Ada gula, ada semut.
“Where there is sugar, there are ants.”
People are naturally drawn to wherever wealth or benefit can be found.
— Traditional Cocos Malay Wisdom, Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Source: Traditional Malay proverb, shared regional heritage of the Cocos Malay community, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Like the bamboo and the riverbank.
Two parties depend on and protect one another, each strengthening the other.
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Little by little, in time it becomes a hill.
Small, steady efforts accumulate into something great over time.
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The elephant's liver is shared together, the germ's liver is shared together.
Whether the gain is great or small, it should be divided fairly among everyone.
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Heavy things are carried together, light things are carried together.
Every burden and every joy in life should be shared between people who stand together.
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To bend the bamboo, start while it is still a shoot.
Children should be guided and shaped while they are still young.
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Like a frog beneath a coconut shell.
A person with a narrow, sheltered view of the world thinks their small corner is all there is.
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