--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When they had eventually calmed down a…" description: "\"When they had eventually calmed down a bit, and had gotten home, Mr. Duncan put the magic pebble in an iron safe. Some day they might want to use it, b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79d/william-steig-24495_bits_when-they-had-eventually-calmed-down-a-b_2964019.jpg" --- # When they had eventually calmed down a bit, and had gotten… ![“When they had eventually calmed down a bit, and had gotten home, Mr. Duncan put the magic pebble in an iron safe. Some day they might want to use it, but really, for now, what more could they wish for? They all had all that they wanted.” quote by William Steig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79d/william-steig-24495_bits_when-they-had-eventually-calmed-down-a-b_2964019.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79d/william-steig-24495_bits_when-they-had-eventually-calmed-down-a-b_2964019.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79d/william-steig-24495_bits_when-they-had-eventually-calmed-down-a-b_2964019.jpg) > “When they had eventually calmed down a bit, and had gotten home, Mr. Duncan put the magic pebble in an iron safe. Some day they might want to use it, but really, for now, what more could they wish for? They all had all that they wanted.” [William Steig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-steig/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character secures a powerful object, implying that true fulfillment often lies in contentment with what one already possesses. **In simple terms:** Having what you need can be enough. Key Takeaway Appreciate current blessings. Themes contentment gratitude materialism fulfillment Mood reflective calm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - family life - personal reflection - everyday decisions Key Concepts Security desire sufficiency Questions to Reflect On - Do you ever feel you need more? - What would you give up to stay content? A Different Perspective Even with power, desire can persist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [Often it isn't the mountains ahead that wear you out, it's the little pebble in your shoe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/often-it-isn-t-the-mountains-ahead-that-wear-you-out-it-s-the-little/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Email is such a funny thing. People hand you these single little messages that are no heavier than a river pebble. But it doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/email-is-such-a-funny-thing-people-hand-you-these-single-little/) [Merlin Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/) > [“I’m the type to ignore a pebble in my boot until it gives me a blister. I’ve made ignoring problems an art form.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-bailey/i-m-the-type-to-ignore-a-pebble-in-my-boot-until-it-gives-me-a/) [Tessa Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-bailey/) > [Pebble Beach. It is tough and the lay out is amazing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/pebble-beach-it-is-tough-and-the-lay-out-is-amazing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You want to be the pebble in the pond that creates the ripple for change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/you-want-to-be-the-pebble-in-the-pond-that-creates-the-ripple-for/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [Here is a semi-transparent pebble I picked up on the way to my EKG. Probably worthless but it is my heart so take it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-young/here-is-a-semi-transparent-pebble-i-picked-up-on-the-way-to-my-ekg/) [Dean Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-young/) > [The entire ocean is affected by a single pebble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/the-entire-ocean-is-affected-by-a-single-pebble/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have far-reaching effects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/just-as-ripples-spread-out-when-a-single-pebble-is-dropped-into-water/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [“A pebble thrown in a pool may ripple from end to end, but tossed into the sea, it is swallowed by enormity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-froman/a-pebble-thrown-in-a-pool-may-ripple-from-end-to-end-but-tossed-into/) [Craig Froman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-froman/) > [A flawed diamond is better than a pebble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/km-ii/a-flawed-diamond-is-better-than-a-pebble/) [KM II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/km-ii/) > [“We have one precious life: do something extraordinary today, even if it's tiny. A pebble starts the avalanche.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-a-laity/we-have-one-precious-life-do-something-extraordinary-today-even-if-it/) [K.A. Laity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-a-laity/) > [It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/it-isn-t-the-mountains-ahead-to-climb-that-wear-you-out-it-s-the/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [A chipped pebble is almost part of the hand it never leaves. A thrown spear declares a sort of independence the moment it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/a-chipped-pebble-is-almost-part-of-the-hand-it-never-leaves-a-thrown/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [“There's only one thing you can do: Toss your pebble in the river, watch it ripple, and know you have moved the ocean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-m-douglas/there-s-only-one-thing-you-can-do-toss-your-pebble-in-the-river-watch/) K.M. Douglas > [What I want to bring out is how a pebble cast into a pond causes ripples that spread in all directions. Each one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/what-i-want-to-bring-out-is-how-a-pebble-cast-into-a-pond-causes/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) ## More by William Steig > [People are no damned good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-steig/people-are-no-damned-good/) [William Steig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-steig/) > [“Never had he been subjected to such rude treatment. How long could it last? How long, he wondered, could he abide it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-steig/never-had-he-been-subjected-to-such-rude-treatment-how-long-could-it/) [William Steig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-steig/) > [“The world was all magic, and he had a special bottle of it in his right hand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-steig/the-world-was-all-magic-and-he-had-a-special-bottle-of-it-in-his/) [William Steig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-steig/) > [“Otchky-potchky, itchky-pitch, Pay attention to this witch. A donkey takes you to a knight -- Him you conquer in a fight. Then you wed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-steig/otchky-potchky-itchky-pitch-pay-attention-to-this-witch-a-donkey/) [William Steig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-steig/) > [To tell the truth, I don't read children's books. I'm an adult. I just write them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-steig/to-tell-the-truth-i-don-t-read-children-s-books-i-m-an-adult-i-just/) [William Steig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-steig/) > [did you ever see anybody so disgusting: said lightning to thunder, "never" thunder growled thunder, "lets give him the works](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-steig/did-you-ever-see-anybody-so-disgusting-said-lightning-to-thunder/) [William Steig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-steig/) > [“How did the world ever manage without me before I was born?' he wondered. 'Didn't they feel something was missing?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-steig/how-did-the-world-ever-manage-without-me-before-i-was-born-he/) [William Steig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-steig/) > [“Why had he wanted to be rich, or to feel rich? Was he an unhappy mouse before? Didn't he see the King himself often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-steig/why-had-he-wanted-to-be-rich-or-to-feel-rich-was-he-an-unhappy-mouse/) [William Steig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-steig/) > [How deeply one felt when alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-steig/how-deeply-one-felt-when-alone/) [William Steig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-steig/) > [“Somewhere out there, in the night sky-and it could only be night-were the glittering stars, and among them his, the one he had always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-steig/somewhere-out-there-in-the-night-sky-and-it-could-only-be-night-were/) [William Steig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-steig/) > [“The damp occupants of the cave stood close together in the vaulted entrance like actors who had played their parts and could now watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-steig/the-damp-occupants-of-the-cave-stood-close-together-in-the-vaulted/) [William Steig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-steig/) > [Oh, Life, I am yours. Whatever it is you want of me, I am ready to give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-steig/oh-life-i-am-yours-whatever-it-is-you-want-of-me-i-am-ready-to-give/) [William Steig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-steig/) > [I've always despised old people. I got angry at my father when he began to show signs of age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-steig/i-ve-always-despised-old-people-i-got-angry-at-my-father-when-he/) [William Steig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-steig/) > [“Abel also kept busy taking it easy. Only when taking it easy, he'd learned, could one properly do one's wondering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-steig/abel-also-kept-busy-taking-it-easy-only-when-taking-it-easy-he-d/) [William Steig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-steig/) > [“He was able to love them again, but he loved them now in a wiser way, knowing their weakness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-steig/he-was-able-to-love-them-again-but-he-loved-them-now-in-a-wiser-way/) [William Steig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-steig/) [Explore all 24 William Steig quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-steig/) ## More Bits quotes > [ Brad \[Dourif\] would tell himself that he was not intentionally trying to mimic Jack Nicholson in any way. 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This is a bit rich coming from a man who actually married his own mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-morrissey/he-referred-to-me-as-an-insufferable-puffed-up-prat-this-is-a-bit/) [Steven Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-morrissey/) > [It won't do you a bit of good to know everything if you don't do anything with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-fitzhugh/it-won-t-do-you-a-bit-of-good-to-know-everything-if-you-don-t-do/) [Louise Fitzhugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-fitzhugh/) > [I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. 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So I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/in-terms-of-style-too-i-think-i-ve-been-working-with-a-somewhat/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [ Donald Trump has opened \[ politically correct enforcement\] up wide. He's made a very bold statement and he's backed it back just a little… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/donald-trump-has-opened-politically-correct-enforcement-up-wide-he-s/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [When my name started popping up I was quite irritated and a little bit in shock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/when-my-name-started-popping-up-i-was-quite-irritated-and-a-little/) [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) > [Don't get divorced after your first argument! I have a lot of friends that have one fight and that's it, they get divorced. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ripa/don-t-get-divorced-after-your-first-argument-i-have-a-lot-of-friends/) [Kelly Ripa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ripa/) Browse all 5,709 Bits quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When they had eventually calmed down a bit, and had gotten home, Mr. Duncan put the magic pebble in an iron safe. Some day they might want to use it, but really, for now, what more could they wish for? 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