The gods help them that help themselves. - Aesop

A certain venerable Goat was one day deeply engaged in a serious dispute with a crafty Fox, and the argument became very warm on both sides; when the Goat in order to give the greater weight to his sentiments on the matter, rather rashly and inconsiderately laid the wager of his beard against the Fox, so certain was he of being on the right side of the question; but unfortunately it was at last clearly proved that the poor Goat had lost his wager, and although the Fox had neither law nor power on his part to enforce the payment, yet the honest dignity of the Goat would not suffer him to take any unfair advantage, and he immediately submitted to the lesser disgrace, the loss of his beard, to preserve his honour pure and unsullied, and patiently let his chin be shaved clean by a dextrous Monkey, who was at hand, and presented the shaggy trophy to the unrelenting victor.

"THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANTS

One fine day in winter some Ants were busy drying their store of corn, which had got rather damp during a long spell of rain. Presently up came a Grasshopper and begged them to spare her a few grains, "For," she said, "I'm simply starving." The Ants stopped work for a moment, though this was against their principles. "May we ask," said they, "what you were doing with yourself all last summer? Why didn't you collect a store of food for the winter?" "The fact is," replied the Grasshopper, "I was so busy singing that I hadn't the time." "If you spent the summer singing," replied the Ants, "you can't do better than spend the winter dancing." And they chuckled and went on with their work."

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.