1868.] Dwellings, works of art, laws, &c. of the Karens. 137 



Swearing. — Children and grandchildren, by no means curse each 

 other. If there be cause for it, swear, but unless your brethren make 

 trouble in your hearts, do not curse and swear causelessly. For I say 

 to you, if your brethren make trouble in your hearts, and you curse 

 them, and imprecate evil on them, the curse will really come upon 

 them. Because they did evil, the evil curse will come upon them. 



But if people do not make trouble in our hearts, do not curse them 

 causelessly. For when you curse each other without cause, your 

 curses go from one place to another to see to whom they belong, and 

 when they find no owner, the Lord of the lands and the waters, 

 the God of heaven and earth, is displeased ; and he says to the curse, 

 " There is no reason why thou shoulde>t hit this man-; he has done 

 no evil, go back to the man that sent thee."* Then the curse returns 

 to the man who sent it, and enters into his boiled rice, and into his 

 water, and under his ringer nails, and he eats it ; and it hits the 

 man who sent it, and he dies. 



Children and grandchildren, this is assuredly true. Anciently 

 there was a man who had ten children, and he cursed one of his 

 brethren, who had done him no injury ; but the curse did the man no 

 harm, and he did not die. Then the curse returned to the man who 

 sent it, and all his ten children died. Not a single one survived. 

 Then the man repented, because his children died, and he said ; 

 11 Hereafter, may I never curse more. That man did me no wrong. 

 I cursed him without reason. There was no cause for it, so the curse 

 returned and came upon my children ; and all my ten children have 

 died. The God of heaven and earth, the Lord of the lands and the 

 waters, has killed them, that we may not curse people causelessly." 



Covetousness. — Children and grandchildren, do not covet the money, 

 do not covet the kyee-zees of others. Covet not the oxen and 

 , buffaloes of your brethren. These things are at your own hands, if 

 you will be careful and work hard- 



Partiality. — Children and grandchildren, do not act partially ; do 

 not have regard for one more than another. 



Backbiting. — Children and grandchildren, do not backbite, do not 

 abuse people who are not present. 



* " The curse causeless shall not come."— Prov. xxvi. 2. 



