"The Shrike and the Chipmunks", The New Yorker (18 February 1939); Fables for Our Time & Famous Poems Illustrated (1940). Because it is derived from Benjamin Franklin's famous saying this is often misquoted as: Early to rise and early to bed makes a man healthy, wealthy, and dead.
From Fables for Our Time and Further Fables for Our Time
“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. ”
“6080. Early to go to Bed, and early to rise,
Will make a Man Healthy, Wealthy and Wise.”
Compare Poor Richard's Almanack (1735) : Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
Introductio ad prudentiam: Part II (1727), Gnomologia (1732)
“6080. Early to go to Bed, and early to rise,
Will make a Man Healthy, Wealthy and Wise.”
Compare Poor Richard's Almanack (1735) : Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
Introductio ad prudentiam: Part II (1727), Gnomologia (1732)
“Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell, and advertise”
“Rise early, that by habit it may become familiar, agreeable, healthy, and profitable.”
Letter to George Washington Parke Custis (7 January 1798)
1790s
Context: Rise early, that by habit it may become familiar, agreeable, healthy, and profitable. It may, for a while, be irksome to do this, but that will wear off; and the practice will produce a rich harvest forever thereafter; whether in public or private walks of life.
True Bills http://books.google.com/books?id=aZ4VAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Early+to+Bed+and+Early+to+Rise+is+a+Bad+Rule+for+any+one+who+wishes+to+become+acquainted+with+our+most+Prominent+and+Influential+People%22&pg=PA153#v=onepage (1904)
“Heaven's help is better than early rising.”
Source: Don Quixote de la Mancha (1605–1615), Part II (1615), Book III, Ch. 34.
