Als de kat van huis is, dansen de muizen op tafel.
“When the cat is away, the mice dance on the table.”
People misbehave or take liberties once authority or supervision is absent.
— Traditional Netherlands Wisdom, Netherlands
Source: Traditional Netherlands proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Netherlands
The apple does not fall far from the tree.
Children tend to resemble their parents in character and behaviour.
He who does not honour the small is not worthy of the great.
If you cannot value small things you do not deserve big ones.
East, west, home is best.
No matter where you travel, your own home is the best place to be.
He who says A must also say B.
Once you begin something you must accept its consequences and finish it.
Even if a monkey wears a golden ring, it is and remains an ugly thing.
Outward finery cannot disguise a person's true nature or lack of worth.
Better one bird in the hand than ten in the sky.
A modest thing you securely possess is worth more than larger uncertain prospects.