Meaning
A troublemaker or bully carefully picks who they target — going only after those who cannot or will not fight back, and leaving the strong alone. The monkey knows exactly which tree is safe to climb. A sharp observation that mischief and disrespect are calculated: people take liberties only where they think they can get away with it.
Examples
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Him nuh trouble di big man, only di small one — monkey know which tree fi climb.
He doesn't trouble the big man, only the small one — a bully picks easy targets.
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Dem only facety to who dem nuh fraid — monkey know which tree fi climb.
They're only rude to those they don't fear — troublemakers choose carefully.
Origin
A traditional proverb; the monkey climbs only the tree it knows is safe. See [[facety]], [[tek-set-pon]].
How it’s used
Bullies/troublemakers target only the vulnerable. See [[facety]], [[tek-set-pon]].