Ask not the grass to give you green, and later walk all over it.

The line uses a simple ecological image to criticize entitlement and inconsistency: you cannot demand nourishment, beauty, or support from something (the “grass” giving “green”) and then treat it carelessly once you’ve benefited. Read broadly, it cautions against exploiting people, communities, or nature—asking for their labor, patience, or resources while later “walking all over” them through disrespect, neglect, or abuse. The aphorism also implies reciprocity and stewardship: if you want vitality from what sustains you, your actions should protect rather than trample it. Its moral force comes from the everyday metaphor of grass—common, easily overlooked, and easily damaged.