1. better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion; better be first in a village than second at Rome; (lit.) better to be the mouth of a chicken than the rear end of a cow
Schnabel eines Hahnes (in der Formulierung keikō to naru mo gyūgo to narunakare.鶏口となるとも牛後となるなかれ = Lieber der Schnabel eines Hahnes als der Schwanz eines Ochsen werden.)