JELEBU CTJSTOMAKY SONGS AND SAYINGS. 25 



What in the beginning are covenants 

 Grow up into customs : 

 Custom is lord over covenants. 

 Water proceeds along water-ways, 

 Sanction proceeds from covenant; 

 A country grows up with its customs. 



Covenants proceed in the dark. 

 Custom walks in the light : 

 Covenants can destrov custom. 



In life we are lapped in custom, 

 In death we are lapped in the earth. 



Length- ways one gets through, cross-wise broken. 

 Our custom of entail is our sustenance. 



The words of common folk are contentions, 



The words of officials weighed, 



The words of captains terse, 



The words of chiefs elaborate, 



The words of the ruler comprehensive, 



The words of the wise true, 



The words of the custom sanctioned. 



At sea aim for the channel. 



On land aim at the sanctioned way, 



For planting-rice, at the due season. 



Miss the channel and your boat founders. 



Miss the sanctioned way and you get burnt, 



Miss the season and your crop is parched and fails. 



Stand up to look out for raiders, 



Sit down to whittle a stake, 



Stoop to get your shoulder-wallet through, 



Put your mouth in the stream to drink water. 



Suit your rollers to your boat. 



A slip brings destruction, 



An open hand debts, 



A quick tongue fines. 



Tread on pitch and your sole is denied. 



K A. Soc, No. 78. 



