If you do not guess it
You are dirty.


We have mentioned two references to Malay riddles. Of the eight given
in Rizal's paper five have been given us by our informants. As Rizal's
entire paper will be reprinted in another volume of this series we have
not copied the other three. Sibree's paper is important for comparison,
since it presents matter drawn from the uttermost point of Malaysia,
Madagascar, which has been unaffected by Spanish influence. Sibree's
article is translated from a little book by another missionary, the
Rev. Louis Dahle. Dahle's book is entitled _Specimens of Malayasy
Folklore_ and its material is presented in Malagasy only. Mr. Sibree
translates twenty of his riddles. They are in character and flavor
like many of the Filipino riddles. As Sibree does not give the native
text and I have not seen Dahle's book, I cannot know whether they
are rhymed. They are all of the type of true riddles to be guessed,
descriptions wherein one or two characteristics or striking features
are presented, either directly or figuratively. Examination of this
little series deepens an impression already made by study of our own
collection, namely, that the true riddles in our series are largely
original Filipino while the insoluble riddles, the catches, the plays
on words, are those where foreign influence is most evident. Although
Sibree's article is easily accessible, we quote a few of these Malagasy
examples for comparison.

"Cut and no wound seen?" "Water," is our number 231.

"The mother says let us stand up, but the children say let us lie
across?" "A ladder." and "At night they come without being fetched