Directions

The Camiroi have a corpus of proverbs. We came on them in Archives, along with an attached machine with a hundred levers on it. We depressed the lever marked Earth English, and had a sampling of these proverbs put into Earth context.
A man will not become rich by raising goats, the machine issued. Yes, that could pass for an Earth proverb. It almost seems to mean something.
Even buzzards sometimes gag. That has an Earth sound also.
It's that or pluck chickens.
"I don't believe I understand that one, " I said.
"You think it's easy to put these in Earth context, you try it sometime," the translation machine issued. "The proverb applies to distasteful but necessary tasks."
"Ah, well, let's try some more," said Paul Piggott. "That one."
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, the machine issued abruptly.
"But that is an Earth proverb word for word," I said.
"You wait until I finish it, lady," the translation machine growled. "To this proverb in its classical form is always appended a cartoon showing a bird fluttering away and a man angrily wiping his hand with some disposable material while he says, 'A bird in the hand is not worth two in the bush.'"
"Are we being had by a machine?" our leader Charles Chosky asked softly.
"Give us that proverb there," I pointed out one to the machine.
There'll be many a dry eye here when you leave, the machine issued.
We left.

- - R.A. Lafferty

Today's earrings: compasses

Bedtime reading: "Polity and Custom of the Camiroi," R.A. Lafferty