Rodgers Dictionary of Proverbs
If you meet a red-haired woman, you'll meet
a crowd.
If you mentioned the wolf you better
prepare the stick.
If you must battle your enemy, hit him
where it hurts him most.
If you must be a servant, serve the rich; if
you must be a dog, let it be a temple dog.
If you must negotiate, watch your enemy's
eyes.
If you must play, decide on three things at
the start: the rules of the game, the
stakes, and the quitting time
If you need ears go and borrow them from
the elephant.
If you neglect the pot, it boils over and
extinguishes the fire.
If you never climb Mt. Fuji, you’re a fool,
and if you climb it more than once,
you’re a crazy fool.
If you never go up a hill, you will never
know what a plain is like.
If you notice a growing stalk that can pierce
your eye, you uproot it, you don’t
sharpen it.
If you observe attentively you will even find
wisdom in shadows.
If you offend, ask for pardon; if offended,
forgive.
If you offer to share your seat with a person
who has a big bottom your bound to lose
it completely.
If you only depend on others, you will soon
go hungry.
If you open the eyes of a blind man he
wants to go back to the darkness.
If you opress who is below you then you
won't be safe from the punishment of
who is above you.
If you owe 10,000 dollars, you are a
customer of the bank. If you owe 100
million dollars, the bank is a customer of
yours.
If you own two houses, it's raining in one of
them.
If you pay homage to the man on top, others
will pay homage to you when it's your
330
turn to be on top.
If you pay not a servant his wages then he
will pay himself.
If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.
If you pay what you owe, what you're
worth you'll know.
If you persevere, you'll have stew.
If you plan for a year, plant kalo. If you plan
for ten years, plant koa. If you plan for
one-hundred years, teach the children.
If you plant grass, you won't get rice.
If you plant melons , you get melons; if you
plant beans, you get beans.
If you plant olives but do not prune the tree,
your oil will be good for only donkeys.
If you plant, you harvest.
If you play with a cat, you must not mind
her scratch.
If you play with fire you get burnt.
If you play with the fool at home, he will
play with you abroad.
If you point one accusing finger at others,
three fingers will point at you.
If you pray for another, you will be helped
yourself.
If you prune in April you'll fill your barrels
not with wine, but with water.
If you prune in March you're either a jackass
or crazy.
If you pull one pig by the tail all the rest
squeak.
If you put a bone in the dog's mouth it
doesn't bark.
If you put a razor in your mouth, you will
spit blood.
If you put a rope around your neck, many
people will be glad to drag you by it.
If you put a silk dress on a goat, he is a goat
still.
If you put a silk suit on a goat it is still a
goat.
If you put in you can take out.
If you put out another's candle, you also will
be in the dark.
If you put seeds where there are rushes you
won't gather toasties.