proverb · Words worth keeping
Kill not the goose that lays the golden egg.
Kill not the goose that lays the golden egg.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying warns against killing a goose that lays golden eggs. It asks that an ongoing source of benefit not be destroyed.
What the words are saying
The impossible golden-egg image makes repeated provision vivid. A responsible application considers sustainability without equating a person with an exploitable resource. The phrase does not establish a real animal, a guaranteed stream of profit or an exact historical origin.
Everyday example
A group considers whether a short-term demand would damage the resource its work depends on.
When to use it
Use it to discuss preserving a source of benefit with dignity retained.
What it does not mean
No real golden-egg animal, guaranteed profit or permission to exploit people is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 769; PDF page 110
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.