OUR STORY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 65, 16 April 1943, Page 6

OUR STORY

STORIES OF PROVERBS A proverb is a short, pithy, wise saying Avhich has. been taken into popular speech; sometimes it is called an adage, a word apt for use. In an old book, "Proverbs and Their Lessons," the writer points out that some sayings which have bfcome proverbs had their origin in remarkable happenings. • Here is one such: "There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip." This has. come to us from the oM Greeks. It is said that a wealthy man who owned a number of slaves Avhom lie. often treated with great cruclty, at one time set them to the task of laj'ing out and planting a vineyard. So badly did he treat the men engaged on this Avork that at 'length one, in desperation, cried out that the master, as a punishment, for his cruelty, should never drink of the Avine of the vineyard. When the first, season's wine Avas ready the master ordered this, particular slave to till for him a goblet of wine. Taking the wine, cup in his hand he taunted the slaA r e with the failure of his prophccy, upon Avhich the slaA r c replied. "There's many a slip 'tAA'ixt the cup and the lip." Exactly at. that mo--ment iicavs Avas brought that a great Avild boar Avas Avreclting the vineyard. Without having tasted the wine the master put. doAvn the cup, grasped a spear and ran out to drive olf the boar, but in attempting ta„ do this he himself was killed. Hence, it is Said, the slaAc'si word became a proverb, "There's many a slip 'twixt. the cup and the lip." A sayi'ng the truth of Avhich may be found in the Bible story of Hainan as told in the Book of Esther.