The Exemplar by E.V. Lucas
A nurse struggles for half an hour to control a naughty little boy until a robin flutters to the nursery window and perches there, peeping in. The nurse points out the bird to the boy, praising its innocence and claiming it would never refuse to have its face washed, and shaming the boy for crying and screaming in front of such a pretty, innocent creature. In fact, the robin is revealed to be a vicious, greedy, jealous, and spiteful bird that bullies weaker birds, steals their food, pecks sparrows, tyrannizes tits, overeats, and even helped kill its own parents as a fledgling. Despite this true nature, the sight of the robin's attractive red breast and bright eye shames and calms the boy, who becomes good again.
By E.V. Lucas · Genre: Fable, Children's Literature, Moral Fiction · 275 words
First lines
Fables
Once upon a time there was a little boy who had a fit of naughtiness. / He refused to obey his nurse and was, as she said afterwards, that / obstreperous that her life for about half an hour was a burden. At / last, just as she was in despair, a robin fluttered to the window-sill / of the nursery and perched on it, peeping in.
"There," said the nurse, "look at that dear little birdie come to see / what all the trouble's about. He's never refused to have his face / washed and made clean, I know. I'd be ashamed to cry and scream before / a little pretty innocent like that, that I would."
What this Textopian page supports
The Exemplar is listed on Textopian as a fable by E.V. Lucas, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: E.V. Lucas
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Children's Literature, Moral Fiction, Satirical Fiction, Allegory
- Length: 275 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Exemplar by E.V. Lucas
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Genres
- Fable — The text is explicitly presented as 'Fables' and follows the classic fable structure: a brief narrative featuring an animal protagonist that imparts a moral lesson about human behavior and character.
- Children's Literature — The narrative centers on a child protagonist and employs the pedagogical approach of using animals to teach behavioral lessons, characteristic of works written for young audiences.
- Moral Fiction — The work explicitly presents a moral lesson: that external appearances and examples can inspire virtuous behavior, even when the example is deceptive.
- Satirical Fiction — The narrative employs irony as its central device—the robin's wicked nature contrasts sharply with its innocent appearance, creating satire about the disconnect between seeming and being.
Tags
fable · moral tale · children's literature · appearance and reality · deceptive appearances · robin · virtue · hypocrisy · irony · satire · behavioral reform · obedience