Struggling Like a Big Fish (Simile)
After crafting a kite out of old shirt fabric and string, Danny and his father go to the top of the hill behind their caravan and release their creation into the air. Danny comments that the kite "was tugging and struggling on the end of the line like a big fish." In this simile, Dahl illustrates how it feels to hold onto the kite string by likening it to holding a rod with a fish on the hook.
A Little Island (Metaphor)
In the chapter that introduces Mr. Hazell, the book's villain, Danny comments on how his father owns the filling station, but Mr. Hazell owns all the land around it: "It was a little island in the middle of the vast ocean of Mr. Hazell’s estate." In this metaphor, Dahl emphasizes the extent of Hazell's property by comparing it to an ocean that surrounds the tiny patch of land Danny and his father occupy.
Like a Prison Roof (Simile)
Out searching for his missing father, Danny enters Hazell's Wood on foot. Danny comments, "When I looked up the trees had closed in above my head like a prison roof and I couldn’t see the smallest patch of sky or a single star." In this simile, Dahl highlights how the densely leaved trees block light by comparing their cumulative effect to a prison's roof.
Snakes in the Stomach (Metaphor)
After concocting a plan to poach more pheasants than ever before, Danny wakes up on the morning he and his father having been waiting for with an odd feeling, commenting that "I had snakes in the stomach the moment I opened my eyes on that Friday morning." In this metaphor, Dahl illustrates the anxiety and excitement Danny feels by comparing the sensation to literal snakes wriggling in his gut.
Like a Mad Ghost (Simile)
As the sleeping pill–dosed pheasants tumble off their roosting branches, a celebratory mood overcomes Danny's father as he collects the birds. Danny comments: "My father was in a whirl of excitement now, dashing about like a mad ghost under the trees." In this simile, Danny compares the sight of his father running around in the dark with a flashlight on to a deranged ghost out haunting.
