--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Cast your bread upon the waters, and…" description: "\"Cast your bread upon the waters, and after many days it will come back buttered.\" — Louisa May Alcott" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/louisa-may-alcott-318_bread_cast-your-bread-upon-the-waters-and-afte_2132610.png" --- # Cast your bread upon the waters, and after many days it… ![“Cast your bread upon the waters, and after many days it will come back buttered.” quote by Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/louisa-may-alcott-318_bread_cast-your-bread-upon-the-waters-and-afte_2132610.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/louisa-may-alcott-318_bread_cast-your-bread-upon-the-waters-and-afte_2132610.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/louisa-may-alcott-318_bread_cast-your-bread-upon-the-waters-and-afte_2132610.png) > “Cast your bread upon the waters, and after many days it will come back buttered.” [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acts of generosity eventually return with greater blessings, encouraging kindness. **In simple terms:** Kindness brings better returns. Key Takeaway Give generously without expectation. Themes kindness reciprocity hope generosity Mood warm hopeful reflective Type literary personal When to use this quote - charitable donations - helping friends - community service - random acts of kindness Key Concepts karma social capital altruism Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice generosity today? - What expectations do you have? A Different Perspective Returns may not be immediate or proportional. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bread](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bread/) [Bread Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bread-waters-2961989/) [Buttered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buttered-436793/) [Cast Bread](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cast-bread-2961986/) [Casts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/casts/) [Come Buttered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come-buttered-4402840/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) ## Related quotes > [I cast my bread on the waters long ago. Now it's time for you to send it back to me - toasted and buttered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/i-cast-my-bread-on-the-waters-long-ago-now-it-s-time-for-you-to-send/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [“ECCLESIASTES 11  f Cast your bread upon the waters,          g for you will find it after many days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ecclesiastes-11-f-cast-your-bread-upon-the-waters-g-for-you-will-find-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The sensor did not seem to be restricted to my mother's food, and there was so much to sort through, a torrent of information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/the-sensor-did-not-seem-to-be-restricted-to-my-mother-s-food-and/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [Your mate doesn't live by bread alone; he or she needs to be 'buttered up' from time to time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/your-mate-doesn-t-live-by-bread-alone-he-or-she-needs-to-be-buttered/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [If you cast your bread upon the water and you have faith, you'll get back cash. If you don't have faith, you'll get soggy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-king/if-you-cast-your-bread-upon-the-water-and-you-have-faith-you-ll-get/) [Don King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-king/) > [“I was always a great believer in buttered toast.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-o-connor/i-was-always-a-great-believer-in-buttered-toast/) [Frank O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-o-connor/) > [You look as scary as a buttered muffin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamora-pierce/you-look-as-scary-as-a-buttered-muffin/) [Tamora Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamora-pierce/) > [I know on which side my bread is buttered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-heywood/i-know-on-which-side-my-bread-is-buttered/) [John Heywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-heywood/) > [“Midwest childhood, a kidney condition that kept him out of the service, a stint at the Navy Yard before the job at the brewery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/midwest-childhood-a-kidney-condition-that-kept-him-out-of-the-service/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [“This, as they used to say, was the side on which her bread was buttered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/this-as-they-used-to-say-was-the-side-on-which-her-bread-was-buttered/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [Some folk want their luck buttered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/some-folk-want-their-luck-buttered/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [I was a great believer in hot buttered toast at all hours of the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-o-connor/i-was-a-great-believer-in-hot-buttered-toast-at-all-hours-of-the-day/) [Frank O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-o-connor/) > [“When the girl returned, some hours later, she carried a tray, with a cup of fragrant tea steaming on it; and a plate piled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/when-the-girl-returned-some-hours-later-she-carried-a-tray-with-a-cup/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [“Some folks want their luck buttered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/some-folks-want-their-luck-buttered/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [I knew where my bread was buttered and it was in baseball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chipper-jones/i-knew-where-my-bread-was-buttered-and-it-was-in-baseball/) [Chipper Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chipper-jones/) ## More by Louisa May Alcott > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“At three o'clock in the afternoon, all the fashionable world at Nice may be seen on the Promenade des Anglais—a charming place, for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/at-three-o-clock-in-the-afternoon-all-the-fashionable-world-at-nice/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“Please could I say one word?" was the question three times repeated before a rough head boobed out from the grotto of books in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/please-could-i-say-one-word-was-the-question-three-times-repeated/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Elegance has a bad effect on my constitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/elegance-has-a-bad-effect-on-my-constitution/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“…the child's heart bled when it was broken.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/the-child-s-heart-bled-when-it-was-broken/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“She would make a man of me. She puts strength and courage into me as no one else can. She is unlike any girl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/she-would-make-a-man-of-me-she-puts-strength-and-courage-into-me-as/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“I read somewhere that every inch of rope used in the British Navy has a strand of red in it, so that wherever a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/i-read-somewhere-that-every-inch-of-rope-used-in-the-british-navy-has/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“Chance words spoken in kindness often help amazingly; and that's what old people are here for -- else their experience is of little use.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/chance-words-spoken-in-kindness-often-help-amazingly-and-that-s-what/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“Tired of my own company, I suppose, now I've seen so much better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/tired-of-my-own-company-i-suppose-now-i-ve-seen-so-much-better/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Oft in the silence of the night, When the lonely moon rides high, When wintry winds are whistling, And we hear the owl's shrill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/oft-in-the-silence-of-the-night-when-the-lonely-moon-rides-high-when/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [But buds will be roses, and kittens, cats - more's the pity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/but-buds-will-be-roses-and-kittens-cats-more-s-the-pity/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“I'll try and be what he loves to call me, 'a little woman' and not be rough and wild, but do my duty here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/i-ll-try-and-be-what-he-loves-to-call-me-a-little-woman-and-not-be/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“If you feel your value lies in being merely decorative, I fear that someday you might find yourself believing that’s all that you really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/if-you-feel-your-value-lies-in-being-merely-decorative-i-fear-that/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“ "I do not ask for any crown But that which all may win; Nor try to conquer any world Except the world within." ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/i-do-not-ask-for-any-crown-but-that-which-all-may-win-nor-try-to/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Some books are so familiar that reading them is like being home again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/some-books-are-so-familiar-that-reading-them-is-like-being-home-again/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) [Explore all 681 Louisa May Alcott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) ## More Bread quotes > [French women don't eat Wonder Bread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mireille-guiliano/french-women-don-t-eat-wonder-bread/) [Mireille Guiliano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mireille-guiliano/) > [In the olden days in England, you could be hung for stealing a sheep or a loaf of bread. However, if a sheep stole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-harding/in-the-olden-days-in-england-you-could-be-hung-for-stealing-a-sheep/) [Mike Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-harding/) > [I don't eat meat - chicken, fish, none of that. I eat a lot of vegetable sandwiches, like lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, cucumbers, whatever I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/i-don-t-eat-meat-chicken-fish-none-of-that-i-eat-a-lot-of-vegetable/) [Gza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gza/) > [“We should remark the grace and fascination that there is even in the incidentals of Nature's processes.. When a loaf of bread,. for instance,.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/we-should-remark-the-grace-and-fascination-that-there-is-even-in-the/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [When I met you you were oh so sweet, now you give me the bread and you take all the meat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-jett/when-i-met-you-you-were-oh-so-sweet-now-you-give-me-the-bread-and-you/) [Joan Jett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-jett/) > [When you fight to give your family bread, that's not passion anymore: that's conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoel-romero/when-you-fight-to-give-your-family-bread-that-s-not-passion-anymore/) [Yoel Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoel-romero/) > [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/) > [Bread is a second cause; the LORD Himself is the first source of our sustenance. He can work without the second cause as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bread-is-a-second-cause-the-lord-himself-is-the-first-source-of-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Even if we have to go without bread, we Albanians do not violate principles. We do not betray Marxism - Leninism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enver-hoxha/even-if-we-have-to-go-without-bread-we-albanians-do-not-violate/) [Enver Hoxha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enver-hoxha/) > [Man preys on man; and you mourn for the idle tapestry that decorated a gothic pillar, and the dronish bell that summoned the fat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/man-preys-on-man-and-you-mourn-for-the-idle-tapestry-that-decorated-a/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) > [“Nine times out of ten, people pick the wrong food. No, it’s not the sugar (GI = 68), it’s not the candy bar (GI…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/nine-times-out-of-ten-people-pick-the-wrong-food-no-it-s-not-the/) [David Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-perlmutter/) > [Waffles аrе јust awesome bread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/waffles-r-ust-awesome-bread/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [At my age, I don't buy but a half a loaf of bread, you know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-haggard/at-my-age-i-don-t-buy-but-a-half-a-loaf-of-bread-you-know/) [Merle Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-haggard/) > [Jesus Christ would have been considered just another long-haired hippie freak if he hadn't been crucified. The folks weren't impressed with healing the sick,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-turner/jesus-christ-would-have-been-considered-just-another-long-haired/) [Ted Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-turner/) > [“To consume the Eucharist is an act of anticonsumption, for here to consume is to be consumed, to be taken up into participation in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-cavanaugh/to-consume-the-eucharist-is-an-act-of-anticonsumption-for-here-to/) [William T. Cavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-cavanaugh/) [Browse all 2,164 Bread quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bread/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Cast your bread upon the waters, and after many days it will come back buttered.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Louisa May Alcott" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/cast-your-bread-upon-the-waters-and-after-many-days-it-will-come-back/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bread" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/cast-your-bread-upon-the-waters-and-after-many-days-it-will-come-back/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/louisa-may-alcott-318_bread_cast-your-bread-upon-the-waters-and-afte_2132610.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/louisa-may-alcott-318_bread_cast-your-bread-upon-the-waters-and-afte_2132610.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/louisa-may-alcott-318_bread_cast-your-bread-upon-the-waters-and-afte_2132610.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Cast your bread upon the waters, and after many days it will come back buttered.” — Louisa May Alcott", "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": "Louisa May Alcott", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Cast your bread upon the waters,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/cast-your-bread-upon-the-waters-and-after-many-days-it-will-come-back/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/cast-your-bread-upon-the-waters-and-after-many-days-it-will-come-back/#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 } } ] } ```