Jliil IPS Q, BEING CHINESE MORE F(|||||pNGSf«"nHINDOSTAN AND OTHER OWENTAI- COUNTRJES RBSVITH ?iii ■wwi wuiuu u ®0 ARTHUR GUITERMAN f.-«^i! -'^tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiij CHIPS OF JADE CHIPS OF JADE BEING CHINESE PROV- ERBS WITH MORE FOLK- SAYINGS FROM HINDU- STAN AND OTHER ORIENTAL COUNTRIES Rhymed in English BY ARTHUR GUITERMAN NEW YORK E. P. BUTTON & COMPANY 68i FIFTH AVENUE Copyright 1920 By E. P. BUTTON & COMPANY dU Rights Rtitntd First printing • - SgM., ip» Second printing - - J**h. ^^ Third printing ■ - Sept., 1927 Printtd in the VniUi StaUt of Amtriea SRLF UPL ovji^lt! 'i The author acknowledges with thanks the courtesy of the editors of Life, Collier's Weekly, the New York Times, and the World Outlook, in granting permission to reprint many of the verses contained in this col- lection. Part of the material in the section "Betel Nuts," appeared in the author's earher book of that title, originally published in 1907, and now out of print. CONTENTS PAGB Chips op Jade, or What They Say in China 3 Betel Nuts, or What They Say in Hindustan 31 vu CHIPS OF JADE or What They Say in China NAY, READER I gE not awed by my learning, though it is indeed great; for I do not gaze at thee severely through spectacles rimmed with horn or the shell of the sea-turtle as one who would urge thee to a heavy task; rather do I smile upon thee be- nignly, beseeching thee to sit awhile in pleasant converse. Moreover, though our discourse be, in a manner, of philosophy, it shall not be of a philosophy that smell- eth overmuch of the lamp, but of the warm and human philosophy, which, with much wit and more than a touch of poetry, is wrapped in the sayings of the people of Cathay. Yea, these proverbs that I bring thee are from the hearts as well as the lips of the people of the Eigh- teen Provinces of the Flowery Kingdom, and are spoken in the streets of Canton and Peking, on the sampans of the Yellow River, among the hills of Yun-nan and along the reaches of the Great Wall that was builded of old by the Emperor Shi 1 2 Nay, Reader! Hwang-ti. And if I have presumed to put these proverbs into Enghsh verse, still do I think, that thou wilt find in them reason as well as rhyme. CHIPS OF JADE TTIGHT Sailors; Seven want to steer. That Junk won't come to Port, I fear. Within the Home where fewer Serv- ants dwell, With greater Speed the Daily Work is done : One Man will bring Two Buckets from the Well ; Two Men, between them both, will carry One. Xhe Starveling Cat maintains the Firm Belief That every Well-fed Cat must be a Thief. J^AKE friends with Merchants — and your Wealth will grow; Make friends with Nobles — and your Wealth will go; Make friends with Boors — and learn to use your Fists; Make friends with Priests — and sign Sub- scription Lists. 3 Chips of Jade How small the Heavens are, the Frog can tell; He's seen them! — from the Bottom of the Well. To every man Poor Cousins come, Or Needy Folks-in-Law. The Emperor himself hath some With Sandals made of Straw. Jt somewhat soothes the Bankrupt's woe To talk of Debts that Others owe. Xwo Friends have I — True Friends, I know; But which a Deeper Love discloses? This, brings me Coals in Winter's Snow, While That, in Summer, brings me Roses. /^ THOUSAND Dipping Oars can less avail Than Heaven's Breath that fills One Ragged Sail. Though the Doctor is sure As his Charges are high, He whom Medicines cure Was not Fated to Die. Chips of Jade Life is Sweet; the Beggar Man Will not cross a Rotten Span. No Threats of Hell, but Present Blows We'll use to make the Rascal quail; Though Priests may curse, the Sinner knows . He never saw a Ghost in Jail. Jf Right, though Right without a Flaw Is All you have, don't go to Law. Xhe Fruitful Seasons pass And fill our Barns anew. To every Blade of Grass God gives its Drop of Dew. pEAR not lest Men say Evil Things of you. But fear to do the 111 they say you do. This One Makes a Net, That One stands and wishes; Would you like to bet Which One gets the Fishes? Chips of Jade Words are Wind in Empty Space; Writing leaves a Lasting Trace. Xhe Past as clear as Polished Glass appears, While Dark as Lacquer seem the Coming Years: Yet, mirrored in the Past, the Eye may see The Faces of the Centuries-to-Be. poUR Words upon the Prison Gate Are written: "These Repent Too Late." Defame a Man of Energy, and soon The Mob will echo, mingling Truth and Lie. Let one lone Mangy Mongrel bay the Moon, And all the Village Curs will swell the Cry. Still leagues on leagues the Great Wall stretches on, But where has Shi Hwang-ti, who built it, gone? Chips of Jade 7 XhROUGH the Years of Earthly Dole Man's gross Clay knows not his Soul. When the Life has passed away, Shall the Spirit know the Clay? \\7"ho owes no Debt for Crust or Crumb Can sleep within a Beaten Drum. Despite the Rascal's Righteous Creed His Acts are ever ill. The Snake within a Hollow Reed Contrives to Wriggle, still. Search thrice thy Heart and thrice thy Soul again; Thus shalt thou know the Minds of Other Men. In Talk he's a Wonder, But Small are his Gains. How loud is the thunder I How little it Rains! Xhe Petty Rascal's Fetters clank; The Wholesale Robber starts a Bank. 8 Chips of Jadt Since Riches lead to Vice, And Poverty to Theft, Outside of Paradise Is any Virtue left? TfHE Needy Student reading late at night, Bored through the Wall to steal his neighbor's Light. You have Muscle, he has Wealth: Spending these for Wine and Bread, He gains Illness, you gain Health; Which one blither goes to bed? '\Yho seeks the Tiger's Cubs, must dare The Peril of the Tiger's Lair. Xeach your Son a Trade before he's twenty, Whatsoe'er his Powers. Plant your Fields with Rice and Beans a-plenty — Not too many Flowers. Jf Eighty Years be yours to dwell on Earth, Expect not Thirty Thousand Days of Mirth. % Chiys of Jade 9 Xhree are the Great Calamities of Life: To lose a Father ere one's Youth is done, In Manhood's Prime to mourn a Constant Wife, And last, in Withered Age, to lack a Son. "Who knows our Secret Deedl" you cry? God knows, Earth knows, and You and I. Shall I, grasping, gather Wealth and breed it — For my Children jealously conserve it? Should my Sons surpass me, they won't need it; Should they not, why then, they won't deserve it. j« Who beats his Wife at Candle-light Is like to sleep alone that night. Ambition's Hand would sweep the Sky To grasp the Comet's Tail; His Thirst would suck the Ocean dry To catch the Sounding Whale. 10 Chips of Jade Justice guides the Wise in every case; Law alone controls the Mean and Base. The Boy may plan to fly his Kite, The Man to cut his Hay; But Old North Wind comes up at night And blows their Plans away. J^ECORDED Words are Fetters; When Angry, don't write Letters. \Yealth won with Ruthless Hands Is Snow in Boiling Steam; Unjustly-gotten Lands Are Sandbars in a Stream. Xhe Coward holds a Shield above his Head, Because a Falling Leaf might strike him dead. js ^RIGHT Stars are first beheld. Sweet Wells are most desired, Straight Trees are soonest felled. Good Workmen soonest hired. Chips of Jade 11 \yHEN planting Thorns in Springtime, please remember You won't be picking Peaches in Septem- ber. you "Nearly Did it"? That's your loss. I'll pay you just the Fare Due him that rowed me half across The Stream — and left me there I \yHO know, don't talk; and even so, The Chatterers who talk, don't know. \yHEN Skies will Rain, When Maids will Wed, The Word "Refrain!" Is best unsaid. Bid the Sullen Servant go ! Let him stay, and house a Foe. Xhe more I Strive the more I Fail again — 'Tis Fate's decree. The more I fail, the more I'll Strive — ^ and then What's Fate to me! IS Chips of Jade Iran's High Resolve has made the World his own, But Woman's Smile has overturned u Throne. The Heron sought to sup his fill Upon the Clam, who caught his bill And held him fast, till, nothing loath, The Hungry Fisher bagged them Both. ^s Ripening Cornfields dread a Blight- ing Breeze, Old Age fears Penury with trembling knees. We scheme, we toil, we pray In wretched plight, For what? — Three Meals a Day, One Sleep at Night 1 j« ]yjERClES Two are Rain and Dew; Ice and Frost are Mercies, too. Untrained is he that hath not seen The World's Rough Face in Sun and Shower, That hath not shared the Fat and Lean, Chips of Jade 1-. That hath not tasted Sweet and Sour, And known the Foul, but loved the Clean, And felt the Thorn, yet plucked the Flower. je "When Monkeys fight they scatter Dirt; When Tigers battle, One gets hurt. pAME is the Dew on the Jasmine Stalk, Fame is the Scream of a passing Hawk, Fame is the Foam of the Vessel's Keel, Fame is a dying Thunder Peal, Fame is the Scent on the Mountain Moss Left when the Musk Deer bounds across. Each Sect has still its Truth, though many shame it, And every Truth a Prophet to proclaim it. Should half the Plaintiff says be true, Beheading's much too good for you. When you, in turn, have had your say, The Case looks all the other way! A HERO, fallen, strives to stand Himself, and asks no Helping Hand. llf. Chips of Jade I'll work at your Price And I'll drink your Cold Tea And I'll eat your Cold Rice — But no Cold Words to me I Qrave Looks may hide a Vacant Mind; The Brightest Eyes are sometimes Blind. Xhe Arrow's on the String, The supple Bow is bent; My Hand must do that Thing For which my Life was lent. When, wrapped in Flame, your Home's a blackened Shell, 'Tis growing rather late to Dig a Well. Your Roof need not be high, If sound against the Rain; Your Cloak may keep you dry Though coarse its Cloth and plain; Your Food need not be rare If strengthening and clean, Nor need your Wife be fair If good and sweet of mien. Chips of Jade 15 Man's Heart is like a Steed of Noble Strain — Right easy Letting Go, but hard to Rein. j« Your Acres teem with Rice; — but still A Pint a Day is all you eat. Your House is wide; the Space you fill Therein is hardly Seven Feet. {-Jer Fragrance proved by ev^ery Breeze that blows, What need is there of Words to praise the Rose? No Name, however great, atones For Worthless Work. The Sages tell That though the War God peddles Bones, Dry Bones are all he has to sell. Yes, take my Umbrella. Don't thank me, but try To send it back promptly both Spotless and Dry. Scholars talk of Clever Books, Gardeners, of Pruning-Hooks ; Traders talk of Means to Cheat, Laborers, of Things to Eat. t6 Chips of Jade f^E faints; your Fowl, well-cooked, would soon restore him; Ask not your Guest if you may kill it for him. Xhe Nightingales and Flowers fear the passing of the Spring, The Chill of Autumn Showers and the Tooth of Winter Cold. I hear a tiny Linnet in the Almond Branches sing, *'0h, every Youthful Minute is a Pre- cious Inch of Gold!" piSH see the Bait alone; and is it stranger That Men should see the Profit, not the Danger? Up, Farmer! Toil While Dawn is hazyl The Good Brown Soil Is never lazy. Jn Babbling, Gorging Food, or Quench- ing Drouth, All Mischief comes through Opening the Mouth. Chips of Jade IJ Xhe Good Man's Course is straight and true As that of him whose Feet A Frightened Little Pig pursue Along a Narrow Street. One Kind Word keeps the Heart aglow Through Three Long Months of Ice and Snow. Who trusts Too Many often ends By losing trust in All. Lend not your Pillars to your Friends Or else your Roof may fall. Oh, when the Whale is floundering in the Shoal, How all the Minnows laugh to see him roll! The Ox plows the Plain, The Fowl eats the Grain ; And some bear the Pain, And some keep the Gain. youR Arm is broken? Do not grieve Aloud, but Hide it in your Sleeve. 18 Chips of Jade You'll find True Men among the Low And Birds among the Bats, When you can draw White Calico From out the Blueing Vats. \f Swearing Oaths could aught avail, Would any Thieves be found in Jail? Xhe Poor Man should not grumble. The Rich Man must not boast; The Highest Up may tumble, The Lowest rule the roast. Xhe Wild Bird has no Food, no Wealth have I, But all the Lands of Earth before us lie. XRUE Friend of mine, what Heaven flung That Gem, your Soul, to Earthly Dust ! Wine cannot loose your faithful Tongue, Wealth cannot make your Heart unjust. Who fails, is Poor a While. Who takes a Wife Of Evil Governance, is Poor for Life. Chips of Jade 19 "When Drinking Water, bless the Parent Rill; When Eating, thank the Plow that broke the Clod; When Donning Garments, praise the Weaver's Skill; With every Breath He gives, remember God. I've wronged no man, I work and pay my score, I fear no Midnight Knock upon my Door. <^ The Sun is longer overhead, The Light is later leaving; There's Time to add Another Thread To every Daily Weaving. "W"hat Force may save that Nation, hell- ward bent. Where Wealth is Virtue, Drink is Merri- ment! Little Tasks need Little Force; Any Fool can make a Fan. Leagues of Travel prove the Horse, Years of Service prove the Man. W Chips of Jade Xhe Rich may read and nibble Figs; The Poor must keep on Raising Pigs. Beneath the Deep Green Sod lie Snow- white Bones. Those Ancient Kings who sat their jeweled Thrones See not our Moon nor Midnight's Diadem, And yet the Moon we see once shone on them. As Racing Horses pass the Winning-mark, The Generations rush from Light to Dark; And Yellow Gold and Pearls as fair as Truth Will not buy back the Raven Locks of Youth. 'XwiXT Man and Wife, no Spite May live beyond a Night. Xhe Monkey jeers; such odd Mistakes In Weaving Sticks, the Pigeon makes 1 But while the Monkey has his Jest, The Pigeon learns to Build a Nest. Who would not have his Footsteps show Must walk in neither Mud nor Snow. Chips of Jade 21 If none would Hear, A Lie would lack a Handle; It needs both Tongue and Ear To make a Scandal. A WORD has stolen In and bred a Doubt; Ten Thousand Oxen cannot drag it out. As Idle as a Goat he is, To work he's much too nice. A Frame to show a Coat he is, A Bag for holding Rice. Your Fields, unplowed, will come to naught; What good will come of Sons, untaught? Howe'er in Patterns manifold We twist Life's varied Threads, Each deed the watchful Gods behold, Three Feet above our Heads. Wf^o lacks a Smiling Face, had better stop And think a bit before he starts a Shop. 22 Chips of Jade Xoo oft to Settled Married Men The Rover's life seems pleasant; They weary of the Brooding Hen And seek the Wildwood Pheasant. Before he thatched his Roof, the Tor- rents fell, And Drought was King before he digged his Well. Who looks on Food with Greed, On Work with Loathing, Belike will shortly need Both Food and Clothing. Xhe Five Chief Grains In Use or Trade Are better Wares than Pearls or Jade. No Coin to spend, no Friends to love, Nor any place to go, I find no Stair to Heaven above, No Door in Earth below! No matter what the Issue, do your Best, And let the Gods and Fairies do the rest. Chips of Jade ^S Xhough Man and Wife together dwell As Birds of one embowered Dell, When Death shall fling the Fatal Stone They needs must take their flight, alone. Patience! The Grass will be Milk, The Mulberry Leaf will be Silk. The Monastery near The Nunnery is set; There's nothing wrong or queer In that, of course — and yet — W^HEN through Foreign Lands you stray. Smile, and give the first "Good Day I" f^E cannot be a Laggard or a Dunce Who rows the Boat and beats the Drum at once. \yHAT Ear swears he has heard, Eye proves is quite absurd. Xhe New will last perhaps a score Of Days; the Old, a Year or more. IS4> Chips of Jade"- Because a Brick at me you threw, Shall I fling back a Pearl at you? 'A CANDLE in the Wind is heedless Man — A Fish that sports within the Frying- pan. The Robe of Justice will not be defiled Where Laws are Strict, but Magis- trates are Mild. Xo do Good Deeds where none may mark Is much like Bowing in the Dark. The Coins you carry to the Gaming Room Are Sentenced Prisoners, hurried to their Doom. ]^^ANKIND live tnrough Buying, Vending, Making, Marring — and Pretending. J-Jer Beauty owes Three-tenths or less To Nature, Seven-tenths to Dress. 'A.BUSE me, curse me, beat me as you may> I'll do your work, but pay ! ( Chips of Jade 25 I HAVE to Steal or lack a Fowl to carve. The Law? I know the Law, but shall I starve? We that Smiles may reach the End Of Earth, yet never lack a Friend. ^GAINST all Men uphold your Brothers; Defend your Land against All Others. **J^Y Father was a Scholar 1" brags the Fool. "My Mother was a Mare!" proclaims the Mule. Xhe Street will be as clean as Heaven's Floor When Each Man sweeps before his Own Front Door. Xell not AH you Know, and tell Only What you Know right welL Ride within or carry the Sedan, What's the difference? — Are you not a Man? S6 Chips of Jade A Clever Man compelled to serve a Fool Is like a Pearl within a Muddy Pool. Xwo of a Creed are Brother and Brother. Two of a Trade are Thorns to each other. Your Unused Learning is an Unlit Taper; A Book, tight shut, is but a Block of Pa- per. BETEL NUTS or What They Say in Hindustan ll THUS, OH READER T\ O I deliver unto thee a cargo of Betel Nuts, — a freight of the pithy say- ings of the people of the broad land of Hindustan, proverbs that spice the speech, even as the pungent seeds of the betel palm, which they do call "Betel Nuts," flavor and spice the breath of the folk in the bazaars. Herein shalt thou find, set forth in English verse, colorful proverbs of Bengal, the Punjab, Rajputana, and even of the mountains of Kashmir and 'Afghanistan, with some few others brought to the markets of Ind by seafarers from the Isles of the Malays and by merchants and traders from Persia »nd Arabia. Salaam aleikuml 41 BETEL NUTS r^OD ripes the Mangoes, The Farmer shakes the Tree; God cures the Patient, The Doctor takes the Fee. You have no Debts? Indorse a Note. You have no Cares? Then buy a Goat. Why risk with Men your hard-won Gold? Buy Grain and sow; — your Brother Dust Will pay you back a Hundredfold: The Earth commits no Breach of Trust. The Tax? No wonder Men abhor it! You raise a Crop, they fine you for it I Now hear the Word the Brahman said: "The Lion's Mane, the Miser's Hoard, The Serpent's Fang, the Brave Man's Sword Ye may obtain — when they are dead." 31 3S Betel Nuts ^ I !■ ■■■ ■ ■ ■ I ■ ■■■■■I ■■■■ ■—■ I ■ — ■ ■■ „ ■ M^.^- XhREE were invited, — here come Nine! Water the Porridge 1 All shall dine. PJe laughed Derision when his Foes Against him cast, each Man, a Stone; His Friend in Anger flung a Rose — And all the City heard him groan. Xhey toil not, but decry their Bread. They fight not, they defame the Dead. 3e this engraved: "The Man who misses his Chance, The Monkey who misses his Branch, Cannot be saved." TpHE Goat gave up her Life; 'twas not enough : The Eater grumbles that the Meat is tough ! Qn deep-rutted Roads that are Centuries old The Cart and the Plodder will travel, unled. A Poet, a Lion, a Man wise and bold Will beat out new Pathways for Plod- ders to tread. Betel Nuts 3S In Summer, a Fan and a Tale not too long; In Winter, a Fire, a Roof and a Song. Xhe Earth is glad of Clouds above the Grain; The Home is glad of Babes that laugh and run. When God is pleased, He sends reviving Rain; When God is greatly pleased, He sends a Son. "I'm drowning!" shrieks the Camel. And the Sheep Debate the Question, "Is the Water deep?" J-Je gave who had Naught to give, And Ruin came. She went to milk with a Sieve — Is Fate to blame? A Day, or a Minute? A Year or a Moon? Now, which does he mean when he says, 'Tretty soon!" SJt Betel Nuts Our Earth and Sky are weighty Querns; Our Deeds and Strivings heap the Grains; The Unseen Miller turns and turns; Between the Millstones — what re- mains? Xhe Good are Two, I dare be sworn, And One is Dead, and one Unborn. "W^ sin, yet think to escape the Ills That Life hath taught us must ensue. In every Ear the Devil thrills, "In all the World there's none like you 1" "W^HO cutteth Onions sheddeth Tears. The Mischief-maker lost his Ears. **jH[is Bridle is Jeweled, with Gold he is shod; I loosen my Steed and commit him to God." "The World," said the Prophet, "hath Ways that are odd; So tie thy good Steed and commit him to God." Betel Nuts 35 go Clever a Son of a Clever Man's Daughter Am I, that an Abler Man fetches my Water. \Yhy should the Happy Man espouse That lived so free before? The Benedict hath but One House, The Bachelor, a Score. PJe shot at a Sparrow And spoiled a good Arrow. Xhough Losses come and Fate is rough, On any Road my Fortune lies. God's Universe is wide enough, And I have Hands and Feet and Eyes. Though flung into Ocean, I'll rise from beneath, A Fish on each Finger, a Pearl in my Teeth. When golden Sunbeams rill not, The Jewel shines but ill. When Fortune smiles, who will not? When Fortune won't, who will? 36 Betel Nuts Knowledge? Know each other. Goodness? Love thy Brother. Xhou lackest, O Shirker, Though long thou hast prayed? Know, God's a Good Worker, But loves to have Aid. Xhe Merchant prays for nothing worse Than Idleness that bears a Purse. Buy not, like a hapless Dunce, Gauds unworth the Keeping. "Dear," O Sahib, weeps but once; "Cheao," is always weeping. QUARD thy Secret close with all thy Wit, That e'en the Angels have no News of it. That Home called "Home" is false, I know; My Home, in truth, is soft and deep. And yet, as Homeward now I go To take my Rest, the People weep! Betel Nuts 37 £^IARS died in Days of Old; Now, they never catch a Cold! Old Hassan turns from Craft and Vice To con the Koran's Page. The Cat has killed a Thousand Mice, And makes a Pilgrimage. Xhe torrid Sun melts mountain Snows. When Anger comes, then Wisdom goes. pREE Comradeship was ours in Work and Play; Our Friendship strengthened, till, we knew not how, It grew to Love; — yet Love may die away. We shared one Sorrow, — what can part us now! I LIVE between Perils, abandoned by Friends, Like an Ant on a Fire-stick lit at Both Ends! 38 Betel Nuts Let the Rock fall on the Crock, Or the Crock upon the Rock, The Shock will break the Crock. Ride the Horse in Fortune's Bloom: Should Fortune fail thee, be its Groom. Let Daughters marry when they can; Let Sons be wedded when they would. A Woman's Husband is a Man; His Husband is his Livelihood. I HAD no Teeth, He sent me Milk, In- stead, Now I have Teeth, will He not send me Bread? And what is GI017? What is Shame? And what is Virtue? What is Sin? The Man but dies and leaves a Name, — The Tiger dies and leaves a Skin. One Good Man here is better far Than up above Ten Angels are. Betel Nuts S9 Xhis under the Rose, But it's true to the Letter^ The Man thinks he knows, But the Woman knows better. Before thou hast forded the River, O Brother, Revile not unduly the Crocodile's Mother. ]By diverse Creeds we worship, thou and I; The Ear of One Alone receives our Prayer. Each turns his Face in Longing toward the Sky, To see his Secret Soul reflected there. Xhe King shall beg, the Beggar mount the Throne; Earth laughs at him who calls a Place his own. Xhe Chiefs that Peasants choose by Lot They will not be afraid of. The Idol-carver worships not; He knows what Gods are made of. JfO Betel Nuts Xhe Goat made Friends of the Grass and Wheat; Now what, oh, what may the Poor Goat eat? Paint on Water, plow the Sky, Wash the Wind, or, thrice as blindly, Trust a Trifler, trace a Lie, Treat a Selfish Craven kindly. Shoot the Tiger through and through; Miss him, and he won't miss you. Smooth Flatterers have done much wrong For which the World is paying. If none had praised the Donkey's Song He would not still be braying. *'0^»" *^^c ^^^y Laundress cries, '"Twill be whiter when it dries!" \ Fool's a Fool through all the Years; No art can teach a Hen to swim, And cutting down a Donkey's ears Will make no Arab Steed of him. Betel Nuts U Beggars' Gifts are better things Than the Promises of Kings. I'll walk with Fate, and thus compel The Jade to go my way; The Jackal, tumbling down the Well, Said, "Here I'll camp to-day." XoiL and hoard in Sweat and Fear? Wealth is good, — but much too dear! Xhe Rope is burned: Its Twistings, still, The pallid Ash retains. The Man is dead: What good or ill He wrought in life, remains. What's in the Melon's Heart, the Knife- blade knows. What's in the Soul, the Sword of Sorrow shows. Small Ills are the Fountains Of most of our Groans. Men trip not on Mountains, They stumble on Stones. A2 Betel Nuts pORBEARl Remember well There are no Fans in Hell 1 QoD gives where Gifts are vain, Nor, giving, tires. Man grudging gives to gain His own Desires. **My Beard is burning!" one will cry. Another lights his Pipe thereby. "My Wisdom aids the World!" — How sweet That Secret Thought of Great and Small ! The Sea-gull sleeps with Upturned Feet To catch the Sky when that shall fall. MAKING, he mars, like a consummate Gaby, Rocking the Cradle while pinching the Baby. The wondrous Ways of Love are known To none but Love's Adept; And Tears have Language, clear alone To him whose Eyes have wept. Betel Nuts 43 Beware the Foe that falleth back! The Goat's Retreat prepares Attack. I HURLED the Missile: With Edge un- stained The Shard returned to its Parent Clay; The Birds, all clamoring, whirred away; The Sin of Seeking to Kill remained. **\yHY didst thow spit within the Sacred Bowl?" "I thought it was the Altar, on my Soul !" XoiL till your Blood is cold. Drudge till the Grave is won; Man is the Slave of Gold, Gold is the Slave of None. Who sells Grain is a Merchant. Heed ye, then: Who hoards Grain is a Murderer of Men. "0 Crocodile, why do you weep When Gunga in Freshet is brown?" "Alasl that the River is deep! Alack! for the People will drown!" U Betel Nuts Xhe Crane that waited for the Sea to sink And leave Dried Fish to feed him, starved, I think. "O Shiva take me I" prayed Ram Chun- der. Above him crashed and rolled the Thunder. "Not now!" he wailed in Fright and Sor- row, "Not now. Great Lord ! — I mean To-mor- row!" Danger he challenges, laughing and singing, Grasping the Tiger's Moustaches and swinging. XeRROR lurks along the Way, Horror where the Moon lies white, Fear upon the Hills by Day, Dread behind the Door at Night. Xhe Sword is Brother to the Olive Wreath. Your Saber keeps Another's in its Sheath. Betel Nuts j^ Xhe Fool met Fate. "Fair Maiden, say, Where goest thou?" quoth he. And Fate replied, "Hold on thy Way, O Fool,— I follow thee!" }Y Pampered Prince will taste the Choice alone. 'A Starving Dog will bolt a Saltless Stone. Can Love devise That Love shall not be seen? Nay, Eyes meet Eyes, And Love slips out between. Xhe Man that hath a Trade must work thereat. The Barber, lacking Custom, shaved the Cat. My Golden Cage is hung with Silk, The King and Queen delight in me, My Food is Fruit, my Drink is Milk, — I want my Nest and Hollow Tree I jt Xwo Sparrows for one Rice-grain made a Riot. The Cat was Arbitrator: — All Is quiet. 46 Betel Nuts Xhe Tiger camel She slew him And dragged him from the House And down the Drain she threw him; — And yet, she fears a Mouse ! Xhe harsh-voiced Raven thinks the Owl can sing. Among the Blind the One-eyed Man is King. Pearls so lustrous, Youth so bold,. This is sure: Pearls grow Yellow, Men grow Old — ■■ There's no Cure. An Owl will lead you to a Cave, A Sin will guide you to a Grave. "VV^HEN Toil is done, the Pipe is good. And after Bathing, Sleep and Food; But Smoking brings Delight to none In Darkness, Hunger, Wind or Sun. Who sports with Rufiians earns his Broken Bones. What Business had the Eggs to dance with Stones? Betel Nuts j^7 My Home is a Shell With an Empty Shelf I Oh, bring me a Well And I'll drown myself I Avoid Suspicion: When you're walking through Your Neighbor's Melon-patch, don't tie your Shoe. Xhe Scimitar smites On the Shield that is weak. The Fish has no Rights In the Cormorant's Beak. A Club he carries on his Arm. His Name is *'Mr. Do-No-Harm." If You suspect him, Then Reject him. If you Select him. Don't Suspect him. How like a Drum I suffer foul Despite, In Daytime soundly beat, hung up at Night! ^8 Betel Nuts A Demon, bored with Single Life, In Lanka wed a Monkey Wife; And thence arose, by Heaven's Grace Lai Das declares, the English Race. When God sends Rain, the Hoarders of the Corn And they alone, bow down their Heads and mourn. Xhe Merchant takes his Evening Meal And sleeps in simple hardihood; But, though his Bolts and Bars are Steel, The Door itself is Flimsy Wood. Snake-mouth, Wasp-sting and Hill- man's Dart Hold no such Poison as a Wanton's Heart. pouR Eyes to spy the Faults of Men, Four Ears to catch all Words of Spite, Two Tongues to pay them back again — You'll need at least Eight Hands to fight! Betel Nuts i9 Don't die, little Ass, for a week or so ! The Spring will come, the Clover will grow. She quit the Fisherman, descending lower To wed the Ferryman, that hardy Rower; But still the Washerman's unlucky Daugh- ter, Howe'er she tried, could never leave the Water! Should Slanders vex the Man who sees Clubs cast at none but Fruitful Trees? A Treasure-keeper, warned to let No Treasure tempt me, — I am set Upon a Raft where Waves arc high And told to keep my Garments dry! Xhe Frisky Bullock plows the Furrow through, Which One-that-lieth-down will never do. 50 Betel Nnts j\ll Slanders find an End When Lip on Lip is placed. If Friend but speak with Friend, The Liar is disgraced. No Craft is beyond him, no Meanness be- neath; He'll pick up a Cent from the Mud with his Teeth. j« JVIelons want the Sun to warm their Gold; Mangoes want the Rain to make them live; Women want Strong Arms to take and hold; Children, — all the Love that Heart can give. je pORTUNE may avail ; Plowing cannot fail. J^E Sings for those that have no Ear, He Sports for those that cannot See, He Reads for those that cannot hear, — < I wonder what his Pay will be! Betel Nuts 51 Appraise the Spring before you drink the Water; Observe the Mother ere you Wed the Daughter. Xhough we grasp, in Time of Trial, Windle-straws and rotten Sticks, Don't we know the Druggist's Vial Is the Juggler's Bag of Tricks? Xhe Baby Bird's Heaven is roofed with a Feather. To Feet that wear Sandals the whole Earth is Leather. 'rWHO cooked this Rice?" ' "Not 11— that Worthless Hound I" Tis very nice." "Why — yes — I stirred it round!" «( 9 My Baby cries — and All the World Is Wrong. My Baby laughs — the World is full of Song. 5S Betel Nuts Xhe rankling Wound your Anger made That easy, careless Laugh may heal When Hurts, yet sore from Biting Steel Are cured by sportive Flash of Blade. M^ menacing Foes are too many to count. I ride on a Tiger and dare not dis- mount. H^s Head is rather thick, But he isn't quite a Fool. He knew the Ox might kick, So lie stood behind the Mule. Be Peaceful yet Prepared, for Harm is quick. A Sheep will bite a Man without a Stick. Vain Idlers, think I (if think you can That waste your Days in Wanton Revel) ; The Fiend does Wrong to tempt the Man, But Man does Worse to tempt the Devil. Betel Nuts 53 Ben Ali, Ram Chunder and Yussuf are tall, But the Man with the Club is the Lord of them all. Jft Shall Lords of Treasure Stint their Dole? Don't Weigh and Measure; Fill my Bowl! A Child will judge the Voice, a Woman reads The Eyes and Lips; a Man requires Deeds. Those that Say and Do, are Good, we say; Those that Do but Say not. Great, we call; Tell, O Fount of Virtue, what are they That while Saying much Do naught at all? The Ass knows Seven Ways to Swim, — in Stall. But, seeing Water, clean forgets them all! .5^ Betel Nuts I SOUGHT your Door in Mercy's Name And met Rebuffs and Scorns. The Bee unto the Rosebush came, But all it found was Thorns. I HAVEN^T even Tears to cry, I haven't even Time to die ! jt If the Breakfast is bad all the Day will go wrong (For Hunger enfeebles the Arm of the Strong). If the Marriage is bad all the Life will go wrong (The Tongue is a Scourge with a Barb in the Thong). Xhe Fair is dull as a Sermon's End To him with never a Coin to spend. Shrink into Hell's Abodes, Or leap the Sun, — Flight hath a Thousand Roads, My Vengeance, one ! I'm like a Camel : Nights and Morns I carry Sweets but feed on Thorns I Betel Nuts 55 Xhe Unbeliever trusts the Eye; The Ear of Faith learns wondrous things. You never saw the Prophet fly, But Priestly Tongues can lend him Wings. A Queen are you and a Queen am I, — But who will spread the Clothes to dry? Death is the Boding Crow that wheels O'er Homes of Low and Great. Death is the Camel Black that kneels Unhid, at every Gate. Quoth Mittan the Miser when mellow with Wine, "Save Cupboard and Wardrobe, the Whole House is thine I" The Wells are dry; the Cattle die Amid the shriveled Grain. Above, the Crown of the Head is burnt; Below, the Sole of the Foot is burnt; O Great God, let it rain I 56 Betel Nuts ]\j[ERCY to the Tiger is a Sham. Call it, "Being cruel to the LamW Sugar is crisp as Sand, Sugar is white as Fleece, Sugar is sweet and bland, — But not so sweet as Peace. J^ Shower of Honey on a Sugar Shed Is shamed by Speech of Lovers newly wed. "\Yhen Life is Woe And Hope is dumb, The World says, "Gol" The Grave says, "Gomel" Where Ships have steered, the Caravan may trail; Where winds the Caravan, the Ship may sail. \ Thousand Times I dived, yet found No Pearl. The Fault was not With Me, nor Thee, nor yet the Sea; — But my Unhappy Lot. Betel Nuts 57 Smile at Wrongs thou canst not right, Kiss the Hand thou darest not bite. ♦*0 Allah," prays the Cat ia hungry Zeal, "Send Blindness on my Lord, that I may steal!" **0 Allah," prays the Dog, "endow with Meat My Lord, who, being filled, shall bid me eat!" "^HO gives a Man a Child to nurse Or trusts a Woman with a Purse? Lal Mir's Cat is grown too fat To hunt her Prey and snatch it. A Mouse she saw and waved her Paw To bid her Master catch it. Why ask my Answer, strong-armed Un- believer? What Answer can the Mutton give the Cleaver? 58 Betel Nuts Xhough called, when up and earning, Thy Sweetheart's Darling One, In Want and Fever's Burning Thou art thy Mother's Son. QOD that makes the Egg to Live, Shall Man ask and Thou not give? Chose: Peace or Death! What good is Life In Hate and Fear? Let One, or Both, or else our Strife Be buried here! QoD gives each Bird the Food that suits it best, But never hangs the Food above the Nest. I STONED the Mango Tree And sweet Fruit fell. My Foe misuseth me? I'll use him well. Head-downward hangs the Bat with Lips upcurled, And sneers, "How Topsy-turvy is the World!" Betel Nuti 69 Xhe Teeth are Thirty-two in sharp Array; The Tongue is lone and weak, and yet among The Silent Teeth it dwells, and Talks all Day, Yet takes no Harm I How Clever is the Tongue! She scolds at the Thunder, she scowls at the Light, She spits on the Thorn-bush and dares it to fight. Jn evil Days Draw good from every Harm. Your Home's ablaze? The Flames will keep you warm. "He has killed a Thousand Men!'* "Ah? he's Half a Doctor, then." Above the Lintel wrote the laggard Guest, "An Uncle's Dwelling is a Place of Rest." 60 Betel Nuts His Cousin scrawled beneath that Fervent Phrase, "If One remain not more than Seven Days." Are we Babes for Threats to fright? "Mother's Bear" will never bite. Xhe drumming Rain with Crystal Spears Assails the Mold. Our Acres thrive And Famine's Footprint disappears And Five becomes as Thirty-five. A WORD informs the Wise at once. A Hundred Lashes teach the Dunce. pORM hath one Beauty; Dress, the Pundits hold, Hath Beauties fifty score; Ten thousand Beauties glow in Gems and Gold; In Love, ten million more. Xo all their own Repasts: The Swan eats Pearls or fasts. Betel Nuts 61 Xhe Donkey turns a hungry Eye Upon the Fields all bare and dry; Then waxes fat, the Happy Ass, To think he's eaten all that Grass I You'll trace a Lie's Beginning When Sinners own to Sinning. Xhe Food was the Bee's, But by Man it is eaten. The Sin was the Flea's, But the Bedding is beaten. O Crafty Bee, which dost thou bring To me — the Honey or the Sting? Have Flowers less of Fragrance when they bloom where none may mark? Are Rubies dull and worthless when they lie on Mountains lone? Is Honey harsh and bitter when 'tis eaten in the Dark? Is Love the less delightful when to all the World unknown? ^2 Betel Nuts Xhe Swindler has no Time to smoke a Pipe. Who finds a Crow asleep when Figs are ripe? We're stripped as bare as a Bonel The Thief and his Stick were Two; My Brother and I were all alone, So, pray, what could we do? jit Within the Temple thrives the Scamp. 'Tis Darkest underneath the Lamp. Xhe Jackals show their Teeth, the Monkeys chatter. The angry Sparrows bluster — does it matter? The Dogs may tear his red Caparison, But, undisturbed, the Elephant goes on. I've found my Knife, but where are you, O Hound 1 iWhen I find you, my Knife can not be found 1 Betel Nuts 68 Xhe Elephant is guided by the Goad; A Club will keep the Bullock to the Road; The Bit and Rein subdue the restive Horse, And naught controls a Simpleton but Force. Though gentlest Hands re-knit the silken Chain Of Severed Friendship, still the Knots remain. The Hope of Home will make A Cripple sound. Nor Head nor Feet will ache When Homeward bound. Xhe Rains have come! The Rice-blades spring 1 The Farmer cares not who is Kingl y[Y Wrath is more than Tongue can utter I The Cat beneath my Hand shall quail I 'Twas not enough to steal the Butter — She yawned and sniffed and shook her Tail! 64 Betel Nuts We measure Towers by the Shadows thrown, And Great Men by the Slanders idly blown. ja^ LAUGH is due When Fate's grim Jests arc hurled. What's Death to you Is Fun for all the World. She's vain and saucy, proud and idle, — An Old Mare with a New Red Bridle. Xhe eager Fish Repent within the Net. Young Lovers wish, And Married Men regret. Death took him off But cured his Cough. Lost and Gone, like the Fame of Kings, Like a Woman's Faith, like the Horse's Wings, Like the Morning Mist, like the Evening Red, Like the Horns that grew on the Donkey's Head I Betel Nuts 66 f^is Sympathy Is cold; beneath The Weeping Eyes are Laughing Teeth. Xhe Water-lily spreads her Petals white ; The Moon, twice forty thousand Leagues above, Upon her pours a Flood of tender Light. Oh, Time and Space are naught to them that love! \yHOSE Hands are clever, labors all his Days; Whose Tongue is clever, speaks — the World obeys. \[y Hair hung low, a glossy Braid, Your Beard was Down upon your Chin; Our Love, the Love of Youth and Maid To which all other Love is Sinl Xhe Roots of Strife are Four, all told: A Woman, Cattle, Land and Gold. Love must love though Love must rue: Who the Flame of Love may smother I I am dying, Love, for you ; lYou are dying for Another! 66 Betel Nuts \yHEN Feasts are spread the Doctor rolls his Pills. In Fifty Dishes lie a Hundred Ills. .St Jsjo more he dances, feasts and sings; The Married Man is bound to Toil; His Mind is full of Sterner Things, And those are Food and Wood and Oil. What's that? You "Saw"?— I won't be- lieve a Word Of what you "Saw!"— I'll tell you what I Heard 1 Xhe Day he came we called him "Friend"; The Second Day we styled him "Guest"; The Third, "Our Caller" ; at the End Of Seven Weary Days, "A Pest!" pORBEAR to kill him, for the Sake Of all the Widows thou wouldst make. My Love departs with Dawning Light, Mine Eyes are dark with Sorrow. I pray thee, Lord, make such a Night That there shall be no Morrow! II I Betel Nuts 67 J^e's like the Golden Knife; unfit for Play Or any Use, too good to throw away. Xhe Butter that the Farmer sold was bad; The Merchant's Weights were false; so, haggling there. Each deemed himself a Cheat; but, oh. how sad! The Bargain that they made was just and fair. The Judge, beset with Lies, must try to tell What Plaintiff and Defendant know too well. Xhe Farmer prays for Rain, The Washerman for Sun. If Prayers were not in vain. The World would be undone. A GARDEN Wall is easy leaping. The Blind Man's Wife is in God's Keeping. ^ 68 Betel NuU Xo all the World thy Bosom's Joy dls- close, That Men shall honor thee and call thee Great; But let thine own Roof cover all thy Woes — Tie not thy Troubles to the Village Gatel My own good Son Is a Son Indeed! My neighbor's Son is a Worthless Weed. Xhey find Life sweet That Earn and Eat; And they will Earn That Lose and Learn. pAiR Is the Hope of a Distant Day; Blue are the Hills that are far away. Xhese Letters Black are Seeds, the which my Pen In Snow white Furrows diligently sows ; Betel Nuts 69 The Harvest shall be reaped by other Men, But what shall be that Harvest, Heaven knows. Obtrusive Cleanliness is out of Place: The Fussy Housewife washed the Tiger's Face. Xhe Donkey to the Camel said, "How dainty are your Feetl" The Camel to the Donkey said, 'Tour Voice is wondrous sweet!" Strangers serve the Swindler's Ends; Merchants, only, cheat their Friends. Xhe Promise may be broken That's made when Youth is new, But not the Promise spoken 'Twixt Thirty-Teeth-and-Two. j^HO goes to Law cries out, "Alack! Come Poverty, sit on my Back!" 70 Betel Nuts QooD Madam Cat, youVe bitten off my Tail; Now let me go, to scamper through the House And rummage every Shelf with Tooth and Nail, For Life is sweet, e'en to a Tailless Mouse. ^ Xhe Jar of Wine for the Rich Man's Hall. The Wayside Spring is the Friend of All. Six Years thy Son is all his Mother's own To love and tend; Twelve more he is thy Care — and then alone Becomes thy Friend. Look to thy Letters, Arms and Horse's Girth Thyself, though served by all the Slaves on Earth. Betel Nuts 71 In August Drouth the Jackal Whelp was born ; September poured his Waters down the Plains; Then cried the Cub in Wonder, "I'll be sworn, In All My Life I've never seen such Rains!" Rust cracks the Empty Pan, Sloth breaks the Husbandman. Should Fate assail, What use to guard or plan? A Serpent's Tail Will bite a Luckless Man. Xrade, join hands or strive alone with those That are proved your Equals — Friends or Foes. at Stand, or rest at your ease; Sit, or lie on the floor; Come and go as you please, But Do not Bang the Door! 7^ Betel Nuts He plies his Trade; still, is it not a sin To waste a Beam to make a Rolling- pin? He hoots with the owls, With the Horses he neighs, With the Jackals he yowls, With the Donkeys he brays. Xhk Court's Decree is Justice, clean and fair. And Luck ? Why, Luck is what the Dice declare. ji I GO, and leave your Mirth, I pass, and leave your Care; My earth shall mix with Earth, My breath shall mix with Air. IVe done with Wealth and Dearth, I'm one with Time and Space. Unclose, O Mother Earth, And give your Son a place I My lord, when called "My Lordl" will duly come. 'Tis thus I keep "my lord" beneath my thumb. I Betel Nuts 73 J\ll Noble Thought will surely reach the skies From any lands. Unworthy Prayer is merely closing eyes And folding hands. '\r Men of Deeds are jealous slanders thrown, As Stones are cast at Fruitful Trees alone. j« Qlass Bracelets at a Farthing each arc sold ; But when on arms without a fleck They clasp, in love, a Husband's neck Their worth is Many Thousand Pounds of Gold. j« Four things In Stubbornness all else sur- pass: A Child, a King, a Woman and an Ass. You call my tale ''Romance," And still the thing may be. The Jungle Peacocks dance. Though none is there to see. Hi, Betel Nuh XiiE Soul of the Sluggard revives in the Slow-worm; The Torchbearer dies and is turned to a Glow-worm. <^ pARCHED Peas are proud, and rightfully, they think; The noise of grinding them is heard so far, And he that eats of them is forced to drink A Hundred Gulps of Water from the jar! ^ Broken Friendship's Friendship ended; Shattered Pearls may not be mended. je ^Y diverse Yearnings torn and tried, Poor Men grow ever thinner: The Bridegroom longs to see the Bride, The Guests to see the Dinner. ^ poOD saves and Food destroys our Mortal Brood; No Friend nor Enemy is there like Food. I Betel Nuts 76 Xo gather Wealth, his grasping Hands are Two; One niggard Hand he has to give or spend. An Open Palm he shows the Well-to-do, A Knotted Fist he shows a Needy Friend. 'Qy Fear are forms of Demons wrought, And Phantoms are the Brood of Thought. Xhe Farms are rife With living Wealth of Spring; The Plowman's Wife Shall have a Golden Ring. Xhe Elephant's Bulk is amazing to see. "Yap! Yap!" says the Cur, "he is frightened of Mel" Confess thy Wrongful Deed this day And leave contented The Injured One — else do not say, "I have repented I" 76 Betel NuU Don't idle. Have you naught to do? Well, then, Unstitch your Clothes and sew them up again. "W^HO loves by lower Laws, His Love is naught; I love my Love, because I love her Thought. Who hath not found his God nor yet his Love Hath lost this World Below with That Above. Jn lairs of Monkeys Follies heap; Where gather Donkeys Kicks are cheap. ^ Remember, Guest, in Delhi, Greece or Rome, The Grandson is the Lord of every Home. Betel Nuts ^ A PRAYER for Work his Tongue has pat, But never mind it; For still his Heart Iceeps praying that He may not find it. "Yes," says the Man; "Yes," says the Woman, too; And what can Judge, or Priest, or Sultan do? He will not answer? Wait; he will. His Head is stubborn, yet I know The Tent-peg's Head, though harder still, Must answer to the Hammer's Blow. Xhe Law I do not fear; My Son's Policeman here. fHE Curse of Money doubles The Woes of Rich and Poor; A Penny buyeth Troubles That Dollars cannot cure. Xhough through his Flesh and Bone the Arrow bit, He prayed, "God send it prove I be not hit!" 78 Betel Nuts ^ MAN may greet his Friends with honeyed Tongue, And yet in Trade be hard and cold as Ice. The Cat has Gentle Teeth to hold her Young, But very Different Teeth for catching Mice. f^E roams like a Dog from the East to the West With Nothing to Do and no Leisure to Rest. Shine, Firefly, Through leafy bars, But do not vie With Heaven's Stars! Ws faithful as the Knee-joint to its Socket, The Lawyer's Hand keeps in his Client's Pocket. Xhey that challenge Danger, bring On themselves disastrous Force: Do not stand Before the King, Do not stand Behind the Horse. Betel Nuts 79 Jt is the Soldier's Blood and Grief That makes the Glory of the Chief. yHE Turtle lays upon the Sand A Thousand Eggs, unknown to Fame. The Hen lays One — but all the Land Is ringing with that Deed's acclaim. Both of us are Lords of Men — But who will drive the Asses, then? fjE sighs in the wet. Growing thinner and thinner, ♦Tf I had a Net The Fish would be Dinner." ^ Raid of Elephants Is better than A Visit of a Rajah with his Clan. PJe's bound to go Wherever she goes — ' A Buffalo With a Ring in his Nose I Xhe Camel learns to bear the Load, The Elephant to bear the Goad. 80 Betel Nuts Xhe Mouse's Chance Is Garnered Rice; The Pigeon's Chance is Scattered Peas; The Monkey's Chance is Mounds of Spice; The Shark's — the Wrecks' of Stormy Seas. Xhe Ants die thick around the Sugar- measure, And Men are ruined in Pursuit of Pleasure. Xhe Hornbill hovered there; The Palm snapped like a reed; So Witnesses will swear, •The Hornbill did the Deed!" Though strong are Dagger, Sword and Musket-ball,. The Cooking Pot is Mightiest of All. JJe wags a righteous Tongue, Whate'er his Acts may be. The Crab instructs its Young, "Walk straight ahead — like me I" Betel Nuts 81 \yHERE deep and smooth the Stream be- guiles, Beware! look, out for Crocodiles! JJe'll game if Fortune stays or flies; A Gambler to the core. He loses — then, "Revenge!" he cries; He wins — and must have more. A MONEY-DEBT with Gold may be de- frayed ; A Debt of Gratitude can not be jf^aid. Xhe Thief repents, and yet The Law remains severe. The Deer forgets the Net, But not the Net, the Deer. Si The Curs are barking, one and all, But that won't make the Mountain fall. Better to die for a Thing Worth While Than to perish of Sighs and Wishes. Better be snapped by a Crocodile Than be nibbled to death by Fishes. 82 Betel Nuts Although the Cow may not be vicious, Her long, sharp Horns make Folks suspicious. A MAN too poor to buy or sell, Of Treasurers will prove the worst. Shall he that's set to guard the Well Permit himself to die of Thirst? "Who dares not hoist the sail till all agree That Danger's dead, will never put to Sea. at Xhe Bitter Gourd I planted where Sago Heaps had lain. With Treacle-drops and Honey I drenched the Little Hill; I trained the Leafy Tendrils on rods of Sugar Cane; But when the Fruit had ripened, alas! 'twas Bitter still ! Not a Penny to her name — ' Runs to Market just the same.. Betel Nuts 83 pARMiNG bears the bell away; Trade comes next, the Wise Men say: Service is a sorry lot; Beggary is worst, God wot ! Xhe Yellow Dog that comes well recom- mended Will be a Lion ere the Game is ended. piVE Eggs was all the Rajah taxed the Village ; His Soldiers took a Thousand Fowls in pillage. When Clover blooms, and all the Hive is singing, The Honey Bee has little time for Stinging. What Culprit fails to urge the Plea That there are Others Worse than He? JVJAN need not prey on Man to keep alive; Not all the Birds are Hawks, and yet they thrive. SJf Betel Nuts A Patch of Silk on what you wear Calls most Attention to the Tear. fjow many Doors to Fame are shut By those Bad Fairies, "If" and "But" 1 I'll make it Rain as soon as Men Will all agree and tell me when. A Slip of the Foot is a trivial thing; A Slip of the Tongue may ruin the King. Brother helps Brother; Friends die for each other. Plant the Tree with Care and train it straight; Perhaps 'twill be a Pillar of the State. Xhe Peacock struts; his Grace may please the Peacock, But who else in the Jungle sees the the Peacock? Betel Nuts 85 Both of us are Men of Might. Wherefore Quarrel? Let us fight! Xhe Shaggy White Dog will be sure to catch Cold If he runs to the Market where Cotton is sold. Xhe Double-meaning Word of Craft Is still the Traitor's Shield and Shaft. Xhe Open Hands of Charity a-e fair And holy as the Folded Hands of Prayer. J* Xhe Crab explains, "My Crooked Walk, in truth, Is just the Harmless Playfulness of Youth." Whatever your Troubles, whatever your Woes, Tobacco and Coffee are Perfect Repose. Jf Prayers of Dogs were heard at all, What Showers of Bones from Heaven would fall ! 86 Betel Nuts "\Yho quarrels with the Well, should first Make sure he will not Die of Thirst. Qh, Rash One ! Expect you from Death to awake By saying, "Excuse mel I died by Mistake"? "VyHO brags about his Great Forbears Would steal the Praise that should be theirs. j« Xender is Earth and the humblest of things. Kissing the Feet of her Beggars and Kings. '^\]t ^nb 0f tl|e tr lj« CaratJan IjatI) rcaclyeb t\jt ,TJour- neg'B (5nal, ^nb jlab IB Wajjmorn ^twenli embracinjj ^vitni; ■2^ltc^enIiatljreacl)ebtl|cbottomoftI|e#craII, ^nb, glabber still, tlje Scribe toill lurite, University of California SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 305 De Neve Drive - Parking Lot 17 • Box 951388 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90095-1388 Return this material to the library from which it was borrowed. 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