FREELittle Daffydowndilly (From: "The Snow Image and Other Twice-Told Tales")
by Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 1804-1864
"Little Daffydowndilly" by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a children's story written in the early 19th century. This allegorical tale centers on the themes of diligence versus idleness through the experiences of a lazy boy, Daffydowndilly, who embodies the characteristics of a flower, preferring beauty and ease over hard work. The story takes readers on a journey through Daffydowndilly's encounters as he tries to escape the strict discipline of his schoolmaster, Mr. Toil. The narrative follows young Daffydowndilly as he runs away from school to find his mother and a life free from hard work. Accompanied by a mysterious stranger, he explores various settings, each time encountering figures that resemble Mr. Toil in different professions (like farming, carpentry, and military service), underscoring the inescapable nature of toil and responsibility. As Daffydowndilly learns that idleness does not lead to happiness, he ultimately recognizes the value of diligence and the rewards that come from embracing hard work. By the end of his journey, he gains a new perspective, realizing that toil can be fulfilling and rewarding. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Automated conservative edition review 2026-10-20T13:09:14.913Z (historical-original-en-v2), Philippines scope. English historical author Hawthorne, Nathaniel, died 1864; original-language author allowlist, matching sole EPUB/catalog creator, no credited contributors, no extra artwork, no flagged editorial/translation/copyright cues in isolated text. US public-domain source label and retained Gutenberg license; EPUB CRC passed. This is rule-based screening, not a worldwide rights opinion or a claim of manual review. Source: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9244; Philippine term reference https://www.ipophil.gov.ph/copyright/. EPUB SHA256 6a383c717066dda4dfa8ec0c92cc40d7a6ec9a4005a1eb37ac756a4b596728e0; RDF SHA256 fa977d4967fe1cc71287a05244476994b9f9182683e6dc6221053c6b0176c1de.
View source & edition information ↗