The pot reproaches the kettle because it is black. (Dutch). The raven said to the rook, "Stand away, black coat." (English). The sal is laughing at the singi, "You are as worthless as I am, therefore there comes no suitor for either of us." The sal and the singi are Assamese fishes. The proverb is applied to young women who do not know how to weave and spin. (Assamese). The saucepan laughs at the pipkin. (French, Italian). The shovel insults the poker. (Russian). The shovel scoffs at the poker. (French). The sieve says to the needle, “You have a hole in your tail." (Bengalese). The sieve with a thousand holes finds fault with the sup. The "sup" is a basket used in sifting grain. (Behar). "Thou art a little bird," said the raven to the starling. (English). ALLIED PROVERBS At the foot of the lighthouse it is dark. (Japanese). A retort to a critic. (Japanese). Dirty nosed folk always want to wipe other folks' noses. (French). Do not ridicule the short and thin bearded as long as thou thyself are without a beard. This proverb is now obsolete. (Arabian). "Fly pride," says the peacock. (English). "God helps the fool," said the idiot. (English). He sees the speck in another's eye but does not the film in his own. (Hindustani). He sees not the beam in his own eye, he sees the fragments that are in the eyes of other people. The fragments referred to in the proverb are small pieces of straw. (Osmanli). He who has done eating will say, "He who eats at night is a sorcerer." (Oji-West African). It is said that a young palm leaf is laughing at the dry leaf because it is falling off. (Tamil). Let everyone sweep the snow from his own door and not busy himself with the frost on his neighbor's tiles. (Chinese). Man is blind to his own faults but keen sighted to perceive those of others. (Latin). Take the pestle from your own eye, then take the mote from another's. By pestle and mote the people of Western India intended to refer to a certain heavy wooden instrument commonly used by them in pounding and a very small blade of spear grass that is apt to adhere to the clothing. (Marathi). The blind of one eye perceives not the film on her own eye but sees the speck on another's. (Hindustani). The defects in the eyelash are not apparent to the eye. (Tamil). The kettle blackens the frying pan. (French). The kettle blackens the stove. (French). The man without clothes busying himself in making jackets for dogs. (Singalese). The mortar's complaint to a drug. (Malayan). The raven chides blackness. (English). "The roach has come out of the flour barrel," said the women of color who whitened their faces with rice powder. (Mauritius Creole). The vulture says that the civet cat stinks-the vulture is said to have a bad odor. (Ashanti). They know not their own defects who search for defects in others. (Sanskrit). They that live in glass houses should not throw stones. (English). Though he sees a splinter in people's eyes he does not see the beam that is in his own eye. (Osmanli). Throwing water at the buttocks of others when one's own are wet. (Assamese). We ourselves have dirty noses and yet are laughing at other people. (Marathi). When one inquired what the ugly man was doing—he was counting all the good looking people. (Telugu). When your house is of glass do not throw stones at your neighbor's house. (Kurdish). 82 THERE'S MANY A SLIP TWIXT THE CUP AND THE LIP This proverb is very old though it is not true that it "is probably the oldest of all familiar English sayings," as a writer has recently declared. It is believed to have originated in Greece and spread from that country to one district after another until it is now used in almost every land. The following story is said to have given rise to the saying, also to the French phrases: "Between the hand and the mouth the soup is often spilt" and "Wine poured out is not swallowed." Ancæos, the son of Poseidon, Supreme Lord of the sea, according to Greek mythology was a harsh man and acted toward his slaves with the greatest severity. At times he was so cruel that it seemed to them almost impossible to endure his treatment. Under the burden of his inhumanity one of them prophesied that he would never be permitted by the gods to taste again the wine from his vineyard. When the prophecy was repeated to him he laughed at the seer and continued his harsh treatment. Finally the season for wine-making returned and, when the grapes were gathered and pressed Ancæos called for a cup of the newly made beverage, repeating the prediction of the slave that he would never be permitted by the gods to drink. When the wine was brought he sent for the seer that he might in his presence drink thereof and jeer at him and taunt him for his foolish augury. The man came as he was ordered and Ancæos lifted the cup and repeated to him his prophecy. "There's many a slip twixt the cup and the lip," returned the slave. At that moment a messenger rushed into the room with the tidings that a large wild boar had entered the vineyard and was laying it waste. Ancæos quickly returned the glass to the table and ran out to stay the ravages of the boar and preserve his vines but the task was more difficult than he had thought. He was killed in his encounter with the animal and the slave-prophet's words became a proverb. "The ground of a certain rich man brought forth: and he reasoned within himself, saying, what shall I do because I have not where to bestow my fruits. And he said, this will I do: I will pull down my barns and build greater; and there will I bestow all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou foolish one, this night is thy soul required of thee, and the things which thou hast |