- English translation
When the pond runs dry, its tiny fry are laid bare.
- Literal wording
The pond dried up, and its little fish came into view.
- Meaning and lesson
Once the covering that kept something out of sight is gone, whatever lay underneath can no longer stay concealed. The image is of water draining from a pool until the tiny fish living in it are exposed on the muddy bottom for anyone to see.
The saying observes that disclosure works both ways: what comes to light may turn out to be worthy or worthless, so it does not always point to scandal or wrongdoing. It is a remark about revelation itself rather than a fixed judgment, noting that true character or real contents show once protective circumstances disappear.
- When it is used
Fits moments when a concealing condition such as wealth, authority, a crowd, or a favorable situation falls away and people's real qualities or a situation's hidden contents become plain to see, whether admirable or shameful.
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How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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