“The crab does not bite; it is its handshake that hurts.”
Harm does not always come with an obvious attack — sometimes it hides inside a friendly gesture.
— Traditional Mozambique Wisdom, Mozambique
Source: Traditional Mozambique proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Mozambique
You cannot dance well on only one leg.
Balance and full commitment are needed to do anything properly.
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Slander spoken by the stream will be heard by the frogs.
Gossip and secrets always spread; nothing said in the open truly stays hidden.
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On a dead tree there are no monkeys.
People gather where there is life and opportunity, not around what has already failed.
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If you do not travel, you will marry your own sister.
Leaving home to see the wider world is essential; those who never leave stay narrow and limited.
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A snake that you can see does not bite.
A visible, acknowledged danger can be managed; it is the hidden threat that harms you.
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Witch doctors do not sell their potions to each other.
True experts recognize their own kind and do not need to trade among themselves.
Traditional Mozambique Wisdom
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