1: Dead flies in perfume make it stink, And a little foolishness decomposes much wisdom.
2: Wise thinking leads to right living; Stupid thinking leads to wrong living.
3: Fools on the road have no sense of direction. The way they walk tells the story: "There goes the fool again!"
4: If a ruler loses his temper against you, don't panic; A calm disposition quiets intemperate rage. [JC]
5: Here's a piece of bad business I've seen on this earth, An error that can be blamed on whoever is in charge:
6: Immaturity is given a place of prominence, While maturity is made to take a back seat.
7: I've seen unproven upstarts riding in style, While experienced veterans are put out to pasture. [JC]
8: Caution: The trap you set might catch you. Warning: Your accomplice in crime might double-cross you.
9: Safety first: Quarrying stones is dangerous. Be alert: Felling trees is hazardous.
10: Remember: The duller the ax the harder the work; Use your head: The more brains, the less muscle.
11: If the snake bites before it's been charmed, What's the point in then sending for the charmer? [JC]
12: The words of a wise person are gracious. The talk of a fool self-destructs--
13: He starts out talking nonsense And ends up spouting insanity and evil.
14: Fools talk way too much, Chattering stuff they know nothing about.
15: A decent day's work so fatigues fools That they can't find their way back to town. [JC]
16: Unlucky the land whose king is a young pup, And whose princes party all night.
17: Lucky the land whose king is mature, Where the princes behave themselves And don't drink themselves silly. [JC]
18: A shiftless man lives in a tumbledown shack; A lazy woman ends up with a leaky roof.
19: Laughter and bread go together, And wine gives sparkle to life--But it's money that makes the world go around.
20: Don't bad-mouth your leaders, not even under your breath, And don't abuse your betters, even in the privacy of your home. Loose talk has a way of getting picked up and spread around. Little birds drop the crumbs of your gossip far and wide.