1917.] Folklore in Caste Proverbs. 11 



costiy among Nagars. He is as good-natured as a crow ! He 

 will never be yours. His speech is like a snare. (85) The 

 Nundars are cultivators in Sind who are said to be great 

 smokers. (86) The Otari of the Maratha country is a smelter. 

 In Poona, brass idol-casters are also called Otaris. They are 

 Jingars by caste, and call themselves Panchal. (87) The Parsis 

 first landed in Gujerat, when they fled from their mother coun- 

 try, and became Gujeratis. They are fair, hut in the dark the 

 Andharu will be found groping in the dark, for what, God 

 knows! The Dastur or chief priest will ask a Parsi to present 

 him with a gold or silver chain to wipe off his sins. In the 

 Maratha country it is considered a wonder of the world that 

 the Parsis should be educated, and yet they should sell oil. A 

 Parsi is a man of after- thought. He takes no time to change his 

 words. A Parsi's liquor shop is everywhere— like a crow's 

 nest. When insolvent, he will sell liquor. He will celebrate 

 the day sacred to Zoroaster by drinking liquor. He has no 

 caste. He is not fit for the company (among Hindus). His wife 

 has still retained traces of the early adoption of the Hindu 

 customs, and offers cocoanut to a holi. (88) The Sind Parsi is 

 a grocer who opens a shop if he but gets a few tubers of turmeric. 

 (89) In the Maratha country the residents of the U.P. are called 

 Purbhayas (from purba the East). Eight of them want nine 

 fireplaces. Their chauka- system is well known, where every 

 man will cook for himself and will not allow any other man 

 to come near the place smeared up. In Gujerat they are called 

 Purbias and the same proverb is used. (90) The Rajput is 

 considered a great opium-eater in Gujerat. He will never be 

 yours even if fed for a thousand years. The Rajput woman is 

 fond of singing, and a song pleases a Rajput. A Rajput will 

 start at a word. He is so alert. In the Maratha countrv it is 

 said that the wall may slip out of the way, but the Rajput will 

 not. In the battle-field he will not be beaten. He is needy. 

 He is destined to meet dangers. He is not dirty, he brags, but 

 he will always shine on the battle-field. (91) The Rangari or 

 dyer of the Maratha country is said to do what lie likes. (92) 

 Sai, Merai and Darjj are the names by which tailors of different 

 tribes are known in Gujerat. The Sais sewing takes as many 

 days as he likes. He steals cloth, he defies the watch of even the 

 Angel of Death ; great care is needed in entrusting any business 

 to him. His evening never comes, he is a rogue. (93) When a 

 Satal (stone mason) has no work he will try his hand on stones. 



(94) The SaJi or weaver is in requisition only when in plenty. 



(95) A Sett is a merchant in Kanara. His possessions, it is said, 

 go to the son-in-law. He is a fool. He is useful only in towns. 



(96) The Shimpi or tailor in Kanara knows all about lies. He 

 will always steal a bit of the cloth. (97) Sodha is a low class 

 Rajput or Thakur in the Thar and Parker Districts of Sind 

 and perhaps represents the Sondias of Sondwara in Central 



