Sibu Tales : Mah Long (Horse Eggs)

My maternal grandmother used to teach us Foochow folk rhymes when she came to visit us.

This one is about Mah Long, or Sesame Balls, a lovelyFoochow snack made from glutinous rice flour and sesame seeds with bean paste filling.

Mah Long Huaren tong,
Wu Chieng doh li Meh
Moh Chieng moh nii chong.

Come back sweet snacks (sesame balls and peanut brittle)
Have money come and buy,
If you have no money, you get none.

This rhyme teaches us the importance of money and how we must work hard to earn money so that we could have something sweet to eat at the end of the day.

Work hard and have something nice to eat.

We would always repeat the rhyme before we have nice snacks when grandma came to visit.

But on the other hand it also taught us that the vendor or business man might be nasty. No money no talk.......We have been warned!!