JELEBU CUSTOMARY SONGS AND SAYINGS. 39- 



To unravel disputes, 



To pick up the fallen and search for the lost. 



To pay debts and receive dues 



Is the business of a man's wife's family. 



Sons-in-law are of five kinds, 



First the mere son-in-law; 



Secondly the father of children for the tribe; 



Thirdly the green fly that leaves his sting (and deserts 



his pregnant mate), 

 Fourthly the bee that sips from every flower. 

 Fifthly the bulwark of his wife's relations. 



Earnings by husband or wife during marriage are 

 given to him or her who has earned them; 



What a man has got by his wife remains with her tribe ; 



What the husband brought goes back to him; 



Property in partnership is split up; 



The common property acquired by a man and wife's 

 joint labour is equally divided; 



Any loss or profit on the wife's estate is a matter 

 for her tribe 



The man's person is restored to his own tribe. 



When we get children, 

 Boys must be set to learn their letters 

 Girls must be set to sew. 



At that time it is the duty of the mother's relations 

 To gather the children to the fold in the evening 

 And to let them loose in the morning. 

 They must guard the chicks 

 Lest the civet devour them; 



They must keep the young buffaloes from prowling. 

 And when the children come to years of discretion, 

 The girls will be sometimes awaited 

 And sometimes will be hawked about; as brides 

 And the boys sometimes will be sought in marriage, 

 And sometimes will be hawked about as suitors. 

 And then 



There will be fingers twitching 

 And lips whispering over the bargain 

 As when perchance folk have set their hearts on a 

 purchase. 



of familiarity! Willinck (p. 629) found Sumatran pundits 

 taking the same view. "Kembau," p. 114 translates " while 

 at one, share alike," an impossible rendering because belah = 

 'divide,' not 'share. 1 Our translation is that of Johol and of 

 Dutch scholars. 



? > Humphreys reads berlusus (Journal 72, p. 30) but ~ber- 

 dasus is the form used in Jelebu and Johol and seems to be 

 correct: vide Van der Toorn. 



R. A. Soc, m 



