They talked as he later made the animals talk in his stories.

你可以把句子做如下改动：

They talked as he later made the animals do in his stories.

They talked as the animals would do in his stories.
as引导的方式状语从句属于比较分句的一个亚类。比较分句多采用替代和省略。但不是必须用替代。如果可能引起误解就不省略、不替代。你对方式状语的结构理解的过于狭隘了。

Do as I said.

这样的句子你没有见过吗？