Quote from which book?

Question

"curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back" i think it's from a Stephen King one, because I remember the character was some guy, and it was just really really creepy. I'm sorry I don't have much info aboot it. It's just really bothering me lol. Pleaaaaase help me find oot where it's from.

Answer 1

Actually, it goes way back beyond King:

"The earliest printed reference to the origin of this proverb is attributed to British playwright Ben Jonson in his 1598 play, Every Man in His Humour (performed first by British playwright William Shakespeare).
“...Helter skelter, hang sorrow, care will kill a cat, up-tails all, and a pox on the hangman.”
In this instance, "care" was defined as "worry" or "sorrow."
Shakespeare used a similar quote in his circa 1599 play, Much Ado About Nothing:
“What, courage man! what though care killed a cat, thou hast mettle enough in thee to kill care.

Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back

The origin of this variation is unknown. But, the earliest printed reference occurs in a horoscope printed in The Lima News (Lima, Ohio) from 14 September 1966 (page 37):
“YOUR BIRTHDAY by STELLA

LEO (July 24 - Aug. 23) — "Curiosity" Killed the cat — but Satisfaction brought it back. Let your curiosity get the best of you, find out what you want to know.

The phrase 'Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back' also appears in the 1990 book High Wizardry by Diane Duane.

Answer 2

Sounds like Pet Sematary, where the animals are brought back to life.
It's not an original statement. Eugene O'Neill, a playwright, used it before. I still say you're thinking of Pet Sematary...I think that was a catch phrase on the cover, or maybe the creepy old guy says it when he mentions the properties of the graveyard.

Answer 3

I think this quote long predates Stephen King. The library has a reference book about the origin of proverbs and sayings like this. Check there for the definitive answer.