One
morning a carter tilled his wooden cart with many bags wheat. He yoked to it a
pair of stout oxen. He set out for a dist market to sell his goods. A heavy
shower of rain overtook him o the way. It made tile muddy road almost impassable.
All of a sudden the wheels of the cart
got stuck in the mud. The cart did not move The carter goaded the oxen and even
whipped them. But they could d not move on.
In
his helplessness the carter fell down on his knees and offer prayers to Hercules,
the god of strength for his help. Hercules appeared before him and said, “Lazy fellow, get up and
put your shoulder the wheel. Help comes only to him who helps himself.”
The
carter followed the god’s advice. Within a few minutes he was able to get the
wheels of the cart out of the mud. “Thus do I he men,” said Hercules, and then
he disappeared,
Moral: God helps (hose who help themselves.
