Ceres and the Farmer

Ceres and the Farmer.There was a farmer who implored Ceres to make it so that his wheat grew without beards, so that the mowers and threshers would not hurt their hands. But when the wheat ripened, it was eaten up by little birds. The farmer then said, "I got what I deserved: for the sake of some tiny benefit, I have lost all the fruits of my labors."

Ceres et Rusticus. Impetraverat a Cerere Rusticus quidam, ut triticum absque aristis nasceretur, ne metentium triturantiumque manus laederet. Quod ubi maturuit, a minutis avibus depastum est. Tum Rusticus "Quam digna," inquit, "patior, qui, parvae commoditatis causa, emolumenta quam maxima perdidi."

Notes. This is Abstemius 2. As usual with Abstemius, it is not found in Perry's inventory. This is one of those fables about being careful what you ask for because you just might get it. In this case, the man's foolish idea about making the grain easier to harvest ends up ruining the crop. Let's hope that the modern science of genetics does not lead to the same results for us as it did to this worshiper of Ceres.