Don’t Ask


“If a crocodile buys a pair of trousers,  don’t ask where he puts his tail.”

or

“Si le crocodile achète un pantalon, c’est qu’il a trouvé où mettre sa queue.”

Supposedly a Bambara proverb, that’s more literally “…he’s already figured out where to put his tail”, so don’t ask.  He’s thought this out, and if you’re wise you’ll just steer clear.  It was a headline on a Tuareg blog about the President of Niger.  I’m guessing it wasn’t supposed to be flattering, but I can’t help but think of the Toucouleur saying: “If you live in the river, don’t make enemies of the crocodiles.”

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