279. Quand yon bâtiment cassé ça pas empêché les zautt navigué. (Quand un bâtiment est cassé, ça n’empêche pas les autres de naviguer.)
“When a ship is broken (wrecked), the accident does not prevent others from sailing.”[116]—[Martinique.]
[116] There is a Portuguese proverb to the same effect: “Shipwrecks have never deterred navigation.”
280. Qui mêlé zefs nans calenda oûoches? (Qui a mêlé (mis) des œufs dans la calinda des roches [pierres.]?)
“What business have eggs in the calinda—i.e. dance—of stones?” (Calinda, said to be derived from the Spanish que linda!—“how beautiful!”)[117]—[Trinidad.]
[117] The author of Les Bambous mentions the bèlè, caleinda, guiouba and biguine, slave-dances of Martinique. Dansé yon caleinda marré (to dance the calinda or caleinda tied up) meant to receive a whipping.
281. Rann sévice baïll mal dos. (Rendre service donne mal au dos.)
“Doing favors gives one the back-ache.”—[Martinique.]
282. * Ratte mangé canne, zanzoli mouri innocent. (Le rat mange la canne-[à-sucre], le lézard en meurt.)
“’Tis the rat eats the cane; but the lizard dies for it.”[118]—[Louisiana.]