The Duration of Life

Name: The Duration of Life
Author: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

This collection of tales explores the human experience through stories that often feature supernatural elements, moral lessons, and a focus on the consequences of one's actions. The narratives frequently involve themes of love, loss, and transformation, with characters facing challenges that test their courage, wit, and resolve.

By Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm · First published 1815 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Fable, Folklore · 721 words

First lines

When God had created the world and was about to fix the length of each creature's life, the ass came and asked, "Lord, how long shall I live? " "Thirty years," replied God; "does that content thee? " "Ah, Lord," answered the ass, "that is a long time. Think of my painful existence! To carry heavy burdens from morning to night, to drag sacks of corn to the mill, that others may eat bread, to be cheered and refreshed with nothing but blows and kicks. Relieve me of a portion of this long time. " Then God had pity on him and relieved him of eighteen years. The ass went away comforted, and the dog appeared. "How long wouldst thou like to live? " said God to him. "Thirty years are too many for the ass, but thou wilt be satisfied with that. " "Lord," answered the dog, "is that thy will? Consider how I shall have to run, my feet will never hold out so long, and when I have once lost my voice for barking, and my teeth for biting, what will be left for me to do but run from one corner to another and growl? " God saw that he was right, and released him from twelve years of life. Then came the monkey. "Thou wilt certainly live thirty years willingly? " said the Lord to him. "Thou hast no need to work as the ass and the dog have to do, and wilt always enjoy thyself. " "Ah! Lord," he answered, "it may seem as if that were the case, but it is quite different. When it rains porridge I have no spoon. I am always to play merry pranks, and make faces which force people to laugh, and if they give me an apple, and I bite into it, why it is sour! How often sadness hides itself behind mirth! I shall never be able to hold out for thirty years. " God was gracious and took off ten.

What this Textopian page supports

The Duration of Life is listed on Textopian as a fable by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, dated 1815 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Fable
Author: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Date: 1815 CE
Language: English
Genres: Fairy Tale, Fable, Folklore, Allegory, Satire
Length: 721 words
Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)

Good citation fit

Work identity for The Duration of Life by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters

What should a reader notice first when entering The Duration of Life?
How does this fable by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
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Similar titles

Genres

Fairy Tale — The narrative structure, anthropomorphized animals, and moral lesson align with traditional fairy tale elements.
Fable — The story uses animals to convey a moral lesson about the stages of human life, typical of fables.
Folklore — The tale reflects cultural beliefs and oral storytelling traditions, characteristic of folklore.
Allegory — The story serves as an allegory for the human condition, using symbolic figures to represent different life stages.