--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Occasionally they would hear a harsh…" description: "\"“Occasionally they would hear a harsh croak or a splash as some amphibian was disturbed, but the only creature they saw was a toad as big as Will's foo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3de/philip-pullman-525_animals_occasionally-they-would-hear-a-harsh-cro_2988134.png" --- # Occasionally they would hear a harsh croak or a splash as… ![“Occasionally they would hear a harsh croak or a splash as some amphibian was disturbed, but the only creature they saw was a toad as big as Will's foot, which could only flop in a pain-filled sideways heave as if it were horribly injured. It lay across the path, trying to move out of the way and…” quote by Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3de/philip-pullman-525_animals_occasionally-they-would-hear-a-harsh-cro_2988134.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3de/philip-pullman-525_animals_occasionally-they-would-hear-a-harsh-cro_2988134.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3de/philip-pullman-525_animals_occasionally-they-would-hear-a-harsh-cro_2988134.png) > ““Occasionally they would hear a harsh croak or a splash as some amphibian was disturbed, but the only creature they saw was a toad as big as Will's foot, which could only flop in a pain-filled sideways heave as if it were horribly injured. It lay across the path, trying to move out of the way and looking at them as if it knew they meant to hurt it. 'It would be merciful to kill it,' said Tialys. 'How do you know?' said Lyra. 'It might still like being alive, in spite of everything.' 'If we killed it, we'd be taking it with us,' said Will. 'It wants to stay here. I've killed enough living things. Even a filthy stagnant pool might be better than being dead.' 'But if it's in pain?' said Tialys. 'If it could tell us, we'd know. But since it can't, I'm not going to kill it. That would be considering our feelings rather than the toad's.' They moved on.”” [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Compassion for suffering beings challenges the impulse to end pain without consent, highlighting moral complexity. **In simple terms:** We should respect life even when it suffers. Key Takeaway We empathy before action. Themes compassion ethics life pain Mood thoughtful empathetic Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - wildlife rescue - environmental decisions - medical ethics - personal dilemmas Key Concepts moral philosophy animal rights Questions to Reflect On - How do we judge another's suffering? - Can we know a creature's wishes? A Different Perspective Assuming suffering justifies killing can ignore unknown desires. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [Living things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-things/) ## Related quotes > [A man should swallow a toad every morning to be sure of not meeting with anything more revolting in the day ahead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-man-should-swallow-a-toad-every-morning-to-be-sure-of-not-meeting/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I had rather be a toad, and live upon the vapor of a dungeon than keep a corner in the thing I love for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-had-rather-be-a-toad-and-live-upon-the-vapor-of-a-dungeon-than-keep/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Anyway, lots of warrior tribes think that when they die, they go to a heavenly land somewhere," said the toad. "You know, where they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/anyway-lots-of-warrior-tribes-think-that-when-they-die-they-go-to-a/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Why should I let the toad work Squat on my life? Can't I use my wit as a pitchfork And drive the brute off?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-larkin/why-should-i-let-the-toad-work-squat-on-my-life-can-t-i-use-my-wit-as/) [Philip Larkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-larkin/) > [I'm sure I've been a toad, one time or another. With bats, weasels, worms...I rejoice in the kinship. Even the caterpillar I can love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roethke/i-m-sure-i-ve-been-a-toad-one-time-or-another-with-bats-weasels-worms/) [Theodore Roethke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roethke/) > [Only the toad under the harrow knows where it pinches him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/only-the-toad-under-the-harrow-knows-where-it-pinches-him/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [The toad beneath the harrow knows Exactly where each tooth point goes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/the-toad-beneath-the-harrow-knows-exactly-where-each-tooth-point-goes/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [My first character was Mr. Toad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-griffith/my-first-character-was-mr-toad/) [Bill Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-griffith/) > [It's a terrible thing for a man when his woman gangs up on him wi' a toad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-a-terrible-thing-for-a-man-when-his-woman-gangs-up-on-him-wi-a/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [The toad has indeed no superior as a destroyer of noxious insects, and he possesses no bad habits and is entirely inoffensive himself, every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-thaxter/the-toad-has-indeed-no-superior-as-a-destroyer-of-noxious-insects-and/) [Celia Thaxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celia-thaxter/) > [I'm such a clever Toad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/i-m-such-a-clever-toad/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [Toads are conservative animals, I think, and not much given to expecting the best from fortune. Some weeks ago, well before the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mitchell/toads-are-conservative-animals-i-think-and-not-much-given-to/) [Henry Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mitchell/) > [If I had wanted to ice the little toad, I would have done it a long time ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-miller/if-i-had-wanted-to-ice-the-little-toad-i-would-have-done-it-a-long/) [Dennis Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-miller/) > [To a toad what is beauty? A female with two lovely pop-eyes, a wide mouth, yellow belly, and green spotted back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/to-a-toad-what-is-beauty-a-female-with-two-lovely-pop-eyes-a-wide/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Irabu is a fat, pus-y toad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steinbrenner/irabu-is-a-fat-pus-y-toad/) [George Steinbrenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steinbrenner/) ## More by Philip Pullman > [The state of mind which I put myself when I tell a story is one in which superstition flourishes very easily. And I welcome…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/the-state-of-mind-which-i-put-myself-when-i-tell-a-story-is-one-in/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [Religion grants its adherents malign, intoxicating and morally corrosive sensations. Destroying intellectual freedom is always evil, but only religion makes doing evil feel quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/religion-grants-its-adherents-malign-intoxicating-and-morally/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [We don't need lists of rights and wrongs, tables of do's and don'ts: we need books, time, and silence. Thou shalt not is soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/we-don-t-need-lists-of-rights-and-wrongs-tables-of-do-s-and-don-ts-we/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [I have stolen ideas from every book I have ever read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/i-have-stolen-ideas-from-every-book-i-have-ever-read/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [All the stories of the Bible that I know came to me first from my grandfather's lips... He would see stories in everything. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/all-the-stories-of-the-bible-that-i-know-came-to-me-first-from-my/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [What I do say is that I can write verse, and that the writing of verse in strict form is the best possible training…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/what-i-do-say-is-that-i-can-write-verse-and-that-the-writing-of-verse/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [Writing is tyranny ... but reading is democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/writing-is-tyranny-but-reading-is-democracy/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [“Middlemarch is a novel that is diminished by being put on the screen. It can't help but be, because so much of what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/middlemarch-is-a-novel-that-is-diminished-by-being-put-on-the-screen/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [I have maintained a passionate interest in education, which leads me occasionally to make foolish and ill-considered remarks alleging that not everything is well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/i-have-maintained-a-passionate-interest-in-education-which-leads-me/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [And think what worrying does: has anyone ever added a single hour to the length of his life by worrying about it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/and-think-what-worrying-does-has-anyone-ever-added-a-single-hour-to/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [“The question authors get asked more than any other is "Where do you get your ideas from?" And we all find a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/the-question-authors-get-asked-more-than-any-other-is-where-do-you/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [“We are all subject to the fates. But we must all act as if we are not,” said the witch, “or die of despair.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/we-are-all-subject-to-the-fates-but-we-must-all-act-as-if-we-are-not/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [Lonely? I don't know. They tell me this is cold. I don't know what cold is, because I don't freeze. So I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/lonely-i-don-t-know-they-tell-me-this-is-cold-i-don-t-know-what-cold/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [Just finished 'Secrecy' - truly enthralling both as a love story and as a tale of suspense - but much more than both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/just-finished-secrecy-truly-enthralling-both-as-a-love-story-and-as-a/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [“As Auden is believed to have said, no poem saved a single Jew from the gas chambers. Never mind. Write the poems anyway. Play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/as-auden-is-believed-to-have-said-no-poem-saved-a-single-jew-from-the/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) [Explore all 479 Philip Pullman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) ## More Animals quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/) Mak\_786 > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“All these creatures spend their time explaining, realizing happily that they agree with each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/all-these-creatures-spend-their-time-explaining-realizing-happily/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [We're not very dangerous animals; we don't have a horn like a rhino or quills like a porcupine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/we-re-not-very-dangerous-animals-we-don-t-have-a-horn-like-a-rhino-or/) [Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/) > [We need, in a special way, to work twice as hard to help people understand that animals are fellow creatures, that we must protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/we-need-in-a-special-way-to-work-twice-as-hard-to-help-people/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [“Plenty of animals had pets, but few were more devoted than the mouse, who owned a baby corn snake—“A rescue snake, she’d be quick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/plenty-of-animals-had-pets-but-few-were-more-devoted-than-the-mouse/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [No creature can attain a higher grade of nature without ceasing to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananda-coomaraswamy/no-creature-can-attain-a-higher-grade-of-nature-without-ceasing-to/) [Ananda Coomaraswamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananda-coomaraswamy/) > [Most people are sensitized to animals through their cats and dogs, but for me it was a flounder. I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) [Browse all 6,813 Animals quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Occasionally they would hear a harsh croak or a splash as some amphibian was disturbed, but the only creature they saw was a toad as big as Will's foot, which could only flop in a pain-filled sideways heave as if it were horribly injured. It lay across the path, trying to move out of the way and looking at them as if it knew they meant to hurt it. 'It would be merciful to kill it,' said Tialys. 'How do you know?' said Lyra. 'It might still like being alive, in spite of everything.' 'If we killed it, we'd be taking it with us,' said Will. 'It wants to stay here. I've killed enough living things. Even a filthy stagnant pool might be better than being dead.' 'But if it's in pain?' said Tialys. 'If it could tell us, we'd know. But since it can't, I'm not going to kill it. That would be considering our feelings rather than the toad's.' 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