A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

mountains are high and the emperor is far away.’ 1995 New York Times 4 Dec. (online) A

foreigner who spends two weeks in the region quickly learns that autonomy has its limits.

Granted.. many Uighur traditions are tolerated. Married couples are legally permitted

two rather than one child per family, the limit elsewhere in China, and those leading a

nomadic life have no limits. This is illustrative of an oft-heard saying, ‘The mountains

are high and the emperor is far away.’ 2003 R. FISKE Political Corruption 81 Often in

the provinces during the classical communist period it had been said with a shrug that

‘shan gao huangdi yuan’, or ‘the mountains are high and the Emperor is far away.’

independence; power; rulers and ruled

A MOUSE may help a lion

The proverb alludes to Aesop’s fable of the lion and the rat, which is told by Caxton in
Fables (1484) 40.

1563 Mirror for Magistrates (1938) 274 The mouse may sometyme help the Lyon in

nede. .. O prynces seke no foes. 1732 T. FULLER Gnomologia no. 264 A Lyon may come

to be beholding to a Mouse. 1842 MARRYAT Percival Keene I. xvii. A mouse may help

a lion, as the fable says. 1935 J. BUCHAN House of Four Winds xi. I only offer to show

my gratitude by doing what I can... A mouse may help a lion. assistance; great and

small

mouse see also ONE for the mouse, one for the crow; also MICE.

mouth see out of the FULLNESS of the heart the mouth speaks; never look a GIFT horse
in the mouth; GOD never sends mouths but He sends meat; a SHUT mouth catches no flies; a
SOW may whistle, though it has an ill mouth for it.

Out of the MOUTHS of babes-Young children may speak disconcertingly wisely or aptly
at times. The proverb is used in a variety of abbreviated and allusive forms, often without a
knowledge of the complete biblical quotations (both AV): PSALMS viii. 2 Out of the mouth of
babes and sucklings hath thou ordained strength; MATTHEW xxi. 16 Jesus saith unto them
[the Pharisees], Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast
perfected praise.

1899 R. KIPLING Stalky & Co. II In the present state of education I shouldn’t have

thought any three boys would be well enough grounded... But out of the mouths—.

1906 - Puck of Pook’s Hill 285 Out of the mouths of babes do we learn. 1979 ‘C. AIRD’

Some die Eloquent xviii. It was something Crosby said. .. ‘About the source of the