--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What did I want? I wanted a Roc's egg. I…" description: "\"“What did I want? I wanted a Roc's egg. I wanted a harem loaded with lovely odalisques less than the dust beneath my chariot wheels, the rust that neve..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31c/robert-a-heinlein-209_helen-of-troy_what-did-i-want-i-wanted-a-roc-s-egg-i-w_3174061.jpg" --- # What did I want? I wanted a Roc's egg. I wanted a harem… ![“What did I want? I wanted a Roc's egg. I wanted a harem loaded with lovely odalisques less than the dust beneath my chariot wheels, the rust that never stained my sword. I wanted raw red gold in nuggets the size of your fist, and feed that lousy claim jumper to the huskies! I wanted to get up…” quote by Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31c/robert-a-heinlein-209_helen-of-troy_what-did-i-want-i-wanted-a-roc-s-egg-i-w_3174061.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31c/robert-a-heinlein-209_helen-of-troy_what-did-i-want-i-wanted-a-roc-s-egg-i-w_3174061.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31c/robert-a-heinlein-209_helen-of-troy_what-did-i-want-i-wanted-a-roc-s-egg-i-w_3174061.jpg) > ““What did I want? I wanted a Roc's egg. I wanted a harem loaded with lovely odalisques less than the dust beneath my chariot wheels, the rust that never stained my sword. I wanted raw red gold in nuggets the size of your fist, and feed that lousy claim jumper to the huskies! I wanted to get up feeling brisk and go out and break some lances, then pick a likely wench for my droit du seigneur - I wanted to stand up to the Baron and dare him to touch my wench! I wanted to hear the purple water chuckling against the skin of the Nancy Lee in the cool of the morning watch and not another sound, nor any movement save the slow tilting of the wings of the albatross that had been pacing us the last thousand miles. I wanted the hurtling moons of Barsoom. I wanted Storisende and Poictesme, and Holmes shaking me awake to tell me, "The game's afoot!" I wanted to float down the Mississippi on a raft and elude a mob in company with the Duke of Bilgewater and Lost Dauphin. I wanted Prester John, and Excalibur held by a moon-white arm out of a silent lake. I wanted to sail with Ulysses and with Tros of Samothrace and to eat the lotus in a land that seemed always afternoon. I wanted the feeling of romance and the sense of wonder I had known as a kid. I wanted the world to be the way they had promised me it was going to be, instead of the tawdry, lousy, fouled-up mess it is. I had had one chance - for ten minutes yesterday afternoon. Helen of Troy, whatever your true name may be - and I had known it and I had let it slip away. Maybe one chance is all you ever get.”” [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator longs for epic adventure, mythic treasure, and heroic romance, reflecting a yearning for a world that matches youthful imagination rather than harsh reality. **In simple terms:** He craves grand, fantastical experiences and a world that lives up to his childhood dreams. Key Takeaway Embrace realistic goals while honoring your imagination. Themes adventure longing disillusionment heroism fantasy Mood yearning reflective melancholic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - career aspirations - creative projects - travel planning - relationship building - personal growth Key Concepts mythic quests idealism nostalgia heroic archetypes escapism Questions to Reflect On - What dreams have you let slip away? - How can you balance imagination with reality? A Different Perspective Idealistic expectations can clash with practical constraints, leading to disappointment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Did Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-want/) [Helen of troy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helen-of-troy/) [Sense of wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-of-wonder/) [Thousand miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-miles/) [Wanted Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-feeling-1008915/) [Wanted Harem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-harem-4043756/) [Wanted Sail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-sail-2770109/) [Wench Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wench-wanted-4043757/) ## Related quotes > [“What did I want? I wanted a Roc's egg. I wanted a harem loaded with lovely odalisques less than the dust beneath my chariot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/what-did-i-want-i-wanted-a-roc-s-egg-i-wanted-a-harem-loaded-with/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [I wanted the feeling of romance and the sense of wonder I had known as a kid. I wanted the world to be what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-wanted-the-feeling-of-romance-and-the-sense-of-wonder-i-had-known/) [Robert A. 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They lived on a boat for eight years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-skoll/my-dad-always-wanted-to-sail-they-lived-on-a-boat-for-eight-years/) [Jeffrey Skoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-skoll/) > [“The part that hurt the most was that no matter how upset he was, he still loved her and he wanted that feeling to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-marie/the-part-that-hurt-the-most-was-that-no-matter-how-upset-he-was-he/) [Bernadette Marie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-marie/) > [I alternate between feeling incredibly lucky that I've gotten away with almost everything I wanted to do, and feeling like I've been shafted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-toback/i-alternate-between-feeling-incredibly-lucky-that-i-ve-gotten-away/) [James Toback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-toback/) > [You know that melancholy feeling when you watch the end of a movie and you're crying - but also there is hope? I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-mark/you-know-that-melancholy-feeling-when-you-watch-the-end-of-a-movie/) [Amber Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-mark/) > ['Star Wars' came out when I was seven. It was so different from anything else, like peeking into the land of Oz. All you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-loeb/star-wars-came-out-when-i-was-seven-it-was-so-different-from-anything/) [Damian Loeb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-loeb/) > [I missed so many opportunities along the way to do what I wanted to do because I didn't have the confidence to tell myself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regis-philbin/i-missed-so-many-opportunities-along-the-way-to-do-what-i-wanted-to-2/) [Regis Philbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regis-philbin/) > [Growing up and being a kid, I knew that creativity was at the heart of what I wanted to do. I always had this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-gethard/growing-up-and-being-a-kid-i-knew-that-creativity-was-at-the-heart-of/) [Chris Gethard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-gethard/) > [He wanted that again, that feeling of standing with her against all odds and succeeding. He wanted it so bad, he was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/he-wanted-that-again-that-feeling-of-standing-with-her-against-all/) [Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/) > [“Did you ever get the feeling that you wanted to go, But still had the feeling that you wanted to stay, You knew it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-durante/did-you-ever-get-the-feeling-that-you-wanted-to-go-but-still-had-the/) [Jimmy Durante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-durante/) > [“That was bliss. Being cared for. Wanted. Feeling so necessary to someone’s existence that there was no place for the loneliness inside her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-miller/that-was-bliss-being-cared-for-wanted-feeling-so-necessary-to-someone/) [Julie Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-miller/) ## More by Robert A. Heinlein > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ninety percent of all human wisdom is the ability to mind your own business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ninety-percent-of-all-human-wisdom-is-the-ability-to-mind-your-own/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [If we blow ourselves up we will do it by misapplication of science; if we manage to keep from blowing ourselves up, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-we-blow-ourselves-up-we-will-do-it-by-misapplication-of-science-if/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Nor would anybody suspect. If was one thing all people took for granted, was conviction that if you feed honest figures into a computer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/nor-would-anybody-suspect-if-was-one-thing-all-people-took-for/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Women will forgive anything. Otherwise, the race would have died out long ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/women-will-forgive-anything-otherwise-the-race-would-have-died-out/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Most neuroses and some psychoses can be traced to the unnecessary and unhealthy habit of daily wallowing in the troubles and sins of five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/most-neuroses-and-some-psychoses-can-be-traced-to-the-unnecessary-and/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [No statement should be believed because it is made by an authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/no-statement-should-be-believed-because-it-is-made-by-an-authority/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“Some people are ants by nature; they have to work, even when it’s useless. Few people have a talent for constructive laziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/some-people-are-ants-by-nature-they-have-to-work-even-when-it-s/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“The instinct to survive is human nature itself, and every aspect of our personalities derives from it. Anything that conflicts with the survival instinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-instinct-to-survive-is-human-nature-itself-and-every-aspect-of/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“I tried to dig out of the computer a call directory for Luna. But it was still sulking. I could not get it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-tried-to-dig-out-of-the-computer-a-call-directory-for-luna-but-it/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“this has more aspects than a cat has hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/this-has-more-aspects-than-a-cat-has-hair/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Never own more than you can carry in both hands at a dead run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/never-own-more-than-you-can-carry-in-both-hands-at-a-dead-run/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“In Wilson's scale of evaluations breakfast rated just after life itself and ahead of the chance of immortality." ~ By His Bootstraps / Robert A. Heinlein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/in-wilson-s-scale-of-evaluations-breakfast-rated-just-after-life/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ignorance is curable, stupid is forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ignorance-is-curable-stupid-is-forever/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) [Explore all 888 Robert A. Heinlein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## More Helen of troy quotes > [Passing beauties are only the fugitive reflections of the eternal. All beauty alters and all life melts away; in short, everything passes with marvelous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliphas-levi/passing-beauties-are-only-the-fugitive-reflections-of-the-eternal-all/) [Eliphas Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliphas-levi/) > [“I want you to be able to see clearly." He paused, and she saw his jaw tighten. "Everything." What did that mean? Perhaps more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-frampton/i-want-you-to-be-able-to-see-clearly-he-paused-and-she-saw-his-jaw/) [Megan Frampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-frampton/) > [“Favorite painting...?" "Painting? Odalisque," I said. "Really.His non-nude nude. Interesting." It was,to me. Edward's most famous painting of Diana is Troie , where he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-jensen/favorite-painting-painting-odalisque-i-said-really-his-non-nude-nude/) [Melissa Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-jensen/) > [“Helen of Troy Does Counter Dancing The world is full of women who'd tell me I should be ashamed of myself if they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/helen-of-troy-does-counter-dancing-the-world-is-full-of-women-who-d/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Powerful women are either sexually voracious rulers like Catherine the Great or Elizabeth I, or treacherous bitches like Cleopatra or Helen of Troy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/powerful-women-are-either-sexually-voracious-rulers-like-catherine/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Helen of Troy, a hooker from Upstate New York. Never got a dinner!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-buttons/helen-of-troy-a-hooker-from-upstate-new-york-never-got-a-dinner/) [Red Buttons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-buttons/) > [“The boy's eyes went to him, and a shock passed through Magnus. They were not Will's eyes, the eyes Magnus remembered being as blue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/the-boy-s-eyes-went-to-him-and-a-shock-passed-through-magnus-they/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“I had only to remember that centuries before, men fell in battle for the daughter of Troy, that passions carried greater weight than decorum.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenna-yovanoff/i-had-only-to-remember-that-centuries-before-men-fell-in-battle-for/) [Brenna Yovanoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenna-yovanoff/) > [I love the Bronze Age - the age of the Trojan Wars and Helen of Troy. Contrary to what people think, Troy was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bettany-hughes/i-love-the-bronze-age-the-age-of-the-trojan-wars-and-helen-of-troy/) [Bettany Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bettany-hughes/) > [“First of all, there is no need to patronize me by implying that I'm Helen of Troy when it's clear that I'm no beauty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/first-of-all-there-is-no-need-to-patronize-me-by-implying-that-i-m/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [“But she’s only a woman!” The watch captain shook his head again. “So was Helen of Troy, sir. Look what she started.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-downie/but-she-s-only-a-woman-the-watch-captain-shook-his-head-again-so-was/) [Ruth Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-downie/) > [As soon as men began to write, they made Helen of Troy their subject; for close on three thousand years she has been both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bettany-hughes/as-soon-as-men-began-to-write-they-made-helen-of-troy-their-subject/) [Bettany Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bettany-hughes/) > [I think Helen of Troy must have been pretty hot. She got two countries going crazy for 10 years over her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-quinn/i-think-helen-of-troy-must-have-been-pretty-hot-she-got-two-countries/) [Colin Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-quinn/) > [“Did you just call me…pretty?” “You’re a male version of Helen of Troy. Now run along. Find another something pretty that appeals to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-allee/did-you-just-call-me-pretty-you-re-a-male-version-of-helen-of-troy/) [Tiffany Allee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-allee/) > [“But here Billy Chope arrived to demand what the 'ell Sam Cardew was doing with his gal. Now Sam was ever readier for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-morrison/but-here-billy-chope-arrived-to-demand-what-the-ell-sam-cardew-was/) [Arthur Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-morrison/) [Browse all 30 Helen of troy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helen-of-troy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What did I want? I wanted a Roc's egg. I wanted a harem loaded with lovely odalisques less than the dust beneath my chariot wheels, the rust that never stained my sword. I wanted raw red gold in nuggets the size of your fist, and feed that lousy claim jumper to the huskies! I wanted to get up feeling brisk and go out and break some lances, then pick a likely wench for my droit du seigneur - I wanted to stand up to the Baron and dare him to touch my wench! I wanted to hear the purple water chuckling against the skin of the Nancy Lee in the cool of the morning watch and not another sound, nor any movement save the slow tilting of the wings of the albatross that had been pacing us the last thousand miles. I wanted the hurtling moons of Barsoom. I wanted Storisende and Poictesme, and Holmes shaking me awake to tell me, \"The game's afoot!\" I wanted to float down the Mississippi on a raft and elude a mob in company with the Duke of Bilgewater and Lost Dauphin. I wanted Prester John, and Excalibur held by a moon-white arm out of a silent lake. I wanted to sail with Ulysses and with Tros of Samothrace and to eat the lotus in a land that seemed always afternoon. I wanted the feeling of romance and the sense of wonder I had known as a kid. I wanted the world to be the way they had promised me it was going to be, instead of the tawdry, lousy, fouled-up mess it is. I had had one chance - for ten minutes yesterday afternoon. Helen of Troy, whatever your true name may be - and I had known it and I had let it slip away. Maybe one chance is all you ever get.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert A. 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