1. Dead flies in perfume make it stink, And a little foolishness decomposes much wisdom.

2. Wise thinking leads to right living; Stupid thinking leads to wrong living.

3. Fools on the road have no sense of direction. The way they walk tells the story: "There goes the fool again!"

4. If a ruler loses his temper against you, don't panic; A calm disposition quiets intemperate rage.

5. Here's a piece of bad business I've seen on this earth, An error that can be blamed on whoever is in charge:

6. Immaturity is given a place of prominence, While maturity is made to take a back seat.

7. I've seen unproven upstarts riding in style, While experienced veterans are put out to pasture.

8. Caution: The trap you set might catch you. Warning: Your accomplice in crime might double-cross you.

9. Safety first: Quarrying stones is dangerous. Be alert: Felling trees is hazardous.

10. Remember: The duller the ax the harder the work; Use your head: The more brains, the less muscle.

11. If the snake bites before it's been charmed, What's the point in then sending for the charmer?

12. The words of a wise person are gracious. The talk of a fool self-destructs--

13. He starts out talking nonsense And ends up spouting insanity and evil.

14. Fools talk way too much, Chattering stuff they know nothing about.

15. A decent day's work so fatigues fools That they can't find their way back to town.

16. Unlucky the land whose king is a young pup, And whose princes party all night.

17. Lucky the land whose king is mature, Where the princes behave themselves And don't drink themselves silly.

18. A shiftless man lives in a tumbledown shack; A lazy woman ends up with a leaky roof.

19. Laughter and bread go together, And wine gives sparkle to life-- But it's money that makes the world go around.

20. Don't bad-mouth your leaders, not even under your breath, And don't abuse your betters, even in the privacy of your home. Loose talk has a way of getting picked up and spread around. Little birds drop the crumbs of your gossip far and wide.