One day at night, a father-in-law and his son-in-law were outside
spending the evening. The darkness grew great and the father-in-
law stood up whence he sat, saying : “ My son-in-law, let us go to
sleep! There is a darkness like the gloom of a blind eye.” 608 His
son-in-law then remained with shame, for he was dead of one eye ;
but he kept quiet.
One day, when moonshine had come, they are again gossiping
outside, both the father-in-law and the son-in-law. The son-in-law
then tells his father-in-law : “ O sir, let us go to sleep ; for there is
a moonlight of bald-head shine ! 609 that will do us harm outside,
where we are.
The father-in-law then goes into his house. He will no more wish
good-by nicely to his son-in-law. His son-in-law also then goes
away into his house.
In three days, the father-in-law calls six aged men, seven with
himself. Says : “ I want to be heard about the insult, which my
son-in-law gave me.” The aged men then send to call the son-in-
law. When he came, the father-in-law then spake: “You, gentle-
men, they are wont to say this (proverb), 4 Where is a bought one, do
not there refer to it.’ But, my son-in-law, one day, we were outside
spending the night, he sees the moonlight set in, he will not speak
to me, saying, ‘ let us go to sleep ; ’ he speaks to me, with a heart to
offend me, saying, 4 there is a moonlight of bald-head shine ! let us
go to sleep, my father-in-law, for this moonlight, it will do us harm.’
Therefore, until to-day let him be with my daughter ; but I am not
his friend, because of insults which he gave me. I am bald-headed,
he said ‘bald-head shine.’ Me, did he not insult me ? Therefore I
reject the friendship with him.”
Then the son-in-law : I would not have said it, if my father-in-
law had not been first in insulting me. One day, after dark, we are
outside gossiping, my father-in-law told me, saying : 4 Come let us
go to sleep ; for there is a darkness as the gloom of a blind eye.’ I
am dead of one eye ; did he not insult me thus, you gentlemen ? ”
“Truth; he insulted thee. Why! thy son-in-law, who is dead of
one eye, thou comest to say this saying about the darkness !
If he said the moonlight of bald-head shine ! he returned what thou be-
gannest to tell him. Thus be not in enmity, both son-in-law and
father-in-law. Thou, father-in-law, hast no son ; thy son, (it) is thy
son-in-law. Thou thyself wast first in offending him ; he then re-
torted to thee also. Be ye friends. This affair, do not go away with
it ; take it out of (your) heart. Because thou, the aged, wast the
first, the younger he paid thee back. We will not hate each other
because of these things. Bring rum ; let us drink. We will have
no bad words like those. Thou thyself hast said it, 4 Where is a
bought one, do not refer to it.’ Thou knewest that thy son-in-law is
one-eyed ; thou didst refer to it ; now when he pays it back, shall it
be a crime ? ”
They then remained in friendship, both the son-in-law and the
father-in-law.