--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A fat, stolid young man came forward to…" description: "\"“A fat, stolid young man came forward to serve us. \"A drinking trough for a dog. Yes, Moddam. Would you prefer a plain trough or one with 'dog' written..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/d-e-stevenson-9903_dog_a-fat-stolid-young-man-came-forward-to-s_1809849.jpg" --- # A fat, stolid young man came forward to serve us. "A… ![“A fat, stolid young man came forward to serve us. "A drinking trough for a dog. Yes, Moddam. Would you prefer a plain trough or one with 'dog' written on it?" Paula looked at him gravely. "It doesn't really matter," she replied. "My dogs can't read and my husband never drinks water.” quote by D.E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/d-e-stevenson-9903_dog_a-fat-stolid-young-man-came-forward-to-s_1809849.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/d-e-stevenson-9903_dog_a-fat-stolid-young-man-came-forward-to-s_1809849.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/d-e-stevenson-9903_dog_a-fat-stolid-young-man-came-forward-to-s_1809849.jpg) > ““A fat, stolid young man came forward to serve us. "A drinking trough for a dog. Yes, Moddam. Would you prefer a plain trough or one with 'dog' written on it?" Paula looked at him gravely. "It doesn't really matter," she replied. "My dogs can't read and my husband never drinks water.”” [D.E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-e-stevenson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often focus on trivial details while missing the larger, irrelevant reality. **In simple terms:** Focus on what's truly important. Key Takeaway Ignore irrelevant details, prioritize meaning. Themes communication absurdity perspective meaninglessness Mood wry ironic Type satirical humorous When to use this quote - daily conversations - media consumption - relationship discussions Key Concepts existential humor literary satire Questions to Reflect On - What details do you overlook? - When does humor reveal truth? A Different Perspective Trivialities can distract from substance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) ## Related quotes > [“I wish to cup knowledge in my hand and drink it as one drinks water by the side of the stream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/i-wish-to-cup-knowledge-in-my-hand-and-drink-it-as-one-drinks-water/) [Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) > [Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/everyone-who-drinks-this-water-will-be-thirsty-again-but-whoever-2/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [The only fountain in the wilderness of life, where man drinks of water totally unmixed with bitterness, is that which gushes for him in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/the-only-fountain-in-the-wilderness-of-life-where-man-drinks-of-water/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [“My works are like water. The works of the great masters are like wine. But everyone drinks water. - From Mark Twain's Notebook, 1885”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/my-works-are-like-water-the-works-of-the-great-masters-are-like-wine/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [One lawyer told me that he never drinks water or eats in front of the jury because they can't do either one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-sumpter/one-lawyer-told-me-that-he-never-drinks-water-or-eats-in-front-of-the/) [Jeremy Sumpter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-sumpter/) > [“As Chester poured more water, she asked, “Does all drinking water come from a bottle?” For some reason this was amusing. “Oh yes,” Mattie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/as-chester-poured-more-water-she-asked-does-all-drinking-water-come/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [I fear the man who drinks water and so remembers this morning what the rest of us said last night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-fear-the-man-who-drinks-water-and-so-remembers-this-morning-what/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't really drink a lot of other drinks besides water, in terms of sports drinks. 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Indeed the water I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/everyone-who-drinks-this-water-will-be-thirsty-again-but-whoever/) [Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/) > [My books are like water; those of the great geniuses are wine. (Fortunately) everybody drinks water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/my-books-are-like-water-those-of-the-great-geniuses-are-wine/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [A man who drinks only water has a secret to hide from his fellow men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/a-man-who-drinks-only-water-has-a-secret-to-hide-from-his-fellow-men/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) > [“My books are water; those of the great geniuses is wine. Everybody drinks water.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/my-books-are-water-those-of-the-great-geniuses-is-wine-everybody/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“Chanakya also touched upon physical well-being in his works. He made a remarkable observation on water: ‘When water is consumed half an hour before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-swami/chanakya-also-touched-upon-physical-well-being-in-his-works-he-made-a/) [Om Swami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-swami/) ## More by D.E. Stevenson > [“I can’t be doing with people that are not exactly what they seem.’ Mamie was”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-e-stevenson/i-can-t-be-doing-with-people-that-are-not-exactly-what-they-seem/) [D.E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-e-stevenson/) > [“We agree that it is too late to think of visiting Cousin Ellen today – in fact if we do not hurry home we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-e-stevenson/we-agree-that-it-is-too-late-to-think-of-visiting-cousin-ellen-today/) [D.E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-e-stevenson/) > [“Spend the afternoon with Miss H. looking over Bryan’s school clothes, and compile a large list of what he requires, which will probably have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-e-stevenson/spend-the-afternoon-with-miss-h-looking-over-bryan-s-school-clothes/) [D.E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-e-stevenson/) > [“Some people’s elegance was only skin-deep, scrape off a little bit of the veneer and you got the real wood—common”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-e-stevenson/some-people-s-elegance-was-only-skin-deep-scrape-off-a-little-bit-of/) [D.E. 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Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-e-stevenson/) > [“In the course of my wanderings I have started life anew in many places, and in every place the same thing happens: at first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-e-stevenson/in-the-course-of-my-wanderings-i-have-started-life-anew-in-many/) [D.E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-e-stevenson/) > [It is curious, isn't it, that things you know well never look dirty and dilapidated-other people's old furniture looks shabby and moth-eaten. “I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-e-stevenson/it-is-curious-isn-t-it-that-things-you-know-well-never-look-dirty-and/) [D.E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-e-stevenson/) > [“Anne could not explain. It was always difficult for Anne to explain things even when they were clear to herself, and in this case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-e-stevenson/anne-could-not-explain-it-was-always-difficult-for-anne-to-explain/) [D.E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-e-stevenson/) > [“As long as skies are blue and fields are green Evening must usher night, night urge the morrow, Month follow month with woe, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-e-stevenson/as-long-as-skies-are-blue-and-fields-are-green-evening-must-usher/) [D.E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-e-stevenson/) > [“What fools the public were! They were exactly like sheep…thought Mr. Abbott sleepily…following each other’s lead, neglecting one book and buying another just because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-e-stevenson/what-fools-the-public-were-they-were-exactly-like-sheep-thought-mr/) [D.E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-e-stevenson/) > [“but she told Aunt Bella everything else, and Aunt Bella listened enthralled. She nodded and sighed and asked the right questions in the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-e-stevenson/but-she-told-aunt-bella-everything-else-and-aunt-bella-listened/) [D.E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-e-stevenson/) > [One need never be dull as long as one has friends to help, gardens to enjoy and books in the long winter evenings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-e-stevenson/one-need-never-be-dull-as-long-as-one-has-friends-to-help-gardens-to/) [D.E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-e-stevenson/) > [There is something very appealing about a room which one occupied as a child; it brings back one's childhood more vividly than anything else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-e-stevenson/there-is-something-very-appealing-about-a-room-which-one-occupied-as/) [D.E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-e-stevenson/) [Explore all 68 D.E. Stevenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-e-stevenson/) ## More Dog quotes > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. 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