Page:Shetland Folk-Lore - Spence - 1899.pdf/220



This refers to the person that dislikes to borrow, who, rather than ask for his neighbour's hammer, will drive his nail with the crook or even a stone.

Often the man most willing to help lacked the power or the means to do so, and this is very comprehensively expressed in the following proverb:

Again:

This has a different meaning. The “riven sleeve” here refers to something one would hide, as a fault; hence one must not be censorious of the shortcomings of others who have similar failings.