The Rabbit and the Hare
This essay explores the contrast between a rabbit's steady, plodding pace and a hare's swift but reckless speed. The rabbit represents diligence and perseverance, while the hare embodies impulsiveness and arrogance. The story highlights the consequences of each approach, with the rabbit ultimately reaching its destination safely and the hare failing due to its overconfidence.
By John Burroughs · First published 1869 · Genre: Nature Writing, Non-Fiction, Essay · 1,289 words
First lines
With us the hare is of the remote northern woods, the rabbit is of the fields and bushy margins of the woods. One retreats before man and civilization, the other follows in their wake. The rabbit is now common in parts of our State (New York) where in my boyhood only the hare was found. The rabbit evidently loves to be neighbor to man and profits by it. Nearly every winter one takes up her abode under my study floor, and when the snow is deep and the weather is cold she usually finds every night a couple of sweet apples on her threshold. I suppose she thinks they grow there, or are blown there by the wind like the snow. At such times she does not leave her retreat; the apples are good fortune enough. If I neglect to put them there, in the morning I see where she has gone forth over the lawn looking for them, or for some other food.
What this Textopian page supports
The Rabbit and the Hare is listed on Textopian as a fable by John Burroughs, dated 1869 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: John Burroughs
- Date: 1869 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Nature Writing, Non-Fiction, Essay, Wildlife Observation, Descriptive Prose
- Length: 1,289 words
- Structure: 1 section, 8 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Rabbit and the Hare by John Burroughs
- 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 Rabbit and the Hare?
- How does this fable by John Burroughs fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Nature Writing first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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- The Storks Vocation by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
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Genres
- Nature Writing — The text focuses on the behaviors and habitats of rabbits and hares, emphasizing observations of wildlife in natural settings.
- Non-Fiction — The work presents factual descriptions and insights about animal life, grounded in real observations.
- Essay — The format and style resemble an essay, reflecting on nature and the relationship between humans and wildlife.
- Wildlife Observation — The narrative details specific instances of animal behavior and interactions with their environment.
Tags
Fable · Moralism · Nature Writing · Philosophy · Satire · Allegory · Animal Story · Symbolism · Literary Fiction · Short Story · Humor · Social Commentary