Page:An English Garner Ingatherings from Our History and Literature (Volume 1 1877).pdf/346

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them, to tumble and play in it. Here the Noya had quenched his thirst, but, as he was drinking, the child that lay in the bowl, out of his innocency and play, hit him on the head, with his hand; which the Noya made no matter of, but bare patiently, knowing it was not done out of any malice, and having drunk as much as sufficed him, went away, without doing the child any harm.

Being minded to direct the Polonga to this bowl, but desirous withal to preserve the child: he told him, "That he knew of water; but he was such a surly hasty creature, that he was fearful to let him know where it was, lest he might do some mischief." Making him therefore promise that he would not: he then told him, that at such a place there was a bowl of water with a child playing in it; and that probably the child might, as he was tumbling, give him a pat on the head—as he had done to him before—but charged him nevertheless, not to hurt the child. Which the Polonga having promised: went his way towards the water, as the Noya had directed him.

The Noya, knowing his touchy disposition, went after him: fearing that he might do the child a mischief; and that thereby he himself might be deprived of the like benefit afterwards. It fell out as he feared. For as the Polonga drank, the child patted him on the head: and he, in his hasty humour, bit him on the hand, and killed him. The Noya seeing this, was resolved to be revenged: and so, reproaching him for his baseness, fought him so long till he killed him; and after that, devoured him. Which to this day they ever do: and always fight, when they meet: and the conqueror eats the body of the vanquished. Hence the proverb.

"He that hath money to give to his judge, needs not fear; be his cause right or wrong." Because of the corruption of the great men, and their greediness for bribes.

"If our fortune [gerehah] be bad, what can god do against it?" Reckoning that none of their gods have power to reverse the fate of an ill planet.

"The ague is nothing, but the headache is all." That country is very subject to agues, which do especially afflict the heads of those who have them.

They have certain words of form and civility that they use