Arab & the camel [was Re: Chomsky, Labov, Cassidy, Lakhoff,Dilliard, McDavid,Nixon in 1974.]

[Douglas G. Wilson]

>My own explanation is that
>the MSW not being from Oregon (as in A DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN PROVERBS),
>he cannot be blamed for making me explain the fable to him, but the
>prior being from Illinois should probably have known better.

Now I see (I went to the library). The book gives Illinois and Oregon as
the distribution of the story. I think this must be wrong or perhaps
outdated. I can't remember where I heard it long ago but I think Michigan.
I showed the glossed passage in Tom Paikeday's e-mail to my son (a young
Pennsylvanian with no Malayalam) and he recognized it instantly, told the
story and interpreted it as "Even slight evil should not be permitted" or
so. I didn't tell it to him. I suppose this story has been broadcast; maybe
it's been used in churches and schools all over; maybe it was on "Sesame
Street" or something. What do the scholars say?

-- Doug Wilson