98 MALAY PROVERBS. 



5 6 . Jo ng peeha h y u sara t. 



" When the junk is wrecked the shark has his fill." It is an 

 ill wind that blows no one any good. 



57. Chikil berhabis lapuk bertedoh. 



cc The last degree of stinginess is to leave the mould (mildew) 

 undisturbed." 



58. I) tarn ubi lagi kintal 



Diam besi lagi sentil. 



" The yam remains still and increases in bulk ; iron lies quiet 

 and wastes away the more." Another version of the same pro- 

 verb is "Diam ubi berisi, diam besi ber -lea rut-karat." 



The meaning is easily gathered from the following' passage 

 from the Hikayat Abdullah (p. 245) : " Ma lea diam-lah iya 

 (Tuan Raffles) bahwa bukan-nia diam penggali berkarat, wela- 

 inkan diam ubi adania berisi" " Mr. Raffles remained silent, but 

 his silence was not that of the spade which lies rusting, but that 

 of the yam which is adding to its contents." Favre in his diction- 

 ary (tit. gali) seems to have somewhat misunderstood this 

 passage. 



59. Di chobit paJia kanan kin i pun sakit juga. 



u If the right thigh is pinched pain will also be felt in the left." 

 A man may be made to suffer by something done to a near 

 relation. In Malay countries it is common to influence a man 

 by threats of injury to his family ; absconding criminals and 

 slaves are sometimes induced to return and surrender them- 

 selves by the knowledge that their wives and children or other 

 near relations have been seized and are undergoing: ill treatment. 



& 



60. Di iepuk tangan kanan tiada akan membunyi. 



" To clap hands with the right hand only will not produce any 

 sound." The combined action of both parties to an agreement 

 is necessary, if it is to be carried out properly. If one is 

 willing, and tne other unwilling, no result will be produced. 



