The Unwise Philanthropist

There once was an unwise philanthropist

Who planted his field full of corn.

His compassion was so,

At the time of the harvest,

He gave all his corn to the poor.

His neighbor, a wiser philanthropist,

Held back just a little in store.

All the cries in his ears

Of the poor he revered,

But he wouldn’t give one kernel more.

The next spring came time for the planting,

And the unwise philanthropist mourned,

For he had no seed,

And the poor had such need,

That he begged from his neighbor his store

“Please trade me some seed for one half of my field”

But the wiser philanthropist warned,

“Your compassion is great,

But your wisdom is faint,

For such charity the poor can’t afford”

“I’ll grant you this seed if you promise to me

When the poor come and knock on your door

That you’ll hold enough back

For the next year to plant

For the poor need a wise farmer more.”