82% sureThese words were traced back to where they first appeared. That source is listed below.
What turned up
First printed by John Ray, A Collection of English Proverbs (1670; enlarged 1678): "The early bird catcheth the worm." Some secondary sources cite Camden 1605 but that is unconfirmed at first hand. Genuinely anonymous English folk proverb.
Work
John Ray, A Collection of English Proverbs
Occasion
1670
Sources checked
phrases.org.ukChecked using claude-sonnet-5, 21 August 2026Cites John Ray 1670/1678 as first-print source
Nothing made from these words yet — Storyfaire is where they get made.
Confucius
