An Ass with a load of wood fell in a pond. Frogs asked why he was making such a big deal out of the fall when they live in the pond all the time.
Men often bear little grievances with less courage than they do large misfortunes.
Townsend version
An ass, carrying a load of wood, passed through a pond. As he was crossing through the water he lost his footing, stumbled and fell, and not being able to rise on account of his load, groaned heavily. Some Frogs frequenting the pool heard his lamentation, and said, “What would you do if you had to live here always as we do, when you make such a fuss about a mere fall into the water?”
Moral
Men often bear little grievances with less courage than they do large misfortunes.
L’Estrange version
An ass sunk down into a bog among a shoale of frogs, with a burden of wood upon his back, and there he lay, sighing and groaning, as his heart would break: Hark ye friend (says one of the frogs to him) if you make such a bus’ness of lying in a quagmire, when you are but just fall’n into’t, what would you do, I wonder, if you had been here as long as we have been?
Moral
Custom makes things familiar and easy to us; but every thing is best yet in it’s own element.
Gherardo Image from 1480
Cancri et Asinus
Asinus, cadens in lutum, coepit eiulans clamare pro eo quod non poterat egredi. Cui cancri dixerunt, “Quare plangis? Cum nos, qui longe ante cecidimus in lutum, minime plangamus.”
Perry #189