Book Name:

Fables and Folk-Tales from an Eastern Forest

[1] There once lived, in the interior of Raman (a province of Patani), a King of the Fairies who had a beautiful daughter named Princess Nang Cháyang. [2] This Fairy Princess [3] was first of all born in a cave, but the old astrologer prophesied evil of her and said, "This infant must never be kept ashore, set her adrift on the water."

Therefore a feast of purification was held in the land, and the Fairy Princess was thrown into the river to drown. Instead of drowning however she rose to the surface, and floated down the river, resting on a mass of foam. As she floated down she was rescued by Rãja Siung, the Tusky Prince. He was called the Tusky Prince because he ate men's flesh till his eye-teeth developed into tusks like those of a cannibal. [4] For once when a follower of his had taken the carcase of a slain goat (which was to be roasted for the Prince) down to the river, to scour it, a vulture flew down while his back was turned, and carried off the goat's heart. The young man feared to take back the flesh without the heart, therefore he slew a boy who was passing by and forced into the goat's carcase the heart of his victim. So the Prince partook of the boy's heart, and when he had eaten it, he rejoiced and said, "This is a better goat's heart than any I have tasted. Why is it so much sweeter than that of other goats I have eaten?"

At first the youth said nothing, but afterwards he confessed that it was the heart of a boy. So the Prince commanded to slay a boy daily, in order that he might eat the heart thereof. Wherefore his tusks grew like those of a cannibal, two at top and two at bottom.

Now when Rãja Siung had rescued Princess Nang Chiyang he brought her up in his own palace. And one day when he was hunting in the Jungle he heard the voice of a child, and going to the spot he found a male infant [4] within the hollow stem of a big Bamboo which had been riven open by the wind. This infant he adopted also, and brought up the two children together. And one day when they were sitting on his knees and playing, each of them by accident [5] pulled out a pair of the tusks. And when the Princess grew up, she married Prince Samara Muda.

But the boy was ancestor of the Rajas of Raman, who may not partake of the young Bamboo shoots, [6] because their ancestor came out of the Bamboo before ever they entered Islam. [7]

Comments:

[1] This story, which is a well-known Malay legend, and which purports to describe the first beginnings of the State of Patani, was told me by a Malay in Patani Town.

[2] Nang Cháyang is the name of an early queen of Patani.

[3] For this Foam Princess, cp. Malay Annals (trans, by Leyden, London 1821) p. 29: "It happened on a certain day that the river of Palembang brought down a foam-bell of uncommon size, in which appeared a young girl of extreme beauty. The Raja being informed of this circumstance, ordered her to be brought to him. This was done, and the Raja adopted her as his daughter. She was named Putri Tunjong-bui, or the Princess Foam-bell." Palembang is in Sumatra.

[4] He found a male infant. In many versions the two children – the Bamboo Prince and the Foam Princess – are made to marry when they grow up.

[5] It is interesting to note in this connection that one of the old Sanskrit names for the Tiger was "Chatur-danta" or the "Four-Toothed" (animal). This epithet applies of course to the four big canines or eye-teeth which are so prominent a characteristic of the Tiger (though found in many other animals).

[6] The Rajas of Raman who may not eat the young bamboo shoots. From this it may perhaps be inferred that the Bamboo was their totem. The traces of genuine totemism among the Peninsular Malays are however of the rarest description.

[7] This explains why the tusks have disappeared in the Rãja of Rãman's descendants.

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