Page:Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje - The Achehnese Vol II. - tr. Arthur Warren Swete O'Sullivan (1906).djvu/160

 pursues him to Yaman and converts the people of that country to Islam.

Peutròë Barén's mother died during a period of religious seclusion (tapa), which she had imposed upon herself. The daughter, who in a previous existence before her birth had made a study of sacred things wished to accompany her mother to the tomb, but the latter assured her that before she died she must live through nine great events.

These events are then detailed. They resemble in essentials the adventures of the chaste Johar Manikam in the Malay tale of this name. Thus Putròé Barén, while her father is on a pilgrimage to Mecca, is seduced by the kali and afterwards killed by her brother, but restored to life again by Jébrai (Gabriel) and brought to a forest where she makes acquaintance with king Abdōlah of Cham (or Sham) and becomes his wife. She is again seduced on her journey over the sea by a meuntròë (mantri); and is subsequently troubled with the attentions of a jén pari and of an Abeusi. Finally she assumes male shape and becomes Raja muda of Meulabari (Malabar). Thence she journeys to Mecca where the happy reunion of the chief characters of the story and its dénouement take place.

Banta Ali or Banta Peureudan (XXV).

This tale celebrates the adventures of Banta Peureudan, son of Banta Ali, king of Bòytay Jami.

At the age of seven Peureudan and his younger sister Bungsu Juhari, are taken into the forest by their father, who has given ear to the false predictions of certain wicked soothsayers who had announced to him that evil would result from their presence in the palace.

A hermit in the forest adopts the girl and brings her up, and imparts to Peureudan divers hidden knowledge. The two children as well as a prince named Maharaja Sinha and the wazir of the latter are transformed by the magic skill of their teacher into a kind of ape (himbèë). In this shape Peureudan gains sovereignty over the beasts of the forest.

Peureudan then goes forth to win the lovely princess Sahbandi ,