THE COMPANY THAT WE KEEP
“Those who lie down with dogs will rise up with fleas.” An old saying E very week, I prominently display a new quote or a saying in my classroom. I believe, that many of my young students read them, and, hopefully, try to take home the message these quotes and sayings try to convey. I am, also, quite conscious of the reality, that there are some, who just choose to overlook these quotes and sayings, leave alone trying to take home their message… Today’s old saying was: “Those who lie down with dogs will rise up with fleas.” O ne of my students, apparently a dog-lover, felt a bit offended. “Sir, what does this saying mean? Is it not very derogatory? My entire family loves to lie down next to our dog… and, we all love it. We do not have any problem with that.” Another student of mine, the friend of this boy, tried to intervene. “ Arey yaar , just as some dogs have fleas and some dogs don’t, some of our friends have fleas and some don’t. We...