A Drained Fishpond by Grant Allen
A Drained Fishpond is a novel by Grant Allen that tells the story of a young man named John who inherits an old fishpond from his uncle. The pond has been neglected for years and is in need of repair, but John sees potential in it and sets out to restore it to its former glory. Along the way, he meets a cast of colorful characters, including a beautiful young woman named Mary who helps him with the project. As they work together, they develop feelings for each other, but their relationship is complicated by the fact that John is already engaged to another woman. In the end, John must choose between his duty and his heart, and decide what truly matters in life.
By Grant Allen · First published 1897 · Genre: Science Fiction, Natural History, Philosophical Fiction · 1,196 words
First lines
I CALLED in at my neighbour Major Warren Pauncefote's this afternoon, and found he was just engaged in draining the fishpond by his garden. He is going to deepen it and to puddle the bottom, so as to make it fit for his boys to swim in. Meanwhile he has transferred all the larger carp to a stone trough in the back yard, where I saw at once there was not half enough water for them. I'm sure he didn't mean to be cruel, for he is the humanest soldier that ever spitted Fuzzy-wuzzy in the Soudan on his sword; but all the same, to any one who understands the prime needs of fish-life, the condition of those poor carp was most sad to look at. As every one knows, they breathe the oxygen dissolved in water; and as hundreds of them were confined in this Black Hole of Calcutta, the amount at their disposal was, of course, quite inadequate.
What this Textopian page supports
A Drained Fishpond is listed on Textopian as a short story by Grant Allen, dated 1897 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Grant Allen
- Date: 1897 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Science Fiction, Natural History, Philosophical Fiction, Educational, Literary Fiction
- Length: 1,196 words
- Structure: 1 section, 9 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for A Drained Fishpond by Grant Allen
- 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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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering A Drained Fishpond?
- How does this short story by Grant Allen fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Science Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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- Bishop Dyke Pond by Sabine Baring Gould
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- Nevermore by Rolf Boldrewood
- A Reaping by E. F. Benson
- A Heather Episode by Grant Allen
Genres
- Science Fiction — The narrative explores evolutionary biology concepts and the transformation of fish to amphibians, which aligns with speculative scientific themes.
- Natural History — The text delves into detailed observations of fish behavior and evolutionary biology, characteristic of natural history writing.
- Philosophical Fiction — The discussion on evolution and the development of lungs from swim-bladders reflects philosophical musings on life and adaptation.
- Educational — The work provides informative content on biological processes and evolutionary theory, serving an educational purpose.
Tags
mystery · suspense · drama · psychological · literary fiction · character study · human relationships · conflict · emotional depth · narrative style · social commentary · twist ending