The light that burns twice as bright, burns half as long.

Though there are exceptions to this rule, as I found out while exploring the truth of it.
Having just witnessed a demonstration of the awesome brilliance of magnesium ribbon when set aflame, I decided to procure some for myself for experimentation at home. Deciding that hidden away in my bedroom would be the ideal venue for my venture, it took the fire brigade five hours to douse the resulting flames.

Maybe we should take these things with a pinch of salt?

Don't put all your legs into one basket.

A chilling warning, offered by a publican friend of mine after making this mistake, one lunchtime, in his pub. The next person that ordered 'chicken-in-a-basket' ended up with a basket full of breast.
To make things worse, he tried to mask his mistake by playing his Dolly Parton CD on the pub stereo, claiming that he'd prepared the meal to celebrate a 'basket-case full of breast'.

I don't think anyone believed him!

People who live in grass houses....

...shouldn't stow thrones.
At least, that would be the experience of Flat Hat, Bob Ndinglo, chief of Bongor, Chad, known to his friends as Bongor Rejig, after buying a new throne for his grass hut and deciding to store the old one in his loft. Unfortunately, Bob had stored the old throne directly above his new one and when the ceiling collapsed under the weight, both were destroyed and had to be throne away.

A lesson to us all, perhaps!