The Worm Was Punished for Early Rising

John Godfrey Saxe? Frederick Locker-Lampson? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: “The early bird catches the worm” has become an irritating cliché. I love this entertaining comical response: But the worm was punished for getting up early. Do you know who crafted this rejoinder? Quote Investigator: The work “Early Rising” appeared in the 1876 collection “The Poems …