The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1904-06-10
USE OF THE PROYERB
COMMON TO ALL AGES AND NATIONS
FROM REMoTssT TINES.

The Way Similar IDEAS Have Taken
Root In Different LanEuages-Prov-
erbs on Luck Are Numerous ana
Impressive In All Countries.
Many proverbs have come down to
US from remote ages and are common
to all nations. 1t Is said that king
of Samos worked his slaves nearly to
death in making a vineyard. This pro-
voked one OF them to prophesy that his
master would never drink OF the wine.
The king. being told OF this, when the
first grapes were produced took hand
ful and, pressing the juice into cup
in, the presence of the slave. derlded
him as false prophet. MANY things
happen between the cup and the lip
the slave replied. Just then d shout
was raised that wild boar had bro
ken into the vineyard Tie king. with
out tasting, set down the cup. ran TO
meet 1t and was killed In the encoun.
Ter,
Henceforth the words of the slave
passed Into. proyerb. From this
Greek original came two French PROV
cribs, Between the hand and the month
the soup is often split and ,.wine
poured out is not swallowed" Neither
is SO near the original as our English,
There's many a slip 'twNt cup and
lip
It is curious to trace how similar
ideas have taken root in different Ian
guages and the various modes OF Illus
trating the same thought. To take. for
instance, one or two familiar proverbs
in our own language. We say, "a bird
in the hand is worth two In the bush"
The same idea is expressed by Italians
when they say. Better an egg today
than a pullet tomorrow" and the
French proverb is still more signifi..
cant, "0ne here-it-ls is better than two
you-shall-have-its." Better u leyeret
in the kitchen than Wild boar in the
forest" the Liyonian saying, conveys
the same meaning.
A well known proyerb IS, "where
there's q VIII there's way" which
signifies that IL man has but the
resolution he win make use of such
means as come to hand to attain his
object. The French counterpart of this
says He that has a good head does
not want Tor hats"
The proverbs on luck are numerous
and expressive in all languages. In
English we say. at is better TO be born
lucky than rich" The Arabs convey
the same idea in the apt proyerb,
Throw him into the Nile and he Will
come up with fish In his mouth"
while the Germans say. "If he flung
a penny on the roof dollar would
come back 10 him" A Spanish prov
erb says. God send you luck, my son.
and little wit viii serve you" There
Is a Latin adage, Fortune favors
FOOLS" and II is TO this Touchstone al
ludes In bis reply TO Jacques. Call me
not fool till heaven hath sent me for.
tune" The Germans say, Jack gets
on by his stupidity" and Fortune and
women are fond OF fools" There is
also Latin prOverb which shows that
the converse OF this holds good-"For-
tune makes fool OF him whom she
too much fayors."
There Is no doubt that much of what
is called success In life depends upon
getting well into the groove and
keeping there Some uniucky English
man IS responsible for the saying, III
my father had made me a halter, men
wou!d have been born without heads,r
but this can scarcely be called original
as an unfortunate Arab ages ago de.
clured. "lf | were to trade in winding
sheets no one would die" Ii Is to men
Of this stamp the French apply the
proverb. Fails on his back and breaks
his nose;" the Italians, "He would
break his neck over a straw"
"Misfortunes seldom come singly''
has many equivalents in all languages
The Spaniards say. Welcome. misfor-
tnns, II thou CONTEST alone" and awhith-
er goest thou. misfortune-to where
there is morc?" The Italians have nu-
merous proverbs In the same strain
'one III calls another" "a misfortune
and friar are seldom alone" The
came applies also TO good fortune. 1t
never rains but It pours." or, as the
Arabs say. IF the wind blows, 1t en-
tiers at every crevice." 'He that is
down, down with him." has It's coun-
terpart in all countries. "He that falls
all the world runs over is the German
mode OF saying it. and the Portuguese
proyerb runs. "Ail bite the bitten dog"
while the French equivalent is, when
dog is drowning. every body brings
him drink"
But there IS Spanish proverb we
shall do well 90 remember. They say
Of tedious writer. He leaves no ink
in his inkpot." 1t is impossible In an
article Of this length to more than
touch the fringe OF this wide subject.
Referring as they do to almost every
range OF human concern and necessa-
rily associated with the literature OF
every period. proverbs have helped to
preserve the memory OF events and
Ideas which otherwise would have been
forgotten. The student win find they
are abundantly capable OF yielding
most interesting information.