Hold a/the wolf by the ear(s) phrase
To be in a difficult and dangerous situation in which both escaping from it or remaining in it are equally dangerous for one.
I am holding the wolf by the ear which I jump out of the window and break my legs or stay here and being engulfed in flame.
I looked at the boat.and thought of saying about holding a wolf by the ears. If I abandon that boat, I will starve to death but if I get on it, the tiger will attack me.
The verb "hold" must be conjugated according to its tense.
The origin of this phrase is not clear.