-poor-is-finding-true-love/)

[Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/)

> [A skilful leech is better far, than half a hundred men of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/a-skilful-leech-is-better-far-than-half-a-hundred-men-of-war/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

> [“Death was a leech; no matter which side of the spectrum you were on, either dead or alive, it fed. It either acquired your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-kreitzer/death-was-a-leech-no-matter-which-side-of-the-spectrum-you-were-on/)

[Laura Kreitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-kreitzer/)

> [“I've spent too much of my life trying to leave the past behind. But the past is a leech. Digs its head into you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-nickless/i-ve-spent-too-much-of-my-life-trying-to-leave-the-past-behind-but/)

[Barbara Nickless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-nickless/)

> [“I raised the hand to my head and felt the slick skin of a leech. The creature, whose weight I had mistaken for water,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-magnarella/i-raised-the-hand-to-my-head-and-felt-the-slick-skin-of-a-leech-the/)

[Brad Magnarella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-magnarella/)

> [The seeds of love have taken hold and if we won't burn together, I'll burn alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/the-seeds-of-love-have-taken-hold-and-if-we-won-t-burn-together-i-ll/)

[Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/)

> [“I’ll burn the world down to save her”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/i-ll-burn-the-world-down-to-save-her/)

[Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/)

> [“Don't put your life in someone's hands They bound to steal it away Don't hide your mistakes 'Cause they'll find you, burn you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/three-days-grace/don-t-put-your-life-in-someone-s-hands-they-bound-to-steal-it-away/)

[Three Days Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/three-days-grace/)

> [There's a danger in starting a fire, you'll never know how many bridges you'll burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-a-danger-in-starting-a-fire-you-ll-never-know-how-many/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by John Marsden

> [“I make people uncomfortable. The kind ones get angry because their kindness doesn't work. The unkind ones get angry because they think I'm attacking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/i-make-people-uncomfortable-the-kind-ones-get-angry-because-their/)

[John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/)

> [So, that was Nature's way. The mosquito felt pain and panic but the dragonfly knew nothing of cruelty. Humans would call it evil, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/so-that-was-nature-s-way-the-mosquito-felt-pain-and-panic-but-the/)

[John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/)

> [“We'll never feel safe again, and so it's bye-bye innocence. It's been nice knowing you, but you're gone now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/we-ll-never-feel-safe-again-and-so-it-s-bye-bye-innocence-it-s-been/)

[John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/)

> [My pen.’ Funny, I wrote that without noticing. ‘The torch’, ‘the paper’, but ‘my pen’. That shows what writing means to me, I guess.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/my-pen-funny-i-wrote-that-without-noticing-the-torch-the-paper-but-my/)

[John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/)

> [“Life’s about a hell of a lot more than being happy. It’s about feeling the full range of stuff: happiness, sadness, anger, grief, love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/life-s-about-a-hell-of-a-lot-more-than-being-happy-it-s-about-feeling/)

[John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/)

> [“Ask for Forgiveness, Not Permission”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/ask-for-forgiveness-not-permission/)

[John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/)

> [“I lay there with my mind running amuck, on the brink of madness. And somehow, gradually, early Sunday morning, I became calm. I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/i-lay-there-with-my-mind-running-amuck-on-the-brink-of-madness-and/)

[John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/)

> [“In this life of froth and bubble, Two things stand like stone. Kindness in another’s trouble, Courage in your own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/in-this-life-of-froth-and-bubble-two-things-stand-like-stone-kindness/)

[John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/)

> [“There’s life in his face again. It occurs to me that this is the best thing I could have done, it’s actually a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/there-s-life-in-his-face-again-it-occurs-to-me-that-this-is-the-best/)

[John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/)

> [Life's about a hell of a lot more than being happy. It's about feeling the full range of stuff: happiness, sadness, anger, grief, love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/life-s-about-a-hell-of-a-lot-more-than-being-happy-it-s-about-feeling-2/)

[John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/)

> [“It'd be funny if one of them was called Gavin. Funny but irrelevant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/it-d-be-funny-if-one-of-them-was-called-gavin-funny-but-irrelevant/)

[John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/)

> [When you're scared you can either give in to the panic and let your mind fall apart, or you can take charge of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/when-you-re-scared-you-can-either-give-in-to-the-panic-and-let-your/)

[John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/)

> [“Cynicism is like gastro: it goes through your whole system and makes you shitty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/cynicism-is-like-gastro-it-goes-through-your-whole-system-and-makes/)

[John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/)

> [It seems like suffering's the only time we can see what's essential. If peace ever comes back I'm making a vow: I'll design myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/it-seems-like-suffering-s-the-only-time-we-can-see-what-s-essential/)

[John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/)

> [“But somehow, standing in the clear night air, under a sky that glowed like a shower of sparks, none of that stuff mattered. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/but-somehow-standing-in-the-clear-night-air-under-a-sky-that-glowed/)

[John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/)

[Explore all 121 John Marsden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/)

## More Bigs quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/)

[Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/)

> [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/)

[Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/)

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/)

[Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/)

> [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/)

[Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/)

> [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/)

[Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/)

> [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/)

[Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/)

> [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/)

[Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/)

> [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/)

[Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/)

> [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/)

[Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/)

> [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/)

[Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/)

> [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/)

[Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/)

[Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "…\"we saw this big dark red leech hanging off his back. We were dancing round yelling: ‘We’ll burn it off! Get the petrol! Stay still Mr Kassar, you can trust us!’ He wimped out though, and made us use salt. Very boring.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Marsden"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/we-saw-this-big-dark-red-leech-hanging-off-his-back-we-were-dancing/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bigs"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/we-saw-this-big-dark-red-leech-hanging-off-his-back-we-were-dancing/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/john-marsden-3782_bigs_we-saw-this-big-dark-red-leech-hanging-o_1842776.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/john-marsden-3782_bigs_we-saw-this-big-dark-red-leech-hanging-o_1842776.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/john-marsden-3782_bigs_we-saw-this-big-dark-red-leech-hanging-o_1842776.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“…\"we saw this big dark red leech hanging off his back. We were dancing round yelling: ‘We’ll burn it off!…” — John Marsden",
                "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": "John Marsden",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "…\"we saw this big dark red...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/we-saw-this-big-dark-red-leech-hanging-off-his-back-we-were-dancing/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/we-saw-this-big-dark-red-leech-hanging-off-his-back-we-were-dancing/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
