- English translation
Even trading one young donkey for another takes skill.
- Literal wording
The swapping of a donkey foal for a donkey foal is a craft.
- Meaning and lesson
On its face, handing over one young donkey, a foal rather than a grown animal, and receiving another looks like the most even-handed deal imaginable. The proverb insists otherwise: an exchange that appears effortless still calls for know-how, and treating it casually invites trouble.
The wider lesson reaches any barter or bargain. Whoever enters a trade without understanding and practiced judgment risks being shortchanged. Dealing well is a learned skill, and the saying mocks neither the traders nor calls anyone a donkey.
- When it is used
Suitable when someone dismisses a swap, trade, or bargain as effortless because the two sides seem equal. It cautions that getting fair value requires understanding, and that carelessness in even a modest exchange can leave a person on the losing end.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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