Story of the Silly Lamb
The Silly Lamb is a children's story written by Anna Letitia Barbauld. It tells the story of a young lamb who is so silly that he does not understand the danger of the world around him. He gets into all sorts of trouble, from getting stuck in a mud puddle to being chased by a wolf. Despite his foolishness, the lamb is always saved by the kindness of others. In the end, the lamb learns to be more careful and wise. The story is a reminder to children to be aware of their surroundings and to be kind to others.
By Anna Laetitia Barbauld · First published 1847 · Genre: Children's Literature, Fable, Fantasy · 846 words
First lines
I will tell you a story about a lamb. There was once a shepherd, who / had a great many sheep and lambs. He took a great deal of care of / them, and gave them sweet fresh grass to eat, and clear water to / drink; and if they were sick he was very good to them, and when they / climbed up a steep hill, and the lambs were tired, he used to carry / them in his arms; and when they were all eating their suppers in the / field, he used to sit upon a stile, and play them a tune, and sing to / them; and so they were the happiest sheep and lambs in the whole / world. But every night this shepherd used to pen them up in a fold. Do / you know what a sheepfold is? Well, I will tell you. It is a place / like the court; but instead of pales there are hurdles, which are made / of sticks that will bend, such as osier twigs; and they are twisted / and made very fast, so that nothing can creep in, and nothing can get / out. Well, and so every night, when it grew dark and cold, the / shepherd called all his flock, sheep and lambs, together, and drove / them into the fold, and penned them up, and there they lay, as snug / and warm and as comfortable as could be, and nothing could get into / and hurt them, and the dogs lay round on the outside to guard them, / and to bark if any body came near; and in the morning the shepherd / unpenned the fold, and let them all out again.
Similar titles
- The Little Boy Who Was A Coward by Anna Laetitia Barbauld
- Stories Of Dogs by Anna Laetitia Barbauld
- A Good For Nothing by Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen
- Robin Hood by Anonymous
- Story Of A Glowworm by Caroline Stewart
- Lady Daisy A Doll Story by Caroline Stewart
Genres
- Children's Literature — The title of the book implies that it is intended for a young audience, and Anna Letitia Barbauld was a prolific writer of children's literature.
- Fable — The title of the book implies that it is a fable, which is a type of story that typically features animals as characters and teaches a moral lesson.
- Fantasy — The title of the book implies that it is a fantasy story, which is a type of story that typically features magical elements and otherworldly settings.
- Romance — Anna Letitia Barbauld was known for writing romantic stories, so this book may contain elements of romance.
Tags
Children's stories · Short stories · away · called · came · come · could · dark · dogs · every · fast · field
What this Textopian page supports
Story of the Silly Lamb is listed on Textopian as a short story by Anna Laetitia Barbauld, dated 1847 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Anna Laetitia Barbauld
- Date: 1847 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Children's Literature, Fable, Fantasy, Romance
- Length: 846 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Story of the Silly Lamb by Anna Laetitia Barbauld
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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