MALAY PKOVEltUS. 37 



Compare — 



Rambut dl-tarik jaugan putus tepong punjanga/i terser ah. "If there is a 

 "hair in flour, pull it out gently and gradually, not so as to spill the flour." 



Go about a thing with discretion. The Perak version of the proverb differs 

 from this. There the natives say : — 



McmuMd idar biar matt, rumputjangan layn, tanahjangan lembab, pemu- 

 lud jangan patah. 



28 \yf*>j* (^ As^ (%U*\ 



TJmpama anjing makau muntah-nia. 

 " Like a dog which eats what it has vomited." 

 A simile for stingy, miserly conduct. 



TJmpama or ang champ ah buriga di-balas champah tahi. 

 " Like one who throws a flower and receives dirt in return." 

 A benefit recompensed by ingratitude. 



TJmpama orang memelihara-han diri-nia dalam sarang lebah. 

 " Like the way in which a man protects himself in a bee's 

 "nest." 



(Livre de Lecture, No. 7, p. 1)5.) 



31 \J>*lj+> *^ A^™-*J>} (\sl*\ 



TJmpama ayer di-genggam ta'tiris. 

 '•Like grasping water without letting it slip through the 

 " fingers." El. 169. 



A simile to denote the extreme of stinginess. 



32 *jU» cl^i J^L jjlb.i xAiu *\ji <*\&*\ 



TJmpama buali hapagang di-mahan mabuJc dubuang sayang. 

 " Like the hapagang fruit, which stupefies if it is eaten and 

 " which it seems a pity to throw away." Kl. 82. 



Pretty but useless. . 



The Perak version has pahit (bitter) for mabuk, 



