Who said “The sleeping fox catches no poultry.”?

Verified

Benjamin Franklin. A published source records them saying or writing it.

Source“Father Abraham's Speech,” preface to: “Poor Richard Improved, 1758,” Founders Online, National Archives, accessed 27 May 2020. [Original source: The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, vol. 7, October 1, 1756 through March 31, 1758, ed. Leonard W. Labaree. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1963, pp.

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“The sleeping fox catches no poultry.”
— Benjamin Franklin
Verified“Father Abraham's Speech,” preface to: “Poor Richard Improved, 1758,” Founders Online, National Archives, accessed 27 May 2020. [Original source: The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, vol. 7, October 1, 1756 through March 31, 1758, ed. Leonard W. Labaree. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1963, pp. · evidenceInaction

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: “Father Abraham's Speech,” preface to: “Poor Richard Improved, 1758,” Founders Online, National Archives, accessed 27 May 2020. [Original source: The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, vol. 7, October 1, 1756 through March 31, 1758, ed. Leonard W. Labaree. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1963, pp..

APA

Franklin, B. (n.d.). The sleeping fox catches no poultry. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/23992-the-sleeping-fox-catches-no-poultry/

MLA

Franklin, Benjamin. “The sleeping fox catches no poultry.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/23992-the-sleeping-fox-catches-no-poultry/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Franklin, Benjamin. “The sleeping fox catches no poultry.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/23992-the-sleeping-fox-catches-no-poultry/.

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