He that is won with a nut may be lost with an apple

This is a caution against bought friends. If you seek to make friends by doing people favors they will not be sincere - just value you for what they can get out of you.

The best way to make friends is by being yourself and letting others see what they have in common with you. There might be a tactical short term value in sucking up to someone but long term they will be of little consequence. If you have a disagreeable personality it might be worth considering what your problem is and finding a fix. Having a few good friends is better than a lot of insincere ones.

If people only like you for what they can get they will quickly change allegiance when a better offer appears. In other words they will tell you what to do with your nuts.


Escape for a while from everyday reality with this verse adventure story from James Hogg abridged by William Clark.
Queen Hynde of Berigonium, Scotland by James Hogg & William Clark