--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That's coral!\" she cried in astonishment…" description: "\"“That's coral!\" she cried in astonishment. \"We must be down in the deeps of the sea!\" Well, wasn't that what you wanted?\" said the trout. \"I thought yo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/459/p-l-travers-2-31707_coral_that-s-coral-she-cried-in-astonishment-w_2002891.jpg" --- # That's coral!" she cried in astonishment. "We must be down… ![“That's coral!" she cried in astonishment. "We must be down in the deeps of the sea!" Well, wasn't that what you wanted?" said the trout. "I thought you wished you could see the sea!" I did," said Jane, looking very surprised. "But I never expected the wish to come true." Great oceans! Why bother…” quote by P.L. Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/459/p-l-travers-2-31707_coral_that-s-coral-she-cried-in-astonishment-w_2002891.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/459/p-l-travers-2-31707_coral_that-s-coral-she-cried-in-astonishment-w_2002891.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/459/p-l-travers-2-31707_coral_that-s-coral-she-cried-in-astonishment-w_2002891.jpg) > ““That's coral!" she cried in astonishment. "We must be down in the deeps of the sea!" Well, wasn't that what you wanted?" said the trout. "I thought you wished you could see the sea!" I did," said Jane, looking very surprised. "But I never expected the wish to come true." Great oceans! Why bother to wish it then? I call that simply a waste of time. But come on! Mustn't be late for the party!”” [P.L. Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-l-travers-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A whimsical exchange highlights the futility of wishing without effort, urging action over idle dreaming. **In simple terms:** Wishes need work, not just hope. Key Takeaway Take action instead of just wishing. Themes wish effort disillusionment Mood playful thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - goal setting - personal development - creative projects - risk assessment Key Concepts fantasy expectation reality check Questions to Reflect On - What wish have you acted on? - How do you balance dreaming and doing? A Different Perspective Wishes alone don’t change outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish/) [Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ocean/) [Sea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea/) [Waste of time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste-of-time/) [Wishes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wishes/) ## Related quotes > [“Michael, "I never expected the wish to come true." The Trout, "Great Oceans! Why bother to wish it, then? I call that simply a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-l-travers-2/michael-i-never-expected-the-wish-to-come-true-the-trout-great-oceans/) [P.L. Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-l-travers-2/) > [Silence is a beautiful fresh water tank to raise the trout of thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/silence-is-a-beautiful-fresh-water-tank-to-raise-the-trout-of-thought/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“I can’t tell if you’re serious or not,” said the driver. “I won’t know myself until I find out whether life is serious or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-can-t-tell-if-you-re-serious-or-not-said-the-driver-i-won-t-know/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“She was a widow, and he stripped himself naked while she went to fetch some of her husband's clothes. But before he could put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/she-was-a-widow-and-he-stripped-himself-naked-while-she-went-to-fetch/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I won’t know myself until I find out whether life is serious or not,” said Trout. “It’s dangerous, I know, and it can hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-won-t-know-myself-until-i-find-out-whether-life-is-serious-or-not/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“He dabbed at his tuxedo with a damp rag, and the fungi came away easily. "Hate to do this, Bill," he said of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/he-dabbed-at-his-tuxedo-with-a-damp-rag-and-the-fungi-came-away/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“He told Trout about people he'd heard of in the area who grabbed live copperheads and rattlesnakes during church services, to show how much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/he-told-trout-about-people-he-d-heard-of-in-the-area-who-grabbed-live/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Captain James Cook's ship, The Endeavour, hit a coral outcrop in the Great Barrier Reef in 1770. Cook and his crew camped in what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-murphy/captain-james-cook-s-ship-the-endeavour-hit-a-coral-outcrop-in-the/) [Julie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-murphy/) > [“You are different." She lifted a hand to delicately trace his hairline. He closed his eyes, feeling her fingers tremble against his skin. "For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hoyt/you-are-different-she-lifted-a-hand-to-delicately-trace-his-hairline/) [Elizabeth Hoyt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hoyt/) > [The coral that grows at the edge of the reef is always the strongest and most colourful because it faces the greatest battering. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honeysuckle-weeks/the-coral-that-grows-at-the-edge-of-the-reef-is-always-the-strongest/) [Honeysuckle Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honeysuckle-weeks/) > [Organisms don't think of CO2 as a poison. Plants and organisms that make shells, coral, think of it as a building block.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/organisms-don-t-think-of-co2-as-a-poison-plants-and-organisms-that/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [The more we heat up the planet, the more it costs all of us, not just in money, but in colossal famines, displacements, deaths,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/the-more-we-heat-up-the-planet-the-more-it-costs-all-of-us-not-just/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [When my younger son was 13 years old, he asked me to read 'Swallows and Amazons' to him while he made models. He liked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-magorian/when-my-younger-son-was-13-years-old-he-asked-me-to-read-swallows-and/) [Michelle Magorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-magorian/) > [Centuries-old habitats such as coral gardens are destroyed in an instant by bottom trawls, pulverized by weighted nets into barren plains. And global carbon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-danson/centuries-old-habitats-such-as-coral-gardens-are-destroyed-in-an/) [Ted Danson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-danson/) > [Coral reefs represent some of the worlds most spectacular beauty spots, but they are also the foundation of marine life: without them many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheherazade-goldsmith/coral-reefs-represent-some-of-the-worlds-most-spectacular-beauty/) [Sheherazade Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheherazade-goldsmith/) ## More by P.L. Travers > [“And what's more, he'll go and live with his friend unless his friend is allowed to come in and live with him...His friend must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-l-travers-2/and-what-s-more-he-ll-go-and-live-with-his-friend-unless-his-friend/) [P.L. Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-l-travers-2/) > [“He knew, the moment he opened his eyes, that something was wrong but he was not quite sure what it was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-l-travers-2/he-knew-the-moment-he-opened-his-eyes-that-something-was-wrong-but-he/) [P.L. Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-l-travers-2/) > [“And when, at last, … I stood in London with ten pounds in my hand - five of which I promptly lost - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-l-travers-2/and-when-at-last-i-stood-in-london-with-ten-pounds-in-my-hand-five-of/) [P.L. Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-l-travers-2/) > [“You should trust the children; they can stand more than we can.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-l-travers-2/you-should-trust-the-children-they-can-stand-more-than-we-can/) [P.L. Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-l-travers-2/) > [“I shouldn't wonder if you didn't wonder much too much!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-l-travers-2/i-shouldn-t-wonder-if-you-didn-t-wonder-much-too-much/) [P.L. Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-l-travers-2/) > [“There was something strange and extraordinary about her – something that was frightening and at the same time most exciting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-l-travers-2/there-was-something-strange-and-extraordinary-about-her-something/) [P.L. Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-l-travers-2/) > [“You said you were the King of the Castle – and you’re not, not by any means! But that’s the Dirty Rascal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-l-travers-2/you-said-you-were-the-king-of-the-castle-and-you-re-not-not-by-any/) [P.L. Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-l-travers-2/) > [“the shape, tossed and bent under the wind, lifted the latch of the gate, and they could see that it belonged to a woman,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-l-travers-2/the-shape-tossed-and-bent-under-the-wind-lifted-the-latch-of-the-gate/) [P.L. Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-l-travers-2/) > [“Pooh, he’s a ninkypoop!” “How do you know?” asked Jane, very interested. “I know because I heard Daddy call him one this morning!” said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-l-travers-2/pooh-he-s-a-ninkypoop-how-do-you-know-asked-jane-very-interested-i/) [P.L. Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-l-travers-2/) > [“The lambs in their arms were as smooth as mushrooms, the flock at their heels unruffled. And amid all that froth of fleece, white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-l-travers-2/the-lambs-in-their-arms-were-as-smooth-as-mushrooms-the-flock-at/) [P.L. Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-l-travers-2/) > [“She sounds like you, Mary Poppins,' said Michael. 'So terribly pleased with herself!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-l-travers-2/she-sounds-like-you-mary-poppins-said-michael-so-terribly-pleased/) [P.L. Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-l-travers-2/) > [“Bird and beast and stone and star—we are all one, all one——” murmured the Hamadryad, softly folding his hood about him as he himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-l-travers-2/bird-and-beast-and-stone-and-star-we-are-all-one-all-one-murmured-the/) [P.L. Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-l-travers-2/) > [“So it was settled, and that was how the Banks family came to live at Number Seventeen, with Mrs. Brill to cook for them,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-l-travers-2/so-it-was-settled-and-that-was-how-the-banks-family-came-to-live-at/) [P.L. Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-l-travers-2/) > [“Michael knew now what was happening to him. He knew he was going to be naughty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-l-travers-2/michael-knew-now-what-was-happening-to-him-he-knew-he-was-going-to-be/) [P.L. Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-l-travers-2/) > [“Michael, "I never expected the wish to come true." The Trout, "Great Oceans! Why bother to wish it, then? I call that simply a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-l-travers-2/michael-i-never-expected-the-wish-to-come-true-the-trout-great-oceans/) [P.L. Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-l-travers-2/) [Explore all 16 P.L. Travers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-l-travers-2/) ## More Coral quotes > [Coral reefs represent some of the worlds most spectacular beauty spots, but they are also the foundation of marine life: without them many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheherazade-goldsmith/coral-reefs-represent-some-of-the-worlds-most-spectacular-beauty/) [Sheherazade Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheherazade-goldsmith/) > [Centuries-old habitats such as coral gardens are destroyed in an instant by bottom trawls, pulverized by weighted nets into barren plains. And global carbon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-danson/centuries-old-habitats-such-as-coral-gardens-are-destroyed-in-an/) [Ted Danson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-danson/) > [When my younger son was 13 years old, he asked me to read 'Swallows and Amazons' to him while he made models. He liked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-magorian/when-my-younger-son-was-13-years-old-he-asked-me-to-read-swallows-and/) [Michelle Magorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-magorian/) > [The more we heat up the planet, the more it costs all of us, not just in money, but in colossal famines, displacements, deaths,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/the-more-we-heat-up-the-planet-the-more-it-costs-all-of-us-not-just/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [Organisms don't think of CO2 as a poison. Plants and organisms that make shells, coral, think of it as a building block.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/organisms-don-t-think-of-co2-as-a-poison-plants-and-organisms-that/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [The coral that grows at the edge of the reef is always the strongest and most colourful because it faces the greatest battering. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honeysuckle-weeks/the-coral-that-grows-at-the-edge-of-the-reef-is-always-the-strongest/) [Honeysuckle Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honeysuckle-weeks/) > [“You are different." She lifted a hand to delicately trace his hairline. He closed his eyes, feeling her fingers tremble against his skin. "For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hoyt/you-are-different-she-lifted-a-hand-to-delicately-trace-his-hairline/) [Elizabeth Hoyt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hoyt/) > [“Captain James Cook's ship, The Endeavour, hit a coral outcrop in the Great Barrier Reef in 1770. Cook and his crew camped in what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-murphy/captain-james-cook-s-ship-the-endeavour-hit-a-coral-outcrop-in-the/) [Julie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-murphy/) > [“Gradually the mist had lifted, and the sun burst forth, a ball of fire radiating the sky with unnaturally incandescent hues. Coral was reminded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fielding/gradually-the-mist-had-lifted-and-the-sun-burst-forth-a-ball-of-fire/) [Hannah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fielding/) > [Think about this: If water is the blood of our planet flowing through veinous rivers, streams, and into our oceans, what does that make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/think-about-this-if-water-is-the-blood-of-our-planet-flowing-through/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) > [As the oceans get hotter, corals also become heat-stressed and expel the algae that live on their skeletons, resulting in coral bleaching events that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-gardiner/as-the-oceans-get-hotter-corals-also-become-heat-stressed-and-expel/) [Barry Gardiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-gardiner/) > [Typhoon damage happens when they hit land, and as humans, we've decided to destroy mangroves and hurt coral reefs. If we don't have barriers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlan-gorse-cousteau/typhoon-damage-happens-when-they-hit-land-and-as-humans-we-ve-decided/) [Ashlan Gorse Cousteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlan-gorse-cousteau/) > [Managing forests, rivers, grasslands, and coral reefs in sustainable ways makes them more resilient and increases their ability to absorb greenhouse gases, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/managing-forests-rivers-grasslands-and-coral-reefs-in-sustainable/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) > [For where Kingman is located, the coral cover is unique in the world. I refer to it as a universe of hard corals. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-skerry/for-where-kingman-is-located-the-coral-cover-is-unique-in-the-world-i/) [Brian Skerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-skerry/) > [The coral zoophyte may be leveled by transported masses swept over by the waters; yet like the trodden sod, it sprouts again, and continues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dwight-dana/the-coral-zoophyte-may-be-leveled-by-transported-masses-swept-over-by/) [James Dwight Dana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dwight-dana/) Browse all 42 Coral quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“That's coral!\" she cried in astonishment. \"We must be down in the deeps of the sea!\" Well, wasn't that what you wanted?\" said the trout. \"I thought you wished you could see the sea!\" I did,\" said Jane, looking very surprised. \"But I never expected the wish to come true.\" Great oceans! Why bother to wish it then? 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