The Man and His Wife

A MAN had a Wife who made herself hated by all the members of his household. Wishing to find out if she had the same effect on the persons in her father’s house, he made some excuse to send her home on a visit to her father. After a short time she returned, and when he inquired how she had got on and how the servants had treated her, she replied, “The herdsmen and shepherds cast on me looks of aversion.” He said, “O Wife, if you were disliked by those who go out early in the morning with their flocks and return late in the evening, what must have been felt towards you by those with whom you passed the whole day!”

ある男の妻は、家の者みんなから嫌われていた。男は、妻が実家の人たちにも同じように嫌われるのかどうか知りたいと思い、何かと口実をつけて、妻を父親のもとへ里帰りさせた。しばらくして妻が戻ってきたので、男は、向こうではどうだったか、召使いたちはどう接してくれたかとたずねた。妻は答えた。「牛飼いや羊飼いたちが、嫌そうな目つきでわたしを見ました。」男は言った。「おまえ、朝早く家畜を連れて出かけ、夜遅くに帰ってくる者たちにさえ嫌われたのなら、一日じゅういっしょに過ごした者たちは、おまえのことをどう思っていたことだろう！」

Straws show how the wind blows.

わらくずを見れば風向きがわかる（小さなことから全体がわかる）。