r who killed his son." The
lights and shades of polygamous life appear in the sharply-contrasted
proverbs, "He who has two wives enjoys a perpetual honeymoon," and "He who
has two wives doesn't need cats and dogs;" the bad consequences of divided
responsibility are indicated by the proverb, "If there are too many
shepherds the sheep die;" and the value of a good shepherd is stated as
tersely and forcibly as it well could be in the declaration that "A good
shepherd will get cheese from a he-goat."

Caucasian proverbs, however, are not all as rude, unpolished and grotesque
as most of those above quoted. Some of them are simple, noble and
dignified, the undistorted outcome of the higher and better traits of the
mountaineer's character. Among such are, "Dogs bark at the moon, but the
moon does not therefore fall upon the earth;" "Blind eyes are a
misfortune, but a blind heart is worse;" "He who weeps from the soul weeps
not tears, but blood;" "Generous words are often better than a generous
hand;" "A guest, a man from God;" and finally the really noble proverb,
"Heroism is patience for one moment more:" no words could better express
the steady courage, the unconquerable fortitude, the proud, silent
endurance of a true Caucasian Highlander. At all times and under all
circumstances, in pain, in peril and in the hour of death, he holds with
unshakable courage to his manhood and his purpose. Die he will, but yield
never. The desperate fifty years' struggle of the Caucasian mountaineers
with the bravest armies and ablest commanders of Russia is only a long,
blood-illuminated commentary upon this one proverb.

In order that the reader may get a clear idea of the scope and general
character of Caucasian proverbial literature, I will give without further
comment a few selections from the current sayings of the Laks, the
Chechenses, the Abkhazians, the Koorintzes and the Avars: "Don't spit into
a well: you may have to drink out of it;" "A fish would talk if his mouth
were not full of water;" "Bread doesn't run after the belly, but the belly
after bread;" "A rich man wherever he goes finds a feast--a poor fellow,
although he goes to a feast, finds trouble;" "Stick to the old road and
your father's friends;" "Your body is pledged to pay for your sins;"
"Burial is the only medicine for the dead;" "Swift water never gets to the
sea;" "With good neighbors you can marry off even your blind daughter;"
"You can't get sugar out of every ston