Mauritanian Proverbs
Sayings of Mauritanian origin A stone from the hand of a friend is an apple. Open your mouth before you eat. One must talk little, and listen a lot. He who has no spoon will burn his hands. A donkey which goes to grow horns returns with its ears cut off. Not all the flowers of a tree produce fruit. It is only the water that is spilled; the bowl is not broken! A cutting word is worse than a bowstring; a cut may heal but the cut of the tongue does not. He who loves money must labor. To manage yourself, use your head; to manage others, use your heart. Too large a morsel chokes the child. If you watch your pot, your food will not burn. Two eyes see better than one. The sheep that wants to grow a long horn must have a strong skull. Not all the tree's blossoms will bear fruit. He whose clothes are too fine, shall go about in rags. Before eating, open your mouth. Before one cooks, one must have the meat. He who begins a conversation does not foresee t...