# Quote — William Golding, Lord of the Flies

> "You couldn't have a beastie, a snake-thing, on an island this size," Ralph explained kindly. "You only get them in big countries, like Africa, or India."
>
> Murmur; and the grave nodding of heads.
>
> "He says the beastie came in the dark."
>
> "Then he couldn't see it!"
>
> Laughter and cheers.
>
> "Did you hear that? Says he saw the thing in the dark—"
>
> "He still says he saw the beastie. It came and went away again an' came back and wanted to eat him."
>
> "He was dreaming."
>
> Laughing, Ralph looked for confirmation round the ring of faces. The older boys agreed; but here and there among the little ones was the doubt that required more than rational assurance.
>
> "He must have had a nightmare. Stumbling about among all those creepers."
>
> More grave nodding. They knew about nightmares.
>
> "He says he saw the beastie, the snake-thing, and will it come back tonight?"
>
> "But there isn't a beastie!"
>
> "He says in the morning it turned into them things like ropes in the trees and hung in the branches. He says will it come back again tonight?"
>
> "But there isn't a beastie!"
>
> There was no laughter at all now and more grave watching. Ralph pushed both hands through his hair and looked at the little boy in mixed amusement and exasperation.

- Author: [William Golding](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-golding.md)
- Book: [Lord of the Flies](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-golding/lord-of-the-flies.md)
- Source: [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Golding#Lord_of_the_Flies_(1954)) ([CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/))
- Quote page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-golding/lord-of-the-flies/you-couldnt-have

## More from this book

> "Aren't you going to swim?"
>
> Piggy shook his head.
>
> "I can't swim. I wasn't allowed. My asthma—"
>
> "Sucks to your ass-mar!"
>
> Piggy bore this with a kind of humble patience.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-golding/lord-of-the-flies/arent-you-going.md)

> However Simon thought of the beast, there rose before his inward sight the picture of a human at once heroic and sick.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-golding/lord-of-the-flies/however-simon-thought.md)

> "You want a pig," said Roger, "like in a real hunt."
>
> "Or someone to pretend," said Jack. "You could get someone to dress up as a pig and then he could act — you know, pretend to knock me over and all that —"
>
> "You want a real pig," said Robert, still caressing his rump, "because you've got to kill him."
>
> "Use a littlun," said Jack, and everybody laughed.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-golding/lord-of-the-flies/you-want-a-pig.md)