CEUZ DAS almas: a BRAZILIAN VILLAGE' — PIERSON 



211 



There is no sapo (male toad) without his gai>a 

 (female toad). 



He went to fetch wool and came back sheared. 



I put my hand into an ant hill only when there are 

 no ants in it. 



It's a lot of bananas for a vintetn.'^' (The effect 

 is too great for the apparent cause. "He is doing 

 me so many favors, I am suspicious of his in- 

 tentions." 



A wolf doesn't eat a wolf. 



When doubts come in, out goes love. 



Friends are friends, but business is something else. 



The principal thing about a negocio (business trans- 

 action) is the secret. 



It is better to have a friend in the praga ™ than 

 money in the box. 



A lie in the mouth of the powerful is worth more 

 than a hundred truths in the mouth of the 

 weak. 



Water and counsel are given only to those who ask. 



In a fight between a husband and wife one does 

 not intervene. ("Because after the quarrel is 

 over and the husband and his wife have made up, 

 the person who has intervened is at a disadvan- 

 tage with both.") 



An unmarried girl has an alqueire and a half of 

 shame. When she marries, she loses a half 

 alqueire. When she spends the first night with 

 her husband, she loses another half alqueire; 

 and when she has her first child, she loses the 

 last half alqueire and has no more shame. 



He's in the woods without a dog. 



I have the day and the night which is the plenty 

 that God gave me. ("I have the sky, the sun, 

 the moon, the stars and so many other beautiful 

 things that I am content.") 



For love of the sa7ito one kisses the altar. ("One 

 does a favor for one person because of another.") 



I know him from the tips of his fingernails to the 

 roots of his hair. 



One does not strike a woman, even with a flower. 



A house without a woman is a body without a soul. 



A young girl and chita ^^^ are neither ugly nor 

 honita (pretty). ("It is of little importance 

 whether or not the girl is pretty ; to be young is 

 sufficient. Just as with a dress; any one will 

 do.") 



I live laughing but it is to keep from weeping. 



More love and less impertinence. ("Our relation- 

 ship does not justify these familiarities.") 



First the obrigacdo (obligation), then the devosdo 

 (worship). ("The necessities of life come first; 

 then religion.") 



Faith iu God and a grapple on the world. ("One 

 should have faith ; but one should also wrestle 

 with the world.") 



It is well to go along with the priest but at a dis- 

 tance. ("The priest is a person you should 

 respect since he is a representative of religion; 

 at the same time, you should not keep too close 

 to him, because an incident might occur and he 

 might put a curse upon you.") 



Look after your life because death is certain. ("Do 

 not concern yourself with death, because it is 

 certain ; concern yourself rather with life, for it 

 is uncertain.") 



There is no remedy for death because it already 

 is a remedy for everything. 



An orange in the morning is like gold, in the after- 

 noon like prata (silver) and at night mata (it 

 kills). 



Children criados (grown), troubles doirados 

 (doubled). ("Children when grown are more 

 trouble than when they are small.") 



The love of all of a father's children for their 

 father is not as great as his love for them. 



There is no Saturday without the sun, no Sunday 

 without a Mass, No Monday without laziness. 

 ("Monday follows a day off. Everyone is in- 

 disposed toward work, as also on a day after 

 a fesia or a holiday.") 



A request made sem dinheiro (without money) is 

 paid no rio Pinheiro (in the Pinheiros River). ^" 



A woman is like an orange; you can find one 

 anywhere. 



At night all cats are dark-colored. 



Fog on the serra (range of hills or mountains), 

 rain herra (is bleating; that is, coming). 



Pepper in another person's eyes does not burn. 



When it is very small, you can twist the cucumber. 



Sadness doesn't pay debts. ("It doesn't help to 

 cultivate sadness because it doesn't solve any of 

 the problems of life.") 



Much riso (laughter), little siso (thought, judg- 

 ment, sense). 



He who sleeps at the barrel wakes up at the dipper. 

 ("He who drinks [alcohol] at night is thirsty in 

 the morning.") 



An inheritance, the devil dances. ("Those who 

 come into an inheritance are apt to spend it 

 quickly.") 



He who does not cry, does not suckle. 



He who has a 6oco (mouth) goes to Roma (Rome). 



When a man gets old, his sight decreases and his 

 suspicions increase. 



God writes straight with crooked lines. ("God's 

 ways are often incomprehensible to man.'') 



5" An old Portuguese coin. 



«" The market. 



»* Cotton print cloth. 



=^ Persons traveling from the community to SSo Paulo enter the 

 metropolitan area tlirough the former village of Pinheiros, near 

 whicli flows the Pinlieiros River. As has been indicated in the 

 section on Isolation and Contact, it has long been customary for 

 persons who traveled out of the community to receive requests 

 from friends and relatives to purchase articles for them. The 

 meaning here is that a paper on which a request has been written 

 may be thrown in the river if the money for the purchase is not 

 also furnished. 



