“It is hard upon the duckling to have been hatched by a hen, but is it not also hard upon the hen to have hatched the duckling?”
Source: Erewhon (1872), Ch. 19
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Samuel Butler232
novelist 1835–1902Related quotes
Margaret Atwood book Morning in the Burned House
Morning in the Burned House (1995), The Loneliness of the Military Historian
Randall Jarrell (1914–1965) poet, critic, novelist, essayist
The memories are deeply humiliating in two ways: they remind the adult that he was once more ignorant and gullible and emotional than he is; and they remind him that he once was, potentially, far more than he is.
“An Unread Book”, p. 19
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Randall Jarrell (1914–1965) poet, critic, novelist, essayist
it is almost as if the grown, successful swan had repressed most of the memories of the duckling’s miserable, embarrassing, magical beginnings. (The memories are deeply humiliating in two ways: they remind the adult that he was once more ignorant and gullible and emotional than he is; and they remind him that he once was, potentially, far more than he is.)
“An Unread Book”, p. 19
The Third Book of Criticism (1969)
“2916. It is better to have a Hen to Morrow, than an Egg to Day.”
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Compare Poor Richard's Almanack (1734) : An Egg to day is better than a Hen to-morrow.
Introductio ad prudentiam: Part II (1727), Gnomologia (1732)
Randall Jarrell (1914–1965) poet, critic, novelist, essayist
“An Unread Book”, p. 19
The Third Book of Criticism (1969)
Rob Enderle (1954) American financial analyst
Putting Legal in Its Place: Why Companies Shouldn't Be Run by Execs with 'No' as Their Middle Names http://itbusinessedge.com/blogs/unfiltered-opinion/putting-legal-in-its-place-why-companies-shouldnt-be-run-by-execs-with-no-as-their-middle-names.html in IT Business Edge (18 May 2017)
“A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg.”
Samuel Butler (1835–1902) novelist
Life and Habit http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext04/lfhb10h.htm, ch. 8 (1877)