Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org
Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org
Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
•<br />
1918.] I. II. N. E\ w /•'<br />
: lie) not. 205<br />
Tin Cockroaches' Vili \ge.<br />
! by<br />
Katil.<br />
I<br />
There was once a man who had seven male children.<br />
Their names were Sulong, Tengah, Alang, Ruh, Penangkap,<br />
Bumbun, and Uonsu Api.<br />
One day <strong>the</strong> eldesl - >n Sulong) went <strong>of</strong>f into <strong>the</strong> forest<br />
to hunt for game, and far away from his home came upon an<br />
na-tree (Fiats sp.) in fruit. He sought out a convenient<br />
some distance from <strong>the</strong> tree to make a<br />
night, and <strong>the</strong>re he slept.<br />
shelter for <strong>the</strong><br />
Early 111 <strong>the</strong> morning he went to tin tree and climbed up<br />
into it with his blow-pipe to shoot <strong>the</strong> monkeys, birds and<br />
I<br />
squirrels, which came m hundreds to eat <strong>the</strong> fruit.<br />
The tree was on <strong>the</strong> top <strong>of</strong> a hill, and below <strong>the</strong> hill, on<br />
one side, though hidden from view, was a clearing. While hewas<br />
in <strong>the</strong> tree he laughing and <strong>the</strong> cries <strong>of</strong><br />
children coming from <strong>the</strong> clearing. So he came down from<br />
and, making his way towards <strong>the</strong> sounds, eventually<br />
arrrived <strong>the</strong>re, He entered a patch oi sugar-cane and came<br />
across a fowl which cackled loudly. Next he came to a house<br />
and saw a mortar in which he had heard somebody pounding<br />
padi. Then he called aloud. " Hoi, sister ! Hoi, sister!" but<br />
nobody answered, ami going up into <strong>the</strong> house he found that<br />
<strong>the</strong> people had vanished. He saw food ready cooked <strong>the</strong>re<br />
and said to himself. " What am I to do. for I am hungry ? If<br />
this is spirits' food it will he savourless, but if for human<br />
beings, it will be salt."<br />
So he tasted <strong>the</strong> food and found that it was salt and,<br />
thinking it safe to do so, ate until he was satisfied. After this<br />
he took water and drank it. and <strong>the</strong>n he took sireli, which was<br />
also set out <strong>the</strong>re, to chew. Now <strong>the</strong> first quid that he chewed<br />
tasted sweet, <strong>the</strong> second rich, <strong>the</strong> third intoxicating, and <strong>the</strong><br />
fourth sweet. Then feeling giddy, he lay down on some mats<br />
which were spread in <strong>the</strong> house. When he had fallen into a<br />
stupificd sleep, <strong>the</strong> people <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> house, who were all women,<br />
but who had become cockroaches at his approai h, came out<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir lurking places and ate his body till little remained to<br />
him but his life. \t last, on his awaking, <strong>the</strong>y killed him with<br />
billets <strong>of</strong> wood.<br />
Now. as he did 1<br />
1 •<br />
.<br />
, <strong>the</strong> second bro<strong>the</strong>r set out<br />
to look for him and came aco.-Q <strong>the</strong> hut 111 whii h he had -pent<br />
<strong>the</strong> night. Here he slept, and in <strong>the</strong> morning he went to <strong>the</strong><br />
nra-tree where, on <strong>the</strong> previous evening, he had found his<br />
bro<strong>the</strong>r's blow-pipe, dart-quivi r, an 1 spear, I ;;ethcr with <strong>the</strong><br />
rotting bodies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> animals that ho had shot. He also<br />
climbed up into <strong>the</strong> tree and shot some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> animals and<br />
birds which were eating its fruit, and towards mid-day. while<br />
still in <strong>the</strong> tree, he heard <strong>the</strong> sound <strong>of</strong> people pounding rice<br />
and <strong>of</strong> laughter coming from <strong>the</strong> place where <strong>the</strong> clearing was