The tiles which protect thee in the wet season were fabricated in the dry. (Chinese).

"Provision in season makes a bein (comfortable) house." (Scotch).

The water of God for the pines of the wood. (Kashmiri). The cedar, pine, and spruce are common on the Himalayas, so that the proverb would be natural to the Kashmiri people in speaking of God's care.

The withered rose of a poor tendril. (Osmanli).

The woof of old age and the warp of death are the same. (Persian).

They divided the flowers; the rose fell to the lot of the thorn. (Osmanli).

"Among thorns grow roses."
"Pluck the rose and
leave the thorn." "Every rose has its thorn.”
(Italian). "Without thorns no roses." "No
house without a mouse, no barn without corn,
no rose without a thorn." "Under the thorn
grow the roses. (German). "For the rose the
thorn is often plucked.' 'A rose between two
thorns.' "Gather the rose and leave the thorn
behind." "Roses have thorns." (English).
"He who would gather roses must not fear
thorns." "Roses fall but the thorns remain."
(Dutch). "From the thorn springs the rose, and
from the rose the thorn." (Modern Greek).

Though the birds of the forest have no garners, the wide world is before them. (Chinese).

Though the sky of this tear-stained world is overcast with clouds, the light of truth shines in the heart. (Japanese).

Time flies like an arrow, days and months as a shuttle. (Chinese).

See Job vii:6; Isa. xxxviii : 12.

Today is the elder brother of tomorrow, and a copious dew is the elder brother of the rain. (Yoruba-WestAfrican).

To light a lamp in the house is like the flowering of the lotus on the lake. (Kashmiri).

To meet an old friend in a distant country is like the delight of rain after a long draught. (Chinese).

Truth has a handsome countenance but torn garments. (German).

Truth is the gate of justice.

(Osmanli).

Unfading are the gardens of kindness. (Modern Greek). Unpolished pearls never shine. (Japanese).

When folly passes by, reason draws back. (Japanese).

When the hand ceases to scatter, the mouth ceases to praise. (Irish).

When the heart within is enlightened with cheer and brightness it is heaven's hall; when the heart within is dark and gloomy, then it is earth's prison. (Chinese). We are full of sins, and Thou (O God) art an ocean of mercy. (Persian).

With opposing warriors, he who has pity conquers. (Chinese).

Youth is a crown of roses, old age a crown of willows. (Hebrew).

IMPOSSIBILITIES AND ABSURDITIES IN

PROVERBS

A blind woman shaves an insane one.

(Arabian).

"The libán shámy is a white shining gum of a glutinous quality, a kind of turpentine that is imported into Egypt from the islands of the Archipelago, particularly from Scio, where it is produced from a species of fir. It is used in a melted state, the finger being dipped into it and rubbed over the face, by which process all the hair to which it sticks is eradicated. The women of Cairo, whose beauty is obscured by hair on the skin, avail themselves of this depilatory."J. L. Buckhardt in Arabic Proverbs.

The proverb is used by the Arabs in Cairo in speaking of people who are employed in occupations to which they are not fitted.

A bungalow upon an inch of ground. (Kashmiri).

"The protuberance is larger than the body."
"The pearl (in her nose ring) is heavier than her
nose. "A man as big as your fist, his beard a
cubit long." (Marathi). "The kakri is one
cubit long; its seed nine cubits." The kakri is a
kind of cucumber. (Behar). "A cucumber
twelve cubits long, with seeds thirteen cubits."
(Bengalese). "A staff a cubit long in a house a
span wide."
"A stick two yards long in a room
one cubit square.” (Telugu).
The above proverbs are applied to people who make
great preparations for some trifling matter, who
spend money beyond their ability, who make great
pretensions or who try to carry a larger re-
sponsibility than they are able. They are also
sometimes used as retorts.

A garland of flowers in a monkey's paw. (Telugu). See Biblical Proverbs-New Testament: "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine, lest haply they trample them under their feet and turn again and rend you."

Aggrieved because she had no eyes, she purchased a looking-glass for two derhems. (Arabian).

A good head has one hundred hands. (Russian).

A miss is as good as a mile. (English).

The origin of this absurd proverb is unknown, but it has been conjectured that it is a corruption of the saying, "Amis is as good as Amile, Amis and Amile being legendary soldiers of Charlemagne who were alike in many things.

A mountain hid behind a straw. (Hindustani).

A great opportunity easily seen, or a great benefit easily obtained.

Among ten men nine are women. (Turkish).
Only one man in ten has manly qualities.

A painting on water. (Persian).

An undertaking that amounted to nothing.

As comely as a cow in a cage.

(English).

"Whatever she were then (said one), she is now
To become a bride, as meet as a sow

To bear a saddle. She is, in this marriage,
As comely as is a cow in a cage."

John Heywood.

A scorpion never stung me, but I cured myself with its grease. (Italian).

As the bird flies I can count his feathers. (Bengalese).

You cannot deceive me with all your plausible arguments and explanations. I see through your scheme and know your deceitful and knavish purposes.

As wonderful as a bullock climbing a tree, or the lobe of the ear pierced with a holonga. (Assamese).

Both men and women pierce their ears in Assam.

The holonga is a pole that is balanced on the shoulders and always used in carrying burdens which are suspended from the ends.

A toad propping a bed-post firmly. (Chinese).

Can your house be burnt down with hot water? (Telugu).

Deaf people sometimes hear quickly. (Japanese).

Digging up a mountain to catch a rat. (Telugu).

Do not squeeze sour grape juice in your eye. (Osmanli). Your troubles are of your own making. Do not vex your mind over matters that do not concern you.

Do you want a stone roller to break an egg with? (Telugu). Fried wind and snow on the spit. (Modern Greek).

The occurrences that you describe are impossible.

He blew a conch to report that there was nothing; and beat a drum to intimate that there was not even that. (Tamil).

He blushes like a black dog. (English).

He calls for a shoeing-horn to help on his gloves. (English).

He catches the wind with a net. (English).

Many such absurd expressions are used to express the futility of attempting to accomplish the impossible.

"He gives straw to his dog and bones to his ass." "He is building a bridge over the sea. "He is making ropes of sand." "He numbers the waves. "He ploughs the air." "He seeks wool on