254. Quand cannari pas bouï pou ou, ou donè janmain découvri li. (Quand le pôt ne bout pas pour vous, vous ne devez jamais le découvrir.)
"When the pot won't boil for you, you must never take the lid off."[108]--[_Martinique._]
[108] "Watched pot never boils." The _canari_ was a clay pot as the following Creole refrain testifies:
Ya pas bouillon pou vous, macommère; Canari cassé dans difé (bis). Bouillon renvèrsé dans difé Ya pas bouillon pou vous, macommère Canari cassé dans difé.
["There's no soup for you, my gossipping friend; the pot's broken in the fire; the soup is spilled in the fire," etc.]
255. Quand canon causé, fisil honté. (Quand le canon parle, le fusil a honte.)
"When the cannon speaks, the gun is ashamed."--[_Mauritius._]
256. Quand diabe alle lamesse li caciétte so laquée. (Quand le diable va à la messe, il cache sa queue.)
"When the Devil goes to mass he hides his tail."--[_Mauritius._]
257. Quand diabe voulé prend vous li cause bondié av vous. (Quand le diable veut vous prendre il vous parle de Bon Dieu.)
"When the devil wants to get hold of you, he chats to you about God." Lit.: "He talks _Good God_ to you."--[_Mauritius._]
258. Quand done vous bourique vous pas bisoin guétte so labride. (Quand on vous donne un âne, vous ne devez pas regarder sa bride.)
"When somebody gives you a donkey, you musn't examine the bridle."--Never look a gift-horse in the mouth.--[_Mauritius._]
259. Quand femme léve so robe diabe guétte so lazambe. (Quand une femme relève sa robe le diable regarde sa jambe.)
"When a woman lifts her dress, the devil looks at her leg."--[_Mauritius._]
260. Quand gagne larmoire napas quétte côffe. (Quand on a l'armoire on ne regarde pas le coffre.)
"As soon as one gets a clothes-press, one never looks at the trunk."[109]--[_Mauritius._]
[109] A wooden chest or trunk is the first desideratum of the negro housewife. As soon as the family is able to purchase a clothes-press, or (as we call it in Louisiana) "armoire," it is considered quite a prosperous household by Mauritian colored folk. The chest, Baissac tells us, is the clothes-press of the poor. "After the bed comes the chest, and next the accordeon!"
261. Quand lamôrt vini, vous pense vous lavie. (Quand la mort vient, vous pensez à vôtre vie.)