HELPING HANDS

THERE’S an old Scots proverb that many in Scotland are fond of. It goes, “Mony a mickle maks a muckle”.

The spelling varies, but in essence it translates as “lots of little things make a big thing”.

A man might make a decent income by being good at many little jobs; lots of people doing a little bit to help someone adds up to that someone being helped in a big way.

And then there is the Russian version of that old saying which also expresses it subtly: “If everyone gave a thread, the poor man would have a shirt.”