"Why did he die?" "For lack of breath." (Hindustani).

"Why do you cry before you are beaten?” he asked. "You are going to beat me in future,” replied the boy. (Telugu).

"He takes off his clothes before he reaches the water." (Afghan).

Why do you weep?" "Not so, sir, this is my natural look." (Hindustani).

"Why is the funeral so hot?" One answered, “Every person weeps for his own state." (Arabian).

Or

weeps because of his own unhappy condition. "A burial or funeral is said to be hot, or warm, when crowds of mourners attend it, crying loudly. The women on those occasions wave their handkerchiefs with both hands, and, following the bier, sing the praises of the deceased, whom, whether male or female, they celebrate chiefly for beauty or finery: 'What a beautiful turban he had!' 'What a lovely person she was!' 'What a fine veil she wore!""-J. L. Burckhardt.

"Why, my girl, do you faint?” "I have not had rice enough." (Tamil).

"Why, you fellow, do you untie the knot?" "Do you know how hungry I am?" (Tamil).

"You fellow! Why did you go up the cocoanut tree?” When thus addressed, he replied, "I went to get grass for the calf." (Tamil).

A retort that gave no information and intended to be equivalent to the reply, "It is none of your business."

"You shrew, will you plaster the floor?" "No, you wretch! I'll dig it." "You shrew, will you dig the floor?" 66 No, you wretch! I'll plaster it." (Hindustani).

RETORTING PROVERBS

A chariot moves not on a single wheel.

(Sanskrit).

A response to people who exercise poor judgment or act with evil intent and then charge their mishaps and failures to fate.

A lack and a lack, says one—make two score and ten, says another. (Bengalese).

A reproving rejoinder to a blusterer who belittles a great undertaking and asserts that it can be accomplished with little labour and expense.

Ask the sick man if he wishes for a bed. (Turkish). For similar retorts see Contemptuous Proverbs: "Ask the tapster if his ale is gude."

As old as my tongue and a little older than my teeth. (English).

Used in answering the question, "How old are you?" when one does not care to tell his age.

Drive a nail to me also. (Modern Greek).

A reply to the boasting remarks of a conceited person, who compares himself to others who are greatly his superiors in intelligence and rank.

Eat your melons, what business have you with the melon bed? (Persian).

Take what is offered to you and ask no questions. Used in answering one who makes many inquiries as to the source from which he is to receive pay for services.

Enough, sir, enough, I already see your army. (Hindustani).

Spoken in derision to one who boasts.

Explain thy meaning and give not the author's name. (Spanish).

To one who insinuates that he has information that he is not permitted to give because it was communicated to him in confidence.

For the truth seven twists are not required. (Telugu). A response to one who tries to cover a falsehood or misdeed by lengthy explanations.

Gar wood's ill to grow, chuckie stanes are ill to chow. (Scotch).

Forced woods are hard to grow; pebbles are hard to chew.

A response to one who threatens force if his wishes are not complied with.

Give me your eyes and go about to beg. (Hindustani). A response to a person who makes unreasonable demands.

Go wash your mouth. (Hindustani).

Used as a reply when one does not intend to grant a favour.

Hout your dogs and bark yoursel'. (Scotch).

Explained by James Kelly as, "A sharp return to those that say 'Hout' to us, which is a word of contempt; in Latin, apage!"

I am not a camel that you should wound me in two places of my neck. (Persian).

Quoted by a man who refuses to be put to any expenditure of time or money for the benefit of another who has injured him.

If they ask you for cabbages, my father has a field full of peas. (Spanish).

A proverbial reproach to a person who has given an irrelevant answer to a question.

I have eaten children all my life and they now call me witch. (Bengalese).

Witches are said to eat children and make ointment out of their fat.

The rejoinder of one who has been charged with a fault or evil practice that he has indulged all his life without censure.

"I'm but beginning yet," quo' the wife when she run wud. (Scotch).

A reply to those who ask whether one is through speaking or acting.

I pricked nae louse since I darned your hose, an then I might hae pricked a thousand.

(Scotch).

Said to have been originally the reply of a tailor to
one who called him a prick louse.
Commenting on the proverb, Alexander Hislop
asks whether it "is not meant as a reply to one
who may have been under the evil influence of
another and who, having shaken himself free of
it, can say honestly that since he has done so he
has been perfectly free, however much he may
have been under it before."

I would hae something to look at on Sunday. (Scotch). A reply when asked "Of what use would it be to you to get married?"

Kiss your luckie, she lives in Leith.

(Scotch).

Luckie is a word used in referring to a woman, particularly an old or married woman.

An intentionally irrelevant reply.

"Gin ony sour mou'd girning bucky

Ca' me conceity, keckling chucky,

That we, like nags whase necks are yenky,
Hae used our teeth,

I'll answer fine-Gae kiss your lucky,
She dwalls i' Leith."-Allan Ramsay.

Knead meal and make a cake.

(Modern Greek).

A rejoinder to one who pretends that he cannot do that which is clearly within his ability.

Krishna's name from a raven's mouth! (Bengalese). An exclamation of surprise when an ignorant or foolish man makes a sensible remark.

It is said that minas and parrots are frequently taught by the Bengalese to pronounce the name Krishna.

Like the wabster stealing through the world. (Scotch). A facetious reply to the question: "How are you getting on?

The saying reflects, as do many proverbial retorts, on the honesty and honour of weavers. Why the weaver should become the scapegoat of proverb makers is not known. In Spain it is said: "A hundred tailors, a hundred millers, and a hundred weavers are three hundred thieves"; and in Germany men quote the maxim: "Millers, tailors, and weavers are not hanged or the trades would soon be extinct." In India weavers are frequently mentioned in the precepts of everyday life and always with contempt or ridicule. John Christian, commenting on the Behar proverb, "The goat of a weaver, and given to viciousness!"-or butting, says: "The quiet, humble, forbearing weaver, the butt of all and the typical fool of Indian society, is the most inoffensive of human beings; therefore, from a parity of reasoning, helped by imagination, his goat, of all creatures in the world, ought to be the most inoffensive! Then, goats are not usually vicious, and much less the goat of a weaver." See Proverbs Founded on Historic Incidents, etc: "The weaver lost his way in a linseed field."

An answer of one who has eaten all the food that has been given to him and who has been asked whether he will have some more.

Mix eggs and butter and make gravy for sharpening. (Modern Greek).

A response to one who has refused to grant a favour.
A soldier once asked a country woman for some