The Gardener And His Landlord (prose Fable) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A B C D E F G H I J K L M J N| A man who had a great fondness for gardening being half a countryman and half town bred possessed in a certain village a fair sized plot with a field attached and all enclosed by a quickset hedge Here sorrel and lettuce grew freely as well as such flowers as Spanish jasmine and wild thyme and from these his good wife Margot culled many a posy for her high days and holidays | A |
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| This happy state of things was soon troubled by the visits of a hare and to such an extent that the man had to go to his landlord and lodge a complaint This wretched animal he said comes here and stuffs himself night and morning and simply laughs at traps and snares As for stones and sticks they make no difference whatever to him He must be enchanted | B |
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| Enchanted cried the landlord I defy enchantment Were he the devil himself old Towler would soon rout him out in spite of his tricks I'll rid you of him my man never fear | C |
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| And when asked the man | D |
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| Oh to morrow without more delay | E |
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| The affair being thus arranged on the morrow came the landlord with all his following First of all he said how about breakfast Your chickens are tender I'll be bound Come here my dear he added addressing the man's daughter and then to her father When are you going to let her marry Hasn't a son in law come on the scene yet My dear fellow this is a thing that positively must be done you know you'll have to put your hand in your pocket to some purpose So saying he sat down beside the damsel took her hand held her by the arm toyed with her fichu and took other silly and trifling liberties which the girl resented with great self respect whilst the father grew a little uneasy in his mind | F |
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| Nevertheless the cooking went on There was quite a run on the kitchen | G |
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| How ripe are your hams They look good | H |
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| Sir replied the flattered host they are yours | I |
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| Oh really now Well I'll take them and that right gladly | J |
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| The landlord and his family his dogs his horses and his men servants all take breakfast with hearty appetites He assumes the host's place and privileges drinks his wine and caresses his daughter After this a crowd of hunters take seats at the breakfast table | K |
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| Now everybody is lively and busy with preparations for the hunt They wind the horns to such purpose that the good man is dumbfounded by the din Worse than that they make terrible havoc in the poor garden Good bye to all the neat rows and beds Good bye to the chickory and the leeks Good bye to all the pot herbs | L |
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| The hare lies hidden under the leaves of a great cabbage but being discovered is quickly started whereupon he rushes to a hole nay worse than a hole a great and horrible gap in the poor hedge made by the landlord's order so that they might all burst out of the garden in fine style for it would have looked ridiculous for them to ride out at the gate | M |
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| The poor man objected This is fine fun for princes no doubt but they let him talk whilst dogs and men together did more harm in one hour than all the hares in the province would have done in a century | J |
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| Little princes settle your own quarrels amongst yourselves It is madness to have recourse to kings You should never let them engage in your wars nor even enter your domains | N |
Jean De La Fontaine
(1)
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