Think of the going out before you enter. (Arabian,

Osmanli).

You should look what you can swallow and what can swallow you. (Telugu).

13

LOOK NOT A GIVEN HORSE IN THE MOUTH

As the teeth of young horses come with their development and change with use their approximate age up to a certain time can be told by examination. Hence to look into the mouth of a horse that is presented as a gift indicates that the receiver suspects the good will of the donor and fears lest the animal being too old for work was bestowed not as a favor but as an easy means of disposal. The Arabians, who are good judges of horses, claim that it is not only a discourtesy to look a gift horse in the mouth, but that it is unnecessary as the eyes indicate sufficiently the animal's value. When the eyes are clear and flashing the horse is given as a favor and not for the owner's benefit; hence the Bedouin saying, "The eye of a good horse serves for a tooth. The Bengalese have another test by which to ascertain the value of a gift horse and declare that "One knows the horse by his ears, the generous by his gifts, a man by laughing and a jewel by its brilliancy."

While the proverb cannot be traced with any certainty further back than the fourth century it was probably in use at a much earlier date

"Where gifts be given freely-east, west, north or south—
No man ought to look a given horse in the mouth,
And though her mouth be foul she hath a fair tail-
I consider this text, as is most my avail.

In want of white teeth and yellow hairs to behold,
She flourisheth in white silver and yellow gold.
What though she be toothless, and bald as a coot?
Her substance is shoot anker, whereat I shoot."

JOHN HEYWOOD, A.D. 1497-1580, A Dialogue of the Effectual Proverbs.

"A gift ought to rise in our esteem in proportion of the friendship and respect of the donor, not its intrinsic excellency or worth. To inquire into these is buying and selling, and making a bargain with a friend; 'tis setting a price upon your own merit, which most people value too high in themselves and too low in everybody else."-SAMUEL PALMER, A.D. 1710, Moral Essays.

"We may perhaps suppose that well known word which forbids the too accurate scanning of a present, 'One must not look a gift horse in the mouth,' to be of English extraction, the genuine growth of our own soil. I will not pretend to say how old it may be, but it is certainly as old as Jerome, a Latin father of the fourth century; who, when some found fault with certain writings of his, replied with a tartness which he could occasionally exhibit, that they were voluntary on his part, free-will offerings, and with this quoted the proverb, that it did not behoove to look a gift horse in the mouth; and before it

comes to us we meet it once more in one of the rhymed Latin verses which were such great favorites in the middle ages:

Si quis dat mannos, ne quære in dentibus annos." -ARCHBISHOP TRENCH, A.D. 1807-1886, Proverbs and Their Lessons.

"A mediæval writer tells us that 'A gyuen horse may not be loked in the tethe.' Rabelais says it must not, and the author of Hudibras says it must not; in fact there is an abundance of testimony to this effect, extending over centuries. The Frenchman says, 'A cheval donné il ne faut pas regarder aux dens'; the Portuguese says, 'Cavallo dado nao se repara a idade'; and the Spanish says, 'Caval donato non guardar in bocca,' and all over the world we find this delicacy of feeling advocated."-F. EDWARD HULME, A.D. 1841-1909, Proverb Lore.

VARIANT PROVERBS

A gift cow-why has it no teeth? (Marathi).

A given horse look not at his teeth. (Modern Greek).
If anyone offers you a buffalo do not ask if she gives milk.

(Badaga).

If you are given a horse you won't insist on examining its mouth. (Belgian).

The teeth of a gift horse are not inspected. (Osmanli). The teeth of a horse presented are never observed. (Turkish).

They made him a present of a beast of burden and he examined its teeth. (Modern Greek).

When somebody gives you a donkey, you musn't examine the bridle. (Mauritius Creole).

CHARACTERISTICS OF HORSES IN PROVERBS

A blind horse goes straight forward. (German).
A dapple gray horse will sooner die than tire. (Scotch).
A galled horse will not endure the comb. (English).
A grunting horse and a groaning wife seldom fail their
master. (English).

A lean horse does not kick.

(Italian).

A nag wi' a waine and a mare wi' nane are no a gude pair.

(Scotch).

A safe (useless) aiver was ne'er a gude horse. (Scotch). Good luck for a gray mare. (English).

He is a horse with four white feet—that is, he is unlucky. (French).

He is a weak horse that maunna bear the saddle. (Scotch). He's an auld horse that winna nicker when he sees corn.

(Scotch).

He's a prude horse that winna carry his ain oats. (Scotch). Horses are good of all hues. (Scotch).

If he (the horse) has one (white foot) buy him; if he has two, try him; if he has three, look about him; if he has four come without him. (Scotch).

It is a bad horse that does not earn his fodder. (Italian). It is a good horse that never stumbles. (French).

It is a silly horse that can neither whinny nor wag his tail. (English).

It is certainly a good horse, but its circular marks are bad. (Tamil).

Little may an auld horse do if he maunna nicker. (Scotch). Rub a scald horse on the gall and he'll wince. (English). The best horse, the largest.

(Welsh).

The biggest horses are not the best travelers. (English). The blind horse is the hardiest. (English).

The gray mare is the better horse. (English).

The horse is judged by the saddle. (German, Chinese). The horse that does not stumble is the best horse.

(Tamil).