Yu no go mɛso snek te i dai.
“You cannot measure a snake until it is dead.”
A dangerous or uncertain matter can only be judged once it is fully over.
— Traditional Sierra Leone Wisdom, Sierra Leone
Source: Traditional Sierra Leone proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Sierra Leone
A stone by the waterside is not afraid of the rain.
A person already toughened by hardship is no longer troubled by more of the same.
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A neck that has not been broken will one day wear a necklace.
One who endures without giving up will eventually be rewarded.
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When the leopard has a toothache, that is when the goat can go collect its debt.
Take the chance to act when someone who usually threatens you is weakened.
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The frog has no teeth, but if you put your hand in its mouth, it will still bite you.
Even those who appear powerless can defend themselves if provoked.
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Being tired is not the same as being lazy.
Do not confuse the exhaustion of hard work with unwillingness to work.
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A laughing mouth never fans the fire.
Idle talk and laughter do not get the real work done.
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