The Wishes by Jean de La Fontaine — Read

Within the Great Mogul's domains there are / Familiar sprites of much domestic use: / They sweep the house, and take a tidy care / Of equipage, nor garden work refuse; / But, if you meddle with their toil, / The whole, at once, you're sure to spoil. / One, near the mighty Ganges flood, / The garden of a burgher good / Work'd noiselessly and well; / To master, mistress, garden, bore / A love that time and toil outwore, / And bound him like a spell. / Did friendly zephyrs blow, / The demon's pains to aid? / (For so they do, 'tis said.) / I own I do not know. / But for himself he rested not, / And richly bless'd his master's lot. / What mark'd his strength of love, / He lived a fixture on the place, / In spite of tendency to rove / So natural to his race. / But brother sprites conspiring / With importunity untiring, / So teased their goblin chief, that he, / Of his caprice, or policy, / Our sprite commanded to attend / A house in Norway's farther end, / Whose roof was snow-clad through the year, / And shelter'd human kind with deer. / Before departing to his hosts / Thus spake this best of busy ghosts: -- / 'To foreign parts I'm forced to go! / For what sad fault I do not know; -- / But go I must; a month's delay, / Or week's perhaps, and I'm away. / Seize time; three wishes make at will; / For three I'm able to fulfil -- / No more. ' Quick at their easy task, / Abundance first these wishers ask -- / Abundance, with her stores unlock'd -- / Barns, coffers, cellars, larder, stock'd -- / Corn, cattle, wine, and money, -- / The overflow of milk and honey. / But what to do with all this wealth! / What inventories, cares, and worry! / What wear of temper and of health! / Both lived in constant, slavish hurry. / Thieves took by plot, and lords by loan; / The king by tax, the poor by tone. / Thus felt the curses which / Arise from being rich, -- / 'Remove this affluence! ' they pray; / The poor are happier than they / Whose riches make them slaves. / 'Go, treasures, to the winds and waves; / Come, goddess of the quiet breast, / Who sweet'nest toil with rest, / Dear Mediocrity, return! ' / The prayer was granted as we learn. / Two wishes thus expended, / Had simply ended / In bringing them exactly where, / When they set out they were. / So, usually, it fares / With those who waste in such vain prayers / The time required by their affairs. / The goblin laugh'd, and so did they. / However, ere he went away, / To profit by his offer kind, / They ask'd for wisdom, wealth of mind, -- / A treasure void of care and sorrow -- / A treasure fearless of the morrow, / Let who will steal, or beg, or borrow.