The Gardener

"The Gardener" begins with a narrator describing a chance encounter with an old man in a coconut grove near Chennarayapatna. This old man was a "labourer, overseer and philosopher, all rolled into one". He had arrived at the plantation after walking hundreds of miles and quickly transformed it from a loss-making farm into a successful venture. However, the farm's success led the owner to become lethargic and involved in "adultery and umpteen other vices". Seeing the owner's wife worried about her husband's behavior, the old man decides to tell her a story.

The story is about two rivals, Tammanna and Basavaiah, who lived in a far-off place. Tammanna was wealthy, had 1,000 acres of land, and many admirers. His life was defined by his competition with Basavaiah, who owned 800 acres. When Tammanna refused to sell his remaining land, Basavaiah forcibly took 200 acres. Instead of going to court or using violence, Tammanna chose a more powerful weapon: Art. He began composing ballads (songs) that mocked Basavaiah's cruelty and greed. Tammanna became a famous poet, while Basavaiah felt "shrunk in humiliation".

Basavaiah tried to compete by building a palatial mansion and decorating himself with gold and precious stones, but he felt "dull and empty" because he lacked Tammanna's talent. When Basavaiah heard Tammanna was ill, he felt a "ray of hope," thinking he could finally outlive his rival. Tammanna then realized a profound truth: as long as he existed as "Tammanna the poet," Basavaiah would continue to compete with him. To truly defeat his rival, Tammanna decided to "lose his name". He gave up everything, left the village, and became a non-entity. Without a rival to compete against, Basavaiah lost his reason for existence and passed away shortly after. The old man reveals that he is Tammanna. He concludes by telling the owner's wife that man is so complicated that he "goes on living for some revenge or the other" until his death.