Proverbs Around the World

　In my high school days,/proverbs helped me a lot.// They come from people’s common experiences/and traditional knowledge.//
　One famous proverb/is “A friend in need/is a friend indeed.”// A true friend stands by you/when you have trouble.// Another proverb/is “Where there is a will,/there is a way.”// When you do something,/have a clear goal/and work hard.// Then/you reach the goal/in the end.//
　Proverbs often encourage us/when we need help.// Proverbs enrich our lives.//

　Proverbs often include animals.// Let’s look at some examples/from two countries.//
　The first one is from Thailand.// “Don’t ride an elephant/to catch a grasshopper.”// When you are doing a small job,/a big tool is not useful.// The second one is from Brazil.// “In a piranha-filled river,/an alligator swims backstroke.”// Before you get in trouble,/prepare for danger/and protect yourself.//
　Proverbs from different countries/often include familiar local animals.// Because of their images,/people easily understand the messages.//

　Proverbs often include flowers,/too.// Many of them/have positive meanings.//
　“All the flowers of tomorrow/are in the seeds of today”/is a proverb/from India.// In this proverb,/seeds indicate effort,/and flowers are the result/of the effort.// Today’s effort/leads to tomorrow’s success.// “Stop and smell the roses”/is from the US.// It means/that a change of pace/is important/in our busy lives.//
　Proverbs around the world/often show the values/in local people’s lives.// Proverbs are cultural treasures/of human beings.//