Three Kinds of Wives.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 4986, 20 April 1889, Page 2

Three Kinds of Wives.

A Zanzibar native story tells of some persons seeking advice from wise men. The first they went to was a man with beard and hair white as milk. The question was too difficult for him, and he sent on the inquirers to his next elder brother. This man was found to be grey, his black hair mixed with white. He also could not solve the puzzle, and sent on the seekers to his elder brother, and he settled it to their satisfaction. Now" they were amazed to see that every hair in Ink beard was black, he had not one single white hair amongst them. So before they took their leave they asked him how it was thafho who was the eldest had quite black hair id his beard, he who was the youngest had a beard entirely white, while the middle one had hair half blapk and half white iuhia board. ' • w

Ho replied; ‘lt all depends on a man’s wife. There are three kinds of wives. There’s , a wife who is a reasonable being. There is the wife who is a cow, and there is the wife who is a dog. Now, my wife is a reasonable being. When you came she got up to eee to your welcome, and rather than arouse mo from sleep she cut a piece off her dress. Then she went downstairs, she ordered the slaves, she arranged everything.

bo that all was ready when I got up. Thus you see I have no cares—not one single hair in my beard has grown white. Now, my next brother, his wife is a cow. Ho has to tell her to do everything. To 1 ell her to sweep to tell her to cook, to tell her to make the bed ; she sits and looks on unless he tells her. His beard, therefore, you see, is mixed black and white. But my youngest brother, his wife is a dog. She does nothing but fly at him. He gives her clothes, he gives her money, and she does nothing but abuse him and fly at him. “What sort of husband are you P I don't want you ! Get away from me.” This is the sort of words he hears nil day long, so his beard is perfectly white, though he is the youngest of the three.