Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstra17181886roya).pdf/457



[The Malay text of the following story, which is printed in the vernacular in this No. of the Journal, has never before been committed to writing. It is one of the cheritras which have been taken down verbatim from the lips of. See Journal No. 17, p. 87.—)

NCE upon a time, there was a very powerful King who was called Raja BESAR; his consort was called Princess LINDONGAN BULAN, and the name of his kingdom was Mandi Angin. He had all that the monarch of a great kingdom ought to have—chiefs and ministers, warriors, soldiers and subjects, a fortified capital with a palace in it, and inside the palace a complete array of attendants, maids of honour, and officers in wailing. He was unfortunately childless, and so, of course, the one desire of himself and the Princess was to have a son and heir. They made vows at shrines and gave alms to the poor and presents to religious men, but it was not until the King had been on the throne for seven years and nine montlis that, to his great joy, it became apparent that the Princess was enceinte. She was three months advanced in her preg- nancy when the King summoned his astrologers, seven bro- thers. to divine whether the unborn infant would be a boy or a girl and whether it would be fortunate or unfortunate. The attendants got everything ready for the ceremony—a large wax candle, holy water, parched rice, yellow rice, white cloth, and a small platform, sitting on which the diviners would become entranced. This done, the astrologers performed their incan- tations, commencing in the evening and going on until day- break, when they emerged from the coverings with which they had enveloped themselves. By this time, they had become aware, through their mysterious art, and by indications the secrets of which had come down to them from their fore- fathers, that the expected infant would be a prince, and that he would be possessed of extraordinary qualities (ter-lalu besar tuah-nia menurus sampei ka langit yang ka-tujoh lapis dan ter-sĕndam ka bawah sampei ka batu hampar tuah-nia).