proverb · Words worth keeping
When I have thatched his house he would throw me down.
When I have thatched his house he would throw me down.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A person may betray someone whose work helped them. The roof-thatching image makes ingratitude vivid by turning the helper’s position into a vulnerability.
Example
After providing agreed assistance, someone finds their confidence misused and limits further access while explaining the breach.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The worker provides shelter, then imagines being thrown down by the beneficiary. It can express disappointment when useful help is met with harm rather than appreciation. It does not show that helping others is usually foolish or entitles the helper to control the recipient. A useful reading recognises the specific breach and considers boundaries without abandoning fair, freely chosen generosity.
When to use it
Use it to describe a substantiated betrayal following assistance.
Keep in mind
Help does not buy obedience, and betrayal by one person does not justify general distrust.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their 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
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English