Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org

_»i4 Journal of the F.M.S. Museums. [Vol VII,
dead, but if it shuts and then opens again, I shall still be
alive."
Then he set out, taking his knife with him, and made his
way through the jungle, cutting down as he went the big and
small trees that stood in the path. And the sound of the
great trees being cut and tailing was, " Prmig punggau, prung
punggaii, prung punggau." Now a man who happened to be
walking towards him, hearing the noise of the trees falling.
and being frightened that one of them might kill him, began
to call out, "Ail Ail Ail, I am coming towards you and
shall he struck by a tree " " ! What is your name ? " said
Budak Void Intoie and the newcomer replied, " My name is
Rah Serpik 1 (Pull-the-Canes)." Then answered Budak Yoid
Intoie, "If your name is Pull-the-Canes, well, pull the
canes!" So Rah Serpik pulled the canes out with one hand.
" Well," said Budak Yoid Intoie, " if you can do that, you are
rightly named Rah Serpik." So they stopped to chew betelnut,
and Rah Serpik asked his companion what his name was,
to which he made reply, "Budak Yoid Intoie" (Big Knife
Youth). " Why, if that is so," said Rah Serpik, " u here's your
knife?" "I don't know," said
not got it, it's only my name."
Budak Yoid Intoie, "I have
Now he had hidden his knife
in a large tree.
He, in his turn, asked Rah Serpik if he had a knife, and
Rah Serpik replied, " If I carried a knife my name would
not be Pull-the-Canes." Then he again asked Budak Yoid
Intoie for a knife, as he wanted to cut up the betel-nut, and
Budak Yoid Intoie said. " I have put it into the big tree over
there. If you can lift it, I will become your follower, but.
if you cannot, you shall become mine."
So Rah Serpik went to get the knife, but was unable to
raise it, and Budak Yoid Intoie said, "Very well, you shall be
my follower."
Then he got up and fetched it himself, and they chewed
betel-nut, and, when they had finished, set out en their
journey together, Rah Serpik following Budak Yoid Intoie,
while Budak Yoid Intoie cut down the trees that stood in the
way, toalang-trees, kempas-trees, merbau-trees, meranti-trees, or
whatever they were, " Prung punggau, prung punggau, prung
punggau."
Soon another man cried out from in front of them, "Ail
Ail Ail" just as Rah Serpik had done before. So Budak
Yoid Intoie called the newcomer to him and asked him his
name, and he replied, "TinjuTebik" (Thump-the-Bankst."
Then said Budak Yoid Intoie, "Well, if your name is "Thumpthe-Banks,"
just thump the banks of this river!" So Tinju
Tebik" thumped the banks of the river with his fist, and they
fell down and blocked the stream.
Rimtun maiiau in Malay Rotan maua
cane which is collected bv the Sakai for sale