Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.
Note: Obviously, the English borrowed this proverb from the Irish. This reminds us of the story about the travelling salesman who was driving through the Irish countryside. Suddenly he heard a thump. Immediately, he stopped the car and got out to see what had happened. To his utter chagrin, he realized he had killed someone’s prize rooster. Looking down the road, he saw a woman hanging wash in front of her house. He approached the woman with the rooster’s corpse in his hand. He said, “I’m sorry, a Bhean Uasal. I killed you rooster and I’d like to replace him.” “Suit yourself,” said the woman, “the hen house is in the back.”
