Bridegroom Meets the Bride

In a certain village, there lived a girl who was as talkative as she was foolish in her chatter. In the neighboring village resided a landlord who had a young son, equally timid and foolish in his apprehensions.

A marriage proposal was made for the two to unite. The bridegroom came to meet the bride for the first time.

To keep the bride from talking excessively in the bridegroom’s presence, her mother gave her a betel nut. She instructed, “Put it in your mouth as soon as the bridegroom arrives and begin chewing it once he sits down.”

As soon as the bridegroom approached, the bride called out loudly to her mother, “Here he comes! Should I put the betel nut in my mouth?”

The bridegroom appeared visibly nervous. Once he took his seat, the bride inquired again, “Mother, now that he’s sitting here, should I start chewing?”

The bridegroom looked even paler. Without another word, he stood up and ran away, leaving the bride bewildered.