One night two mice were playing on the rafters in a barn. Getting a little too excited and careless, they slipped and fell into a large bucket filled with milk. Swimming around desperately, they realized their situation was hopeless, and that they would never get out.
At this point one of the mice gave up, saying, “it’s useless to keep swimming, we have no chance.” He stopped struggling, sank and drowned.
The other mouse kept swimming though, until after one final stroke he passed out utterly exhausted. Later he awoke, and found himself lying on top of a bucket of butter.