“Like searching for feathers on a tortoise.”
Describes searching for something that does not exist and never will.
— Traditional Sri Lanka Wisdom, Sri Lanka
Source: Traditional Sri Lankan proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Sri Lanka
A pot that is completely full makes no noise when shaken; a pot only half full rattles loudly.
People with little real knowledge tend to talk the loudest, while those who are truly wise and well-informed stay calm and say little.
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You cannot swallow a medicine pill without your own throat knowing it.
A person cannot hide the truth about their own actions from themselves.
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Whatever is thrown up into the air must come back down to the ground.
Anything, or anyone, that rises too high or too fast will eventually fall back down.
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To the slender loris, her own baby looks like a precious gem.
What appears worthless or plain to others can be dearly precious to the one who loves it.
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The bird that keeps jumping from branch to branch to escape the rain ends up soaked through and dies.
Constantly running from a problem instead of facing it directly usually causes greater harm in the end.
Traditional Sri Lanka Wisdom
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What use is the light of a lamp to a person who cannot see?
A gift or piece of advice is wasted on someone who has no way to make use of it.
Traditional Sri Lanka Wisdom
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