A watering can, with maxims on memory and rebound
A pen watering-can sketch above red-chalk notes on death and descent
A pen drawing shows a watering can with radiating jets, labelled 'thin copper', and a note on watering down dust when it is dug up. Below, in red chalk, come two reflections: every harm leaves displeasure in the memory except death, which destroys memory together with life; and the descent of birds, or the bounce of anything, will never rise as high as its fall, nor exceed it.
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Watering can for laying dust
A watering can is drawn with fine jets and labelled 'rame sottile' (thin copper). Leonardo notes its use for watering down the dust when it is dug up or disturbed.
On harm, memory and death
Every harm leaves displeasure in the memory, except the supreme harm, death, which kills that very memory together with life. The saying turns a moral reflection on loss and forgetting.
Descent and rebound never exceed the fall
The descent of birds, or the bounce of anything by itself, will never rise as much as the descent, nor will it pass it. The observation concerns rebound never reaching the height from which a body has fallen.