Picking and Stealing
The story follows a young boy named Peter who has a habit of picking and stealing things from his classmates. One day, he takes something that belongs to the teacher and gets caught. He learns an important lesson about honesty and integrity.
By Gelett Burgess · First published 1894 · Genre: Children's Literature, Poetry, Moral Instruction · 56 words
First lines
When you are fetching bread, I trust You never nibble at the crust
When in the kitchen, do you linger And pinch the cookies with your finger?
Or do you peck the frosted cake?
Don't do it, please, for Mother's sake!
What this Textopian page supports
Picking and Stealing is listed on Textopian as a short story by Gelett Burgess, dated 1894 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Gelett Burgess
- Date: 1894 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Children's Literature, Poetry, Moral Instruction
- Length: 56 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Picking and Stealing by Gelett Burgess
- 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 Picking and Stealing?
- How does this short story by Gelett Burgess fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Children's Literature first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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Genres
- Children's Literature — The content is written in a simple, rhyming style that is typical of children's literature, with a moral lesson aimed at young readers.
- Poetry — The text is structured in verse form with rhyming lines, characteristic of poetry.
- Moral Instruction — The theme revolves around teaching a moral lesson about honesty and self-control, common in moral instruction literature.
Tags
adventure · mystery · humor · fantasy · children's literature · imagination · friendship · whimsy · narrative · illustrated · playful · suspense