Who said “Early to rise and early to bed makes a male healthy and wealthy and dead.”?

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James Thurber. A published source records them saying or writing it.

Source"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

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“Early to rise and early to bed makes a male healthy and wealthy and dead.”
— James Thurber
Verified"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 · evidenceDeath and Dying
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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: "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.

APA

Thurber, J. (n.d.). Early to rise and early to bed makes a male healthy and wealthy and dead. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/2681-early-to-rise-and-early-to-bed-makes/

MLA

Thurber, James. “Early to rise and early to bed makes a male healthy and wealthy and dead.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/2681-early-to-rise-and-early-to-bed-makes/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Thurber, James. “Early to rise and early to bed makes a male healthy and wealthy and dead.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/2681-early-to-rise-and-early-to-bed-makes/.

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More quotes by James Thurber

“He who hesitates is sometimes saved.”
Verified"The Glass in the Field", The New Yorker (31 October 1939); Fables for Our Time & Famous Poems Illustrated (1940). · evidenceDetails & citeIndecision
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“You can fool too many of the people too much of the time.”
Verified"The Owl who was God", The New Yorker (29 April 1939); Fables for Our Time & Famous Poems Illustrated (1940). Parody of "You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time." · evidenceDetails & citeLies and Lying
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“Well, if I called the wrong number, why did you answer the phone?”
VerifiedCartoon caption, The New Yorker (5 June 1937); "Word Dance--Part One", A Thurber Carnival (1960) · evidenceDetails & citeConflict
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All 54 James Thurber quotes →