The Harvest by Parker Fillmore

Name: The Harvest
Author: Parker Fillmore

In a tale of cunning and deception, three animals—a Fox, a Wolf, and a Bear—collaborate to harvest barley they planted together. As they prepare to thresh the grain, the Fox, claiming to support the rafters, instead takes a position of safety above, while the Bear and the Wolf do the labor. The Fox, named Mikko, pretends to work hard, dropping small pieces of wood to feign effort and maintain the illusion of his contribution. Once the work is done, the animals must divide their harvest. Mikko manipulates the situation by suggesting that the largest share should go to the Bear, the middle share to the Wolf, and the smallest to himself, exploiting their trust and naivety. The Bear and the Wolf, lacking discernment, accept this division, leaving Mikko with the clean grain while they take the less desirable straw and chaff. When they go to the mill to grind their respective shares, Mikko's grain produces a distinct sound, prompting the Bear and the Wolf to mix sand with their own to mimic it. This further illustrates their gullibility, as they believe they have equal quality food for winter. The story highlights themes of deception, the consequences of blind trust, and the cleverness of the cunning character who ultimately benefits from the labor of others.

By Parker Fillmore · First published 1927 · Genre: Fable, Children's Literature, Fantasy · 632 words

First lines

Well, the time came when the field of barley which the Fox and the Wolf had planted together was ready to harvest. So the two friends cut the grain and carried the sheaves to the threshing barn where they spread them out to dry. When it was time to thresh the grain, they asked Osmo, the Bear, to come and help them.

"Certainly," Osmo said.

What this Textopian page supports

The Harvest is listed on Textopian as a short story by Parker Fillmore, dated 1927 CE.

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

Work type: Short story
Author: Parker Fillmore
Date: 1927 CE
Language: English
Genres: Fable, Children's Literature, Fantasy, Allegory, Adventure
Length: 632 words
Structure: 1 section, 20 paragraphs
Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)

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Discussion starters

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Similar titles

Genres

Fable — The story features anthropomorphic animals and conveys a moral lesson about fairness and deception.
Children's Literature — The simple narrative and characters are designed to engage a young audience, making it suitable for children's reading.
Fantasy — The presence of talking animals and a whimsical setting places the story within the fantasy genre.
Allegory — The characters and their actions symbolize broader themes of greed and justice, typical of allegorical storytelling.