Once a farmer procured honey from a honey-comb after smoking away all the bees of the comb. He put the honey in a pot and made for his house. As ill luck would have it, he stumbled against a stone on the way. As a result, the pot of the honey fell down and was broken. All the honey was spilt on the ground.
A sticky fluid as honey is, it would not leave the spot where it was spilt. So, finding it difficult to recover the honey, the farmer went away cursing his lot.
Just then a swarm of flies came there. Getting the flavour of the honey, they descended upon it. They never thought that the honey would catch them fatally. Having had their fill, they tried to fly away. But the honey would not let them be free at all. Their feet and wings had got fast stuck into it.
“How stupid of us all ! For a short pleasure we have to die an untimely death,” cried the flies. But it was too late now.