An Ape watched a Carpenter split wood with wedges but learned nothing as he pulled a wedge out, the wood closed, and he was trapped. Too bad Ape.
Know what you are doing when trying something new.
JBR Collection
An Ape sat looking at a Carpenter who was cleaving a piece of wood with two wedges, which he put into the cleft one after another as the split opened. The Carpenter leaving his work half done, the Ape must needs try his hand at log-splitting, and coming to the piece of wood, pulled out the wedge that was in it without knocking in the other, so that the wood closing again held the poor Monkey by its fore paws so fast that, not being able to get away, the moody Carpenter, when he returned, knocked his brains out for meddling with his work.