Story of the thirsty fool that did not drink.
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Somadeva Bhatta, active 11th century and Tawney, C. H. (Charles Henry)
A certain foolish traveller, tormented by thirst, having with difficulty got through a wood, reached a river; however, he did not drink of it, but kept looking at the water. Some one said to him: “Why do you not drink water, though you are thirsty?” But the blockhead answered, “How could I drink so much water as this?” The other person ridiculed him, saying, “What! will the king punish you, if you drink it all up?” But still the foolish man did not drink the water.
“So you see that in this world fools will not even do a part of a task to the best of their power, if they are not able to complete it altogether. Now you have heard about the fool and the water, hear the story of the son-slayer.”