46 MALAY PROVERBS. 



continue to rebuke greediness and importunity in their off- 

 spring. The French have or had a sarcasm of the same kind 

 directed against our nation, Anglais and creditor having 

 been once upon a time synonymous terms: — Vai page tons 

 Tries Anglais would thus mean "I have settled with my 

 creditors i 5 ' * 



This brings me to another class of proverbs, those which 

 are pointed at the natives of other states or countries and 

 which fasten on some failing or shortcoming and hold it up 

 to ridicule. The countries ridiculed, no doubt, have proverbs 

 which repay with interest those aimed against them. The 

 Perak Malay who prides himself on skill in the use of wea- 

 pons sneers at Kedah men as hay am pupuh sSbong ta' bertafi, 

 " Mock gamecocks that light without spurs." A more effectual 

 way of exciting the wrath of a Javanese cannot be devised than 

 to apply to him a Malay phrase which insinuates a national 

 want of cleanliness ; orang J'awa bdberek makan toma " a Ja- 

 vanese ; a wood-pecker that eats insects !" 



Natives of Korinchi in Sumatra are supposed to have the 

 power of turning themselves into tigers and are believed to 

 range the forests in that form. The idea has probably 

 arisen from their fearlessness in travelling alone or in very 

 small parties in the most inaccessible districts. " There go 

 the tigers to feed upon buffalo flesh " is a shout which the 

 sight of some harmless Korinchi traders entering an eating- 

 house is almost certain to provoke. 



The people of Menangkabau are proverbially dull-witted 

 and the Perak Malays have the following proverb about 

 them, Menangkabau bingong kalau ada ikan di cjosck 6 Jcxilau ada 

 kail lauk,' " The Menangkabau is such a fool that if a fish 

 is within his reach he only says if I had a hook this would 

 be dinner." It would never occur to him, say his detractors, 

 to devise any impromptu means of catching the fish ! 



The Malays of Perak were denounced by Hamilton a 

 hundred and fifty years ago as " treacherous, faithless and 

 bloody.'' His description is partly borne out by one or two 

 proverbs about them which will be found printed in the 

 foregoing collection (Nos. 107 and 203.) 



Some proverbs are purely local and do not travel beyond 

 the state or district to which they apply. Of this class are 



* D 'Israeli-Curiosities of Literature, " The Philosophy of Proverbs." 



