140 MALAY PKOVEftBS. 



83. SepeHl ular leena palu. 



Like a snake which has received a blow. 



Used in speaking- of a lazy, dilatory person. The Malays 

 compare the slow, listless motions of a man avIio unwillingly 

 gets up to perform some duty on which he is sent, to the 

 contortions of a wounded snake. The verb menggllat signifies 

 to writhe as a wounded reptile, or to turn and twist as a 

 man yawning and stretching. 



The Perak version of the proverb is 'Nggliong bagel ular 

 dl ])nlml" 



, NggUo)ig=7nenggliong=me}iggUat. 



84. Seperti tabuan di dalam tukil. 

 Like a swarm of bees. 



The mumbling or muttering of a person who speaks in- 

 coherently is here compared with the buzzing of bees in a 

 cluster. 



85. Siapa makan citable iyalah berasa pedas. 

 He who eats chilies will burn his mouth. 



Everyone must be ready to bear the consequences of his 

 own act. 



86. Sebab inulut badan blnasa. 



It is by the mouth that the body is ruined. 



A single word at a critical time may make or mar a man's 

 fortune. 



Sa'patah ehakap terhutang, mpatalt chakap me-lepas-Jcan 



hutang. 



87. Sud^ah ludah lain dijilat. 



Licked up after having been ejected from the mouth. 



Said of a donor, who repents of his g'enerosity and asks for 

 his gift back again ; or of a Mohamedan husband who after 

 divorcing his wife would like to take her back. 



