- English translation
When someone else is doing the hard work, another person makes a show of sympathy so that gratitude will be owed to them.
- Literal wording
“The cow is giving birth; why is the bull groaning?” He replies, “He is piling up favors.”
- Meaning and lesson
The saying accuses someone of making a dramatic show of concern for a person in distress while offering no practical help. Their apparent sympathy is presented as a calculated attempt to make the sufferer feel indebted.
Using figurative animal imagery rather than a literal comment on childbirth or animal behavior, it warns that kindness can become leverage when performed chiefly to create an obligation. Genuine support eases a burden; empty display may add pressure by demanding gratitude.
- When it is used
Use it critically when a bystander makes conspicuous, unhelpful gestures of concern in order to claim credit or hold them over the person facing the real difficulty. It is accusatory, implying that sympathy is being used to manufacture a debt of gratitude.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: When someone else is doing the hard work, another person makes a show of sympathy so that gratitude will be owed to them.