The wise duck keeps his mouth shut when he smells frogs.
A reputation for a thousand years may depend upon the conduct of a single moment.
He who thinks he is raising a mound may only in Reality be digging a pit.
How is it possible to suspend topaz in one cup of the balance and weigh it against amethyst in the other; or who in a single language can compare the tranquillizing grace of a maiden with the invigorating pleasure of witnessing a well-contested rat-fight?
One learns to itch where one can scratch.
When struck by a thunderbolt it is unnecessary to consult the Book of Dates as to the precise meaning of the omen.