Begotten of a muddy puddle, a lump of ice
Resented a crystal’s transparence and in a trice
Started praying to the sun. The sun began to shine,
The lump of ice glistered but proceeded to decline;
Thus, keen to mend its lot with inopportune trouble,
The lump melted away and returned to the puddle.
From Fables and Parables (1779) by Ignacy Krasicki, translated by Christopher Kasparek
