A man had a beautiful young wife who passed away, but her elderly mother, due to the terms of the dowry, remained in his house. The man was deeply troubled by her presence, but saw no way to escape living with her. One day, a group of his acquaintances came to visit and offer their condolences.
One of them asked, “How are you faring after the loss of your beloved wife?”
He replied, “The absence of my wife is not as difficult for me as the presence of my mother-in-law.”
The rose was plundered, but the thorn remained.
The treasure was taken, but the snake remained.
Seeing one’s eyes atop the tip of a spear
Is sweeter than seeing the face of an enemy.
It is better to sever ties with a thousand friends
Than to have even one enemy in your sight.
