146 Dwellings, works of art, laws, Sfc. of the Karens. [No. 3, 



will say to him ; u I have no feud with thee. On the contrary I 

 compassionate thee. But thou borrowedst money of me, thou bor- 

 rowedst kyee-zees of me. The money was in my wallet, and I took 

 it out and gave it to thee ; my kyee-zee was in my room, and I tied 

 a string to it, and slung it on thy head, and caused thee to back it 

 away. Therefore I went and asked thee for the return of my money ; 

 I went and requested thee the price of the kyee-zee. But thou 

 wouldst not pay me ; thou wert abusive to me ; thou stirredst up 

 strife. Thy language was contentious ; thy words were not peaceable. 

 Thou didst not give me food to eat ; thou didst not give me water to 

 drink. Thou wast angry with me, thou didst hate me. I went after 

 thee, and returned hungry and thirsty. I ascended mountains, and 

 descended into valleys ; I suffered from heat, and I suffered from cold. 

 Thou didst not repay me my money, thou didst not pay me for my 

 kyee-zee. Many years have now elapsed, many months have past 

 over. So now I have commenced an action against thee ; now I have 

 made an attack on thee. Thou didst borrow one kyee-zee of me ; 

 now thou must pay me two. Thou didst borrow one share of me, 

 now thou must pay me two. Thou didst borrow one hundred rupees 

 of me, now thou must repay me two hundred. If thou dost not 

 pay me, I will sell thee to repay me for my money, to pay me for 

 my kyee-zee. And when I sell thee, I shall do that which is right 



and proper." 



Criminal suit,-Mm are not unfrequently killed in drunken broils ; 

 but such cases are not allowed by Karen custom to be a cause of action. 

 No price can be demanded for persons who lose their lives in such 

 circumstances. It is argued there was no malice, no intention to 

 kill ; and the person who died was perhaps as much to blame as the 

 man who killed him ; and people are not well responsible for what 

 they do in a state of intoxication. 



But when a man has had a near relative killed in a foray, it is 

 deemed right that he should have blood for blood, and his friends and 

 others whom he loves, stand ready to avenge him when called upon, 

 and they go and make reprisals. 



The f t —When a thief is discovered, if it be his first act, and he 

 promises to be honest for the future, he is allowed to go free on 

 restoration of the stolen property. But if he be an habitual thief, 



; 



