- English translation
He got away from the bear only to tumble into the death pit.
- Literal wording
He was saved from the bear and fell into the pit.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying describes a person who gets clear of one danger only to drop straight into a greater one. The relief of escaping is brief, and the new predicament proves deeper and harder to climb out of than the threat that came before.
The imagery escalates on purpose. The bear is a fierce animal, but the pit here is not just any hole: it is a deep well kept at rulers' premises for casting in people condemned to die. The paired spoken forms dibb and jibb rhyme, making the line compact and memorable.
- When it is used
Say it of someone whose escape from one trouble landed them in a harsher one, such as leaving a bad job for a worse employer. It suits a rueful comment after the fact, or a warning to someone about to flee a problem without thinking ahead.
- Register
- colloquial
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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