We have done with Hope and Honour. we are lost to Love and Truth, We are dropping down the ladder rung by rung; And the measure of our torment is the measure of our youth. God help us, for we knew the worst too young!
Rudyard KiplingRead
We had a kettle; we let it leak: Our not repairing made it worse. We haven't had any tea for a week... The bottom is out of the Universe.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Neglecting small issues can lead to larger problems over time.
In this quote, Kipling uses the metaphor of a leaking kettle to illustrate how failing to address minor problems can escalate into significant consequences. The phrase 'the bottom is out of the Universe' conveys a sense of disarray and the impact of inaction in the face of inevitable deterioration.
Themes
LeakRepairInactionConsequencesProblemsUniverse
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about maintaining relationships, one could say, 'We had a kettle; we let it leak...' to emphasize the importance of addressing small issues before they escalate.
More from Rudyard Kipling
All quotes →Humble because of knowledge; mighty by sacrifice.
Rudyard KiplingRead
Hear and attend and listen; for this is what befell and be-happened and became and was, O my Best Beloved, when the Tame animals were wild. The dog was wild, and the Horse was wild, and the Cow was wild, and the Sheep was wild, and the Pig was wild -as wild as wild could be - and they walked in the Wet Wild Woods by their wild lones. But the wildest of all the wild animals was the Cat. He walked by himself and all places were alike to him
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I keep six honest serving men.
Rudyard KiplingRead
And when your back stops aching and your hands begin to harden, You will find yourself a partner in the Glory of the Garden.
Rudyard KiplingRead
Savings represent much more than mere money value. They are the proof that the saver is worth something in himself. Any fool can waste; any fool can muddle; but it takes something more of a man to save and the more he saves the more of a man he makes of himself. Waste and extravagance unsettle a man's mind for every crisis; thrift, which means some form of self-restraint, steadies it.
Rudyard KiplingRead
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