The Poor Man and the Rich Man
A poor man and a rich man are traveling together. The rich man's horse falls ill and he offers to trade his own horse for the poor man's. The poor man agrees but then steals the rich man's horse while he is asleep. When the rich man wakes up, he realizes what has happened and chases after him.
By Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm · First published 1819 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Fable, Folklore · 2,028 words
First lines
In olden times, when the Lord himself still used to walk about on this earth amongst men, it once happened that he was tired and overtaken by the darkness before he could reach an inn. Now there stood on the road before him two houses facing each other; the one large and beautiful, the other small and poor. The large one belonged to a rich man, and the small one to a poor man.
Then the Lord thought, "I shall be no burden to the rich man, I will stay the night with him. " When the rich man heard some one knocking at his door, he opened the window and asked the stranger what he wanted. The Lord answered, "I only ask for a night's lodging."
What this Textopian page supports
The Poor Man and the Rich Man is listed on Textopian as a fable 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: Fable
- Author: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
- Date: 1819 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fairy Tale, Fable, Folklore, Parable, Fantasy
- Length: 2,028 words
- Structure: 1 section, 13 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Poor Man and the Rich Man 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
- 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 Poor Man and the Rich Man?
- How does this fable by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fairy Tale first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Master Thief by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
- The Ungrateful Son by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
- The Thief And His Master by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
- King Thrushbeard by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
- The Old Beggar Woman by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
- The Bittern And The Hoopoe by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
Genres
- Fairy Tale — The story features magical elements, moral lessons, and a narrative style typical of traditional fairy tales.
- Fable — The narrative conveys a moral lesson about kindness and greed, similar to the structure of a fable.
- Folklore — The story is rooted in cultural traditions and oral storytelling, characteristic of folklore.
- Parable — The tale uses a simple story to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, akin to a parable.
Tags
Fairy Tale · German Folklore · Social Commentary · Class Struggle · Poverty · Wealth · Morality Play · Satire · Comedy · Trickster Figure · Deception · Appearance vs Reality