Final answer:
The phrase 'A small leak will sink a great ship' means a small problem, if ignored, can cause a large disaster. Option c, a tiny ember causing a forest fire, best illustrates this aphorism as it shows how a minor issue can escalate.
Step-by-step explanation:
The aphorism “A small leak will sink a great ship” by Benjamin Franklin suggests that even a minor flaw if neglected, can lead to a significant disaster. Looking at the given options, c. A tiny ember left unextinguished causes a great forest fire best illustrates this meaning. While a small ember is seemingly inconsequential, if it is not properly extinguished, it holds the potential to cause a catastrophic forest fire that devastates ecosystems and property, akin to a small leak that eventually sinks a large ship.
Neither growing a garden from seeds nor a shirt shrinking in the wash aligns well with the essence of Franklin's warning about small overlooked problems causing major destruction. The ember scenario closely mirrors the progression from a minor oversight to a major catastrophe, as a leak ignored can sink even the grandest of ships.