It iz the little bits ov things that fret and worry us; we kan dodge an elefunt but we kan't a fli.

The joke rests on disproportion: large, obvious dangers (“an elefunt”) are easier to anticipate and avoid, while tiny, persistent annoyances (“a fli”) are hard to escape and can consume more attention than they deserve. Billings points to a common psychological pattern—minor inconveniences, slights, and daily frictions accumulate and “fret” us, even when we can handle major crises with composure. The dialect spelling softens the admonition, making it sound like genial common sense rather than moralizing. The underlying counsel is to recognize the outsized power of small irritants and to cultivate patience, perspective, and habits that prevent trivialities from dominating one’s mood.

It is the little things that fret and worry us; we can dodge an elephant, but we can’t dodge a fly.
It’s the little things that worry us; we can dodge an elephant but not a fly.
It is the little bits of things that fret and worry us; we can dodge an elephant, but we can’t dodge a fly.