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"Give not Peter so much, to leave St. Paul nothing." "Praise Peter but don't find fault with Paul." "Who praiseth St. Peter doth not blame St. Paul." (English). "To take from St. Peter and give to St. Paul." "To strip St. Peter to clothe St. Paul," (French). "He reives the kirk to theek the quire.' "Tir the kiln to thack the mill," (Scotch). "To strip one altar to cover another," (Italian). "Starving Mike Malcolm to fatten big Murdock." "The thaich of the kiln on the mill,' (Gaelic). "To steal oil from one temple in order to light a lamp in another, (Marathi). "He plucked from his beard and added to his mustache." (Persian).

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CURIOUS OBJECTS REFERRED TO IN PROVERBS

A bark frae A TEFTHLESS DOG is as gude as a bite. (Scotch).

A BLACK FACE with BLUE HANDS AND FEET. (Hindustani). An expression of abhorrence.

A BLACK OX ne'er trod on his foot.

(Scotch).

No calamity or great trouble has ever come to him. He has always had a sheltered and prosperous life.

A BLACK SHOE mak's a blythe heart.

(Scotch).

There is no reference in this proverb to a new or polished shoe but to a shoe bedaubed with black soil because of its having been worn by one engaged in work. Such a shoe shows that its owner is industrious and therefore has material prosperity and a cheerful spirit.

A brilliant daughter makes A BRITTLE WIFE. (Dutch).

A CAT IN GLOVES is no use to catch mice. (Breton, English, Scotch, Italian).

"A mittened cat was never a good hunter." "A muzzled cat is no good mouser. (English).

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A COTTON CAP has squeezed his head. (Osmanli).

A CROOKED CHIMNEY, but the smoke goes up straight. (Bulgarian).

A dog cannot digest BOILED butter.

(Hindustani).

A mean man cannot appreciate a confidential talk, but will divulge the most important secrets that are revealed to him.

A GOLD BIRD has come into his hands. (Hindustani). Sometimes it is said, "The gold bird has flown out

of my hand," meaning that I have lost the favour of my most liberal patron or benefactor.

A GRUNTING HORSE and a graneing wife seldom fail their master. (Scotch). Graneing-i.e. groaning.

People who are constantly complaining of ill-health generally live longer than others.

A LOOSE TOOTH and feeble friend are equally bad. (Bengalese).

A man without clothes busying himself in making JACKETS FOR DOGS. (Cingalese).

A NEW SNAKE with its hood on the tail.

(Hindustani).

This proverb is applied to people who engage in a business that they do not understand.

An idle brain is THE DEIL'S WORKSHOP.

(German, Scotch).

"He that labours is tempted by one devil; he that is idle is tempted by a thousand." (English, Italian). "An idle man is the devil's bolster.' (Italian, Dutch). "An idle person is the devil's playfellow." (Arabian). "Idleness is the devil's couch of ease. (German). "A lazy man is the devil's walking stick." (Welsh). "The devil tempts all other men, but idle men tempt the devil." (Turkish).

"For Satan finds some mischief still

For idle hands to do."-Isaac Watts.

A pack of cards is THE DEVIL'S PRAYER-BOOK.

A proud head and HALFPENNY TAIL.

(German).

(Welsh).

A SADDLE OF RAGS for A WOODEN HORSE-who will mount him? Mahidín. (Kashmiri).

"Mahidín was a great student. Report says that he was well up in all languages and religions; at all events he became mad and his name a proverb. His son now wanders about the city in a mad condition, and everybody does him honour."— J. Hinton Knowles.

A SHORT HORSE is a sune wispit.

(Scotch).

A TITMOUSE IN HAND is better than a duck in air. (Welsh). See Contradicting Proverbs: "A bird in the cage is worth a hundred at large."

This proverb occurs in every nation. Beside the forms here given others will be found in the Introduction.

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"Better the lean lintie in the hand than the fat
finch on the wand.' (Scotch). "A sparrow in
hand is better than a peacock in expectation."
(Persian). "A thousand cranes in the air are not
worth one sparrow in the fist. (Arabian).
"One bird in the net is better than a thousand
flying.' (Hebrew). "Better a leveret in the
kitchen than a wild boar in the forest." (Levon-
ian). "Why let a bird in the hand go and snare
one in the jungle?" (Tamil). "Better a finch
in the hand than a parrot in the Indies." (Portu-
guese).

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There are also proverbs that are from the birds' point of view, as for example: "Better be a bird in the wood than one in the cage.' (Italian). "Better a free bird than a captive king." (Danish).

A WICKED DOG must be tied short. (French).

"A curst dog must be tied short.' "A mastiff groweth the fiercer for being tied up." (English). A mischievous cur must be tied short." (French).

A WILD GOOSE never laid a tame egg. (Scotch, Irish).

A WINKIN' CAT's no aye blind.

(Scotch).

A youth's promise is like the FROTH OF WATER. (Welsh).

Better a LEAN HORSE than a toom halter. (Scotch, English).

Toom-i.e., Empty. Better a poor horse than no horse at all.

"Better a bare foot than none at all." "Better some of a pudding than none of a pie." "Better are small fish than an empty dish." (English).

"Better coarse cloth than the naked thighs." "Better walk on wooden legs than be carried on a wooden bier.' (Danish). "Better a blind horse than an empty halter." (Dutch). "Better a lame horse than an empty saddle." "Better something than nothing at all." (German). "Better straw than nothing." (Portuguese).

Better to wash AN OLD KIMONO than borrow a new one. (Japanese).

Be very humble, the hopes of men are WORMS.

(Hebrew).

Bury truth in A GOLDEN COFFIN, it will break it open. (Russian).

By appearance an eagle, but by intelligence A BLACK COCK. (Russian).

Cast a bane in the DEIL'S TEETH.

(Scotch).

Don't descend into a well with A ROTTEN ROPE. (Turkish).

Even A HOLY cow if found in company with a stolen one may be impounded. (Bengalese).

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"He that walks with the virtuous is one of them.'
"He that handles thorns shall prick his fingers.'
"He that handles pitch shall foul his fingers.'
(English). "He who makes a mouse of himself
will be eaten by the cats." "He who handles
pitch besmears himself." (German). "He who
kennels with wolves must howl." (French). "He
who makes himself a dove is eaten by the hawk."
(Italian). "He who mixes himself with the draff
will be eaten by the swine." (Dutch, Danish).
"A collector of mummies will be one." (Japa-
nese). "A wise man associating with the vicious
becomes an idiot; a dog travelling with good men
becomes a rational being." (Arabian). "Who
lives with a blacksmith will at last go away with
burnt clothes." (Afghan). "One associating
himself with the vile will be ruined; it is like
drinking milk under a palm tree.' He would be
suspected of drinking strong liquor. (Telugu).
"A calf that goes with a pig will eat excrement."
(Tamil).

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