A farmer leans on his hoe, contemplating the crop he has been working on. He seems to be taking a break from his labors. Some have said that he’s lazy and isn’t properly tending his crop. I see no evidence of this. He’s taking a break, not shirking his responsibilities.
He may, however, be dreaming of the harvest, counting his chickens before they are hatched. Still, it seems that he’s been working on this field and has reason to expect good results. He’s made an investment of time and effort; his crop should produce an abundant yield.
Some authors see this card as suggesting failure. I don’t see it. The figure might be slacking off a bit – does he really need a break, or is he just kind of lazy? But he’s got his tool in his hands; he’s working. This is not failure.
His boots don’t match – they’re of different colors. I don’t think this is an artifact of the artwork. This same issue arises in Seven of Wands, as well.
Although this shows the mismatch is significant, I don’t understand what that significance is yet.