Explore "The Gardener and his Master" by Tomás de Iriarte on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
A copious fountain played / In a garden's flowery bed, / And served to form a basin / Where many fish were fed.
Of the watering of his flowers / The Gardener thought alone; / And drained it dry, till due supply / For carp and tench was gone.
His Master soon the mischief saw, / And scolds the careless sinner.
"The flowers I love; but also like / My mess of fish for dinner."
The Gardener, grown crusty, / So reads his Master's whim, / That he lets the plants go thirsty, / That carp and tench may swim.
In the garden, shortly after, / The indignant owner found / His flowers, all dry and withered, / Upon the parching ground.
"Booby! you need not water waste, / And leave me not a fish to taste; / Nor yet deny -- to save the fish -- / A single flower to grace the dish,"
Though the maxim may be trite, -- / Unless you have the skill, / Taste and profit to unite, -- / Lay by the author's quill.