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- 101 Urdu Proverbs
Compiled by Kishwar Chishti
Illustrated by Zarina Hashmi

A book of Urdu proverbs, compiled by Kishwar Chishti, illustrated by 10 wood-cut prints by artist Carina Hasmi, was launched at the Chawkandi Gallery in Karachi on September 1, with a number of book lovers and art enthusiasts in attendance. Titled 101 Urdu Proverbs, the little book is full of homely wit and common sense. The aphorisms warn against two women sharing a kitchen; speak of the beguiling sound of a distant drum beat, point out that to a blind man the flowers are always in bloom and remind us of a favorite and well known analogy, the cat who eats nine hundred mice and then repents! These and many others contribute to an unassuming and amusing publication, dedicated by Kishwar to her nephews and nieces working and studying abroad.
Throughout the world the current pace of life is pressured and tough. As the Red Queen tells Alice (in Wonderland) you have to run twice as fast to remain in the same place. No wonder that old fashioned wisdom and basic truths are forgotten. Kishwar and her sister Zarina may have started a trend of

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'back to roots' ventures, since it is now acknowledged that there was often sense and logic behind the old wives' tales and remedies and much could be learned from grand-me. The proverbs, ages old, also remind us that, surprisingly, that there is much of human nature that remains the same.
– Marjorie Hussain

The Herald, September 1991