RP106 We' re Animals Too, After All

 RP106 We' re Animals Too, After All

Animals symbolize many different things. In proverbs, they can represent people, our characteristics, or other elements of our lives.

“Don't count your chickens before they' re hatched.” uses chickens to represent opportunities. It reminds us not to be too sure of something that we don't have yet. The hen may have laid ten eggs, but until they hatch she doesn't know how many chickens there are. “A bird in hand is worth two in the bush” means what we have is more valuable than what we desire. It tells people who always want more out of life to be satisfied with what is already theirs. On the other hand,“ The early bird catches the worm.” This proverb warns us that good things will pass us by if we' re too lazy to go after them.

Sometimes, however, we just have to give up on people. “A leopard can't change his spots” means that although a person's behavior may change, his character won't. We all know someone like that, don't we?

Sayings about animals can also include people, or compare us with other creatures. If you “hear it from the horse's mouth,” you get information from someone directly involved in a situation. To “have a tiger by the tail” means you have done something bad to someone who can do something worse to you! And if you are “drawn like a moth to a flame,” you' re hopelessly attracted to something— or someone— dangerous. Anyone who's fallen in love should appreciate that!

By using animals, proverbs can teach us lessons in a subtle, indirect way. Animal proverbs also remind us that people are part of the natural world. We may think we' re special, but these sayings show us that we often behave in the same ways as other beings.