288. Sac vide pas ka tienne douboutt. (Un sac vide ne peut pas se tenir debout.)
"An empty sack cannot stand up." One cannot work with an empty stomach.--[_Martinique._]
289. Sèpent dit li pas rhaï mounn-la qui cué li; c'est ça qui dit, "Mi sèpent!" (Le serpent dit qu'il ne hait pas la personne qui le tue; que c'est celle qui dit, "Voilà le serpent!")
"The snake says he doesn't hate the person who kills him, but the one who calls out, 'Look at the snake!'"--[_Martinique._]
290. Serin dérobé; maille bengali. (Le serin se derobe; prenez le bengali.)
"When the canary can't be found, take the bengalee." When you can't find what you like, be content with what you can get.--[_Mauritius._]
291. Si coulev oûlé viv, li pas prouminée grand-chimin. (Si la couleuvre veut vivre, elle ne se promène pas dans le grand chemin).
"If the snake cares to live, it doesn't journey upon the high-road."--[_Guyana._]
292. Si coulève pas té fonté,[121] femmes sé pouend li fair ribans jipes. (Si la couleuvre n'était pas effrontée, les femmes la prendraient pour en faire des rubans de jupes).
"If the snake wasn't spunky, women would use it for petticoat strings."--[_Trinidad._]
[121] _Fonté_ (for _effronté_) has quite an extensive meaning in Creole. It may refer to the impudence of a badly-brought-up child, or to the over-familiarity on the part of an adult; but it may also refer to high spirit, pluck, independence of manner. A colored mother once told me I should be surprised to see how _fonté_ her son had become since he had been going to school. She meant, of course, that the lad was growing "smart," active, plucky.
293. Si crapaud dîe ous caïman tini mal ziex, coèr-li. (Si le crapaud vous dit que le caïman a mal aux yeux, croyez-le).
"If the frog tells you the alligator has sore eyes, believe him!"[122]--[_Trinidad._]
[122] Similarity of habits and of experience is necessary to guarantee the trustworthiness or testimony regarding those we do not know.
294. Si jipon ou k'allé bien, pas chaché mette kilott nhomme ou. (Si votre jupon vous va bien, ne cherchez pas à mettre la culotte de votre mari.)
"If your petticoat fits you well, don't try to put on your husband's breeches."--[_Martinique._]
295. * Si lamèr té bouilli, poissons sré tchuite. (Si la mer bouillait, les poissons seraient cuits).