N 0> 23.— 1881.] SINHALESE PROVERBS. 23 



230. *55©4*6a§50 &30£>@c3 S3$ 230. Of what use is a torch 

 (5©d0«^ ? to a blind man ? 



231. 25525^030(3 ®Jg ^\f5)o 231. Like opening up a road 



8©©2d0 03<*@ffi>g©3 to a mountain to bui^ an ele- 



phant, which died at the root. 



Adopting an absurd of im- 

 proper course, or beating about 

 the bush. 



232. 235^0 £><^C33 a}6\ 232. Will the mountain 

 €)aQ 25)255q S§<58q? grow smaller because the dog 



barked at it? 



233. 253gd3(3<9Cd g*5*> '^is said there is no 

 7 eases himself, in the Devdla. 



234. ^g^i«S3a©-2Ss)30©®3 234. What is the good of 

 Oq £30 C»ecaeo^©D3D#, calling a man Kapuruhami if 



his mouth (breath) stinks? 



c " Kapuruhami" — a very com- 

 mon name amongst Kandyans — 

 liter ally means " Master Cam- 

 phor" 



235. 8§^i qS)c3.S)®a©<sf. 235. Like the boa-constric- 



tor's lighting upon a prey. 



^4 mere chance — a god-send. 

 The Sinhalese believe that the 

 boa constrictor does not search 

 Jor prey, but trusts to accident 

 to procure it. 



236. 6gd) ®o @8eDC£^. 236. The boa constrictor 



has seized me ! * 



wife." On her husband's return home, she told him what had happened. 

 The man, vexed at his wife's simplicity, mounted his h r - rse and pursued the 

 vagrant, who, seeing that he was followed, climbed a tree. The man left 

 his horse at the foot of the tree, and climbed it to seize the thief, who, 

 dexterously dropping down on the horse's back, rode off. Thereupon the 

 old man shouted to the galloping rascal: 'Don't forget to tell K^luhami, 

 that it was I who gave you the horse ! " 



* The following story has given rise to the proverb. — A woman was in the 

 habit of crying out, " The boa constrictor has seized me ! The boa con- 

 strictor has seized me!" whenever she went to the well to draw water. 

 Many a time ber neighbours ran to her rescue, but, finding she only mocked 

 them, ceased to notice her cries. One day she was actually seized by a 

 boa constrictor, and, no one coming to her assistance, strangled in its folds. 

 Compare "Wolf! Wolf!" 



