Мам

VIII.

THE MOTHER- IN- LAW BECAME AN ASS.

LITTLE by litttle the mother- in- law became anass- vara vara mámi kaludai pôl ánál, is a proverbamong the Tamils, applied to those who day by daygo downwards in their progress in study, position,or life, and based on the following story:-

In a certain village their lived a Brâhman withhis wife, mother, and mother- in- law. He was avery good man, and equally kind to all of them.His mother complained of nothing at his hands,but his wife was a very bad- tempered woman, andalways troubled her mother- in- law by keeping herengaged in this work or that throughout the day,and giving her very little food in the evening.Owing to this the poor Brâhman's mother wasalmost dying of misery. On the other hand, herown mother received very kind treatment, of course,at her daughter's hands, but the husband was socompletely ruled by his wife, that he had nostrength of mind to oppose her ill- treatment of hismother.

One evening, just before sunset, the wife abused