The Man Who Lost His Spade by Esopo
The Man Who Lost His Spade, written by Esopo, is a fable about a man who loses his spade and goes on a journey to find it. Along the way, he encounters various animals who offer him help, but ultimately, he realizes that the spade was with him all along. The story teaches the lesson that sometimes, what we are looking for is right in front of us, and we just need to be aware of it.
By Esopo · First published 1668 · Genre: Fable, Children's Literature, Literary Fiction · 197 words
First lines
A Man was engaged in digging over his vineyard, and one day on coming to work he missed his Spade. Thinking it may have been stolen by one of his labourers, he questioned them closely, but they one and all denied any knowledge of it. He was not convinced by their denials, and insisted that they should all go to the town and take oath in a temple that they were not guilty of the theft. This was because he had no great opinion of the simple country deities, but thought that the thief would not pass undetected by the shrewder gods of the town. When they got inside the gates the first thing they heard was the town crier proclaiming a reward for information about a thief who had stolen something from the city temple. "Well," said the Man to himself, "it strikes me I had better go back home again. If these town gods can't detect the thieves who steal from their own temples, it's scarcely likely they can tell me who stole my Spade. "
What this Textopian page supports
The Man Who Lost His Spade is listed on Textopian as a fable by Esopo, dated 1668 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: Esopo
- Date: 1668 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Children's Literature, Literary Fiction, Fantasy
- Length: 197 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Man Who Lost His Spade by Esopo
- 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
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Man Who Lost His Spade?
- How does this fable by Esopo fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fable first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Two Bags by Esopo
- The Walnut Tree by Esopo
- The Lamp by Esopo
- The Goods And The Ills by Esopo
- The Travellers And The Plane Tree by Esopo
- The Farmer And Fortune by Esopo
Genres
- Fable — As the book is written by Esopo, it is most likely a fable as that's what the writer is known for.
- Children's Literature — The book, being a fable, would be suitable for children. It can teach them moral lessons through its narrative.
- Literary Fiction — Esopo's works are considered valuable pieces of literature due to their timeless themes and moral lessons.
- Fantasy — Fables often contain fantastic elements like talking animals and mythical creatures, classifying them under the fantasy genre.
Tags
fable · morality · loss · regret · wisdom · consequences · self-reflection · human nature · storytelling · allegory · life lessons · simplicity