MALAY PROVERBS. 97 



To illustrate the way in which this proverb is used I may 

 mention that I once heard it quoted, in a country police court in 

 Province Wellesley, by an old Malay who was asked for his de- 

 fence to a certain charge. He declared it to be a second at- 

 tempt on the part of his adversary to injure him, a former one 

 having failed; and he wound up his speech with " telinga ta' dapat 

 pulas dia ha u dak pulas taitdok", (if he can't wring me by the 

 ear he is determined to have me by the horn) . 



50. Ter-lepas deri-pada mulut biijya maso/c mulut harimau. 



" Freed from the mouth of the crocodile only to fall into 

 the jaws of the tiger/' 



This proverb and the next suggest at once the familiar Eng- 

 lish one " Out of the frying pan into the fire." 



51. Takat-kau hantu pelok-kan bangke'i . 



" From fear of the ghost, to clasp the corpse/' 



52. Jangan sangat pilih-nya takut tuan Icena buka hula. 



" Do not pick and choose too nicely or you may chance fco get a 

 bamboo knot." The knot or joint of the bamboo, or of the sugar- 

 cane, is a symbol among the Malays of anything that is quite 

 worthless and can be turned to no good account. The proverb 

 means that a man who is very hard to please may have to put 

 up with an inferior article in the end. 



53. Jar as kataaia rag a jdrang. 



" The creel says that the basket is coarsely plaited." " Vet,'' 

 as I have heard a Malay sa}~, " lialnia jaras pan jarang juga" 

 " the creel, too, has wide interstices, " a commentary which fully 

 explains the proverb. It corresponds closely with the familiar 

 English proverb about the pot which called the kettle black. 



54. Jangan kamu smiglcakan kapal apt best, itu pan masoh 

 gari juga. 



" Do not imagine otherwise, even an iron steamer has to go 

 into dock." A warning not to suppose that anything is so 

 strong and solid as to be beyond the reach of injury or decay. 



55. Janganlalt luaa-tuan p/'k/'r kalau tebu itu bengkok ma- 

 'aha n it a pun bengkok juga. 



" Do not suppose, my masters, that because a sugai cane is 

 crooked its sweet juice is equally crooked !" A good thing is 

 none the worse for having come from a bad person ; or, a repuls- 

 ive exterior does not prove that there is nothing good within. 



