There was a Waggoner who was driving a heavy load along a very muddy way. At last he came to a part of the road where the wheels sank half-way into the mud, and the more the horses pulled, the deeper sank the wheels.
So the Waggoner threw down his rope, and knelt down and prayed to Hercules. "O Hercules, help me in this my hour of distress."
But Hercules appeared to him, and said:
"Toot, man, don't sprawl there. Get up and put
your shoulder to the wheel."
Moral: The gods help them that help
themselves