II. ORIGIN OF PROVERBS Some proverbs doubtless came from old fables that were told from age to age; others may have had their origin in some real happening. There is a Chinese proverb which says: "Better go home and make a net than sit by a river wishing for fish." Might not that proverb have come from some such incident as the following? One day as Confucius was on a journey he saw a man sitting idle beside a river. 66 Why do you sit idle by the waters?" asked Confucius. "I am watching the fish. There are so many of them and they are so large. How I wish I had one for my dinner!" replied the man. "Foolish one!" answered Confucius, "better go home and make a net than sit by the river wishing.” From the list of proverbs given below, select one and tell how you think it may have come to be made. 1. Nothing is lost on a journey by stopping to feed your horse. 2. Willing comes before working. 3. Step by step one gets to Rome. SPANISH ITALIAN 4. A bear never knows until he is muzzled how many people are not afraid of him. ORIGIN OF PROVERBS 5. Truly polite is always polite. 307 6. Greatness alone is not enough, or the cow would outrun the hare. GERMAN 7. 'Tis not what we have but what we enjoy that makes us happy. 8. A fine cage won't feed the bird. 9. Welcome is the best dish on the table. 10. Sell not the bear's skin until you have caught the bear. 11. He who begins many things finishes few. 12. He that would have fruit must climb the tree. 13. Little leaks sink great ships. 14. Destroy the lion while he is a whelp. 15. Cowards are cruel, but the brave love mercy and delight to save. 16. Better go around than fall in the ditch. SPANISH 17. Before you cross the river, look out for the crocodile. AFRICAN Here is another old proverb in rhyme. Read it before you begin work. When about to put your thoughts in ink, When you have selected your proverb, "stop and think" your story through before writing. III. THE WIDER MEANING OF PROVERBS While many proverbs may have had their origin in one story or particular happening, their teaching applies to many different circumstances and conditions. For example, the Chinese proverb quoted in the last lesson, "Better go home and make a net than sit by the river and wish," means it is always better to get to work and to do something than to sit and wish. Here are a few proverbs, with suggestions of their possible origin and explanations of their larger meanings : 1. If you don't aim high, you will never hit high. Originally this may have referred to shooting with bow and arrow. Now it means that unless one sets a high standard for himself, he never will reach excellence in any endeavor. 2. He who goes with wolves, learns to howl. - SPANISH When written, this may have meant that dogs who ran away and lived with wolves, learned the ways of the wolves and howled like them. The wider meaning is that a person grows like those with whom he lives. 3. A pig that has two owners is sure to die of hunger. MAKING PROVERB STORIES 309 Perhaps two men were owners of a pig and each depended on the other to feed it, with the result that the pig died. The wider meaning of the proverb is found in another proverb, "Everybody's business is nobody's business." What is the wider meaning of each of the following proverbs? 4. Two captains sink the ship. 5. None preaches better than the ant, and she says nothing. -FRANKLIN 6. If you can't fly, crawl. 7. Drop by drop wears away the stone. 8. "All the world talks of its shoes," says the cobbler. 9. When we go for berries, we must not retreat for briers. 10. If I have lost my ring, I still have my finger. 11. He that would eat the kernel must crack the nut. - PLAUTUS 12. He who tastes every man's broth, sometimes burns his mouth. DANISH 13. Said the sieve to the needle, "You have a hole in your head." IV. BENGALESE MAKING PROVERB STORIES A scalded dog is afraid of cold water. The above proverb may have had its origin in a true incident. By accident or by cruel design, a dog may have had some hot water spilled over him. After that, he ran whenever he saw anyone about to throw out even cold water, fearing he might be burned. From the following, or from original topics, make up stories that illustrate the above proverb: (1) The Baby and the Stove (Hot stove cold stove) (2) The Dog and his Medicine (Spoonful of medicine - spoonful of water) (3) The Bear and the Porridge Pot (A camping story) (4) The Baby and the Bee (Baby thought it was a fly) (5) The Monkey and the Firecracker (Monkey thought it was a lighted cigarette) Try to make the title and the first sentence of your story interesting, so that your audience will want to hear the whole story. If you choose the fifth topic, you may take for your title, A Bad Habit Cured. Then the story might begin : A monkey who had acquired the bad habit of smoking cigarettes, one day found what he thought a great treat. "A cigarette! and already lighted! How lucky I |