kukas kissan hännän nostaa, ellei kissa itse

== Finnish == === Alternative forms === kuka kissan hännän nostaa, ellei kissa itse; kuka se kissan hännän nostaa, ellei kissa itse === Etymology === A variant can be found in Henrik Florinus: Wanhain suomalaisten tawaliset ja suloiset sananlascut ("The Proper and Graceful Proverbs of the Old Finns", 1702): Cuca coiran haͤnnaͤn noſta, jos ei haͤn itze? Compare Estonian kes ikka kassi saba kergitab, kui mitte kass ise; Latvian kas kaķim asti cels, ja pats necels. === Proverb === kukas kissan hännän nostaa, ellei kissa itse? (literally, “who would raise the cat's tail if not the cat itself”) One is allowed to be proud of one's achievements and talk about them, since nobody else can do that for you.