- English translation
When they asked Juha to count his flock, he answered: 'There's one lying down and one on its feet.'
- Literal wording
They said: 'O Juha, count your sheep.' He said: 'One sleeping and one standing.'
- Meaning and lesson
The humor comes from a mismatch between a serious request and a ridiculous answer. Asked to count his flock as if it were large, Juha, the stock figure of Arabic folk humor, simply names each of his two animals by its posture, a playful description rather than a riddle. The quantity is so obvious that counting becomes absurd.
The saying mocks the idea of carefully reckoning something tiny. It suits moments when a person treats a meager amount as though it needed tallying, or when someone wryly admits how little they own. The tone is teasing and self-aware rather than harsh.
- When it is used
Use this jokingly when someone asks for a tally, inventory, or breakdown of something so small that counting it is unnecessary. It fits light teasing about meager possessions, tiny groups, or modest results, including one's own.
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- Colloquial
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: When they asked Juha to count his flock, he answered: 'There's one lying down and one on its feet.'