Never sell the bear's skin before one has killed the beast.
• Book V (1668), fable 20.
• Book V (1668), fable 20.
“
Il ne faut jamais
Vendre la peau de l'ours qu'on ne l'ait mis par terre.
— Jean de La Fontaine
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Il ne faut jamais
Vendre la peau de l'ours qu'on ne l'ait mis par terre." in the context of "Never sell the bear's skin before one has killed the beast.
• Book V (1668), fable 20." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Jean de La Fontaine" (Quotes, Fables (1668–1679), Book V)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Jean de La Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine (July 8 1621 – April 13 1695) is a famous French fabulist and the most widely read French poet of the 17th century.
About Jean de La Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine (July 8 1621 – April 13 1695) is a famous French fabulist and the most widely read French poet of the 17th century.
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