Doctor Knowall
The story revolves around a doctor who is summoned to treat a king's daughter. The doctor diagnoses her illness as being caused by laughter and prescribes that she be given something to make her laugh every day. However, the doctor himself becomes the object of the king's daughter's amusement, leading to his downfall.
By Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm · First published 1819 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Comedy, Satire · 741 words
First lines
There was once on a time, a poor peasant called Crab, who drove two oxen with a load of wood to town, and sold it to a doctor for two dollars.
When the money was being counted out to him, it so happened that the doctor was sitting at table, and when the peasant saw how daintily he ate and drank, his heart desired what he saw, and he would willingly have been a doctor. So he remained standing a while, and at length inquired if he, too, could not be a doctor.
What this Textopian page supports
Doctor Knowall is listed on Textopian as a short story by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, dated 1819 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
- Date: 1819 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fairy Tale, Comedy, Satire, Fable, Adventure
- Length: 741 words
- Structure: 1 section, 20 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Doctor Knowall by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
- 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 Doctor Knowall?
- How does this short story by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fairy Tale first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Doctor Know All by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
- Jack The Dullard An Old Story Told Anew by Hans Christian Andersen
- Oh If I Could But Shiver by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
- Soup Made Of A Sausage Stick by Hans Christian Andersen
- The Giant And The Tailor by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
- The Land Of Boobies by Carlo Collodi
Genres
- Fairy Tale — The story features traditional fairy tale elements such as a poor protagonist, magical transformation, and a moral lesson.
- Comedy — The plot relies on humorous misunderstandings and the protagonist's accidental success, creating comedic situations.
- Satire — The narrative satirizes the idea of social mobility and the superficiality of titles and professions.
- Fable — The story imparts a moral lesson about ambition and the nature of knowledge, akin to a fable.
Tags
Fairy Tale · German Folklore · Satire · Social Commentary · Puppet Show · Comedy · Critique of Authority · Moral Lesson · Cautionary Tale · Storytelling · Literary Satire · Social Satire