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  What it means

  “The wolf carried off prey many times, but in the end they carried off the wolf.” Even the most successful predator or wrongdoer eventually meets their match. The hunter becomes the hunted.

  English equivalent

  The pitcher goes to the well once too often.

  Vocabulary

  • nosić — to carry (habitually)
  • wilk — wolf
  • razy kilka — several times
  • ponieść — to carry off, to bear away

  Grammar note

  'Nosił' is the imperfective past (habitual action). 'Ponieśli' is the perfective past plural ; the subject is an unspecified 'they'. 'I wilka' ; 'i' here means 'also/even', and 'wilka' is the accusative of 'wilk'.

  Cultural context

  A warning that repeated aggression or greed will eventually be punished. Often applied to bullies, thieves, or the overconfident.

  Intermediate

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