A beautiful diamond, which had once shone on the finger of …

A beautiful diamond, which had once shone on the finger of a princess, lay in a meadow, beside dandelions and daisies. Just above it, a drop of dew shone timidly, clinging to a blade of grass.
High above, the bright morning sun darted its rays on both of them, and made them sparkle.
The modest dewdrop looked at the diamond, but without daring to address one of such noble origin.
A large beetle, walking through the fields, caught sight of the diamond and recognized in it some high personage.
"Sir," he said, making a deep bow, "allow your humble servant to offer you his homage."
"Thank you," replied the diamond haughtily.
Raising his head, the beetle caught sight of the dewdrop.
"A relative of yours, I presume, my lord?" he asked affably, directing one of his antennae towards the dewdrop.
The diamond burst into a contemptuous laugh.
“What nonsense!” he declared. “But what can you expect from a crude beetle? Go your own way, sir. Put me on the same level, in the same family as a vulgar, worthless creature, and the diamond laughed.
“But, my lord, it seemed to me… is not his beauty equal to yours?” the crestfallen beetle stammered timidly.
“Beauty, really? Imitation, you mean. In truth, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, there is some satisfaction in remembering it. But even this artificial beauty is ridiculous if it is not accompanied by duration. A boat without oars, a carriage without horses, a well without water, that is what beauty is without wealth. No real value where there is neither rank nor wealth. Combine beauty, rank, and wealth, and the world will be at your feet. Now you know why I am adored.
And the diamond flashed such fires that the beetle had to turn his eyes away, while the poor dewdrop felt scarcely strong enough to live, so humiliated was it.
Just then a lark swooped down like an arrow, and came to peck at the diamond.
“Ah!” she said, disappointed, “what I took for a drop of water is only a miserable diamond. My throat is parched, I am going to die of thirst.”
“Truly! The world will never be consoled,” sneered the diamond.
But the dewdrop had just taken a sudden and noble resolution.
“Can I be of use to you?” she asked.
The lark raised her head.
“Oh! my precious friend, you will save my life.”
“Come, then.” And the dewdrop slipped from the blade of grass into the thirsty throat of the lark.
- Oh! oh! murmured the beetle, as he resumed his walk. This is a lesson I shall not forget. Mere merit is worth more than rank and wealth without modesty and devotion; there can be no real beauty without it.