A shoulder pole carelessly loaded — both loads will fall off
Sleep on firewood and taste gall（卧薪尝胆）
A crab carrying a pea—crawling and rolling
Look for a noble steed according to its description |
When the loads at the ends of a shoulder pole are not attached properly, they will fall off. This expression is used to allude negatively to those who want to kill two birds with one stone, only to lose both birds eventually.
Source: 100 Chinese Two-Part Allegorical Sayings |
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