An Ass liked the melody of a Grasshopper. The Ass asked about food thinking it gave the song. Dew was the answer. Ass ate nothing but and died of hunger.
Don’t ignore your own needs.
An Ass was enchanted by the melody a Grasshopper produced. The Ass asked the Grasshopper what kind of food he ate thinking it gave him the beautiful song. “The dew,” was the answer. The Ass started eating nothing but dew and shortly afterward died of hunger.
Aesop For Children
One day as an Ass was walking in the pasture, he found some Grasshoppers chirping merrily in a grassy corner of the field.
He listened with a great deal of admiration to the song of the Grasshoppers. It was such a joyful song that his pleasure-loving heart was filled with a wish to sing as they did.
“What is it?” he asked very respectfully, “that has given you such beautiful voices? Is there any special food you eat, or is it some divine nectar that makes you sing so wonderfully?”
“Yes,” said the Grasshoppers, who were very fond of a joke; “it is the dew we drink! Try some and see.”
So thereafter the Ass would eat nothing and drink nothing but dew.
Naturally, the poor foolish Ass soon died.
Moral
The laws of nature are unchangeable.
Townsend version
An Ass having heard some Grasshoppers chirping, was highly enchanted; and, desiring to possess the same charms of melody, demanded what sort of food they lived on to give them such beautiful voices. They replied, “The dew.” The Ass resolved that he would live only upon dew, and in a short time died of hunger.
Cicada et Asinus
Asinus, cicadae cantus dulcedine captus, interrogavit eam quibus alimentis uteretur ut vocem ita suavem haberet. “Aer et ros,” respondit cicada, “sunt alimenta mihi.” Quae cum audisset asinus, artem se invenisse credens, qua similem vocem cicadae nancisceretur, rictu aperto captavit auram, ut qui rore ali cuperet, usque dum fame consecutus periit.
Perry #184
