[103] The sound of the French eu is rarely preserved in Creole. L’heure becomes lhère; peu, becomes pè. The Creole-speaking negro says, Yonne, dé, tois, quate, nèf, instead of “un, deux, trois, quatre, neuf.”
248. * Pranne garde vaut miè passé mandé pardon. (Prendre garde vaut mieux que demander pardon.)
“It is better to take care beforehand than to ask pardon afterward.”—[Louisiana.]
249. Ptit lasoif ptit coco, grand lasoif grand coco. (Petite soif, petit coco; grande soif, grand coco.)
“Little thirst, a little cocoa-nut; big thirst, a big cocoa-nut.”[104]—[Mauritius.]
[104] Like the old country saying: “Big horse, big feed.” The cocoa-nut shell was formerly the slave’s drinking cup in Mauritius.
250. Ptit mie tombe, ramassé li; Chrétien tombe, pas ramassé li. (Quand une petite mie tombe, on la ramasse; quand un Chrétien tombe, on ne le ramasse pas [i.e., on ne l’aide pas à se relever].)
“If a little crumb falls, it is picked up; if a Christian falls, he is not picked up.”—[Hayti.]
251. * Quand bois tombé, cabri monté. (Quand l’arbre tombe, le cabri monte.)
“When the tree falls, the kid can climb it.”—[105][Louisiana.]