Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstrai9101882roya).pdf/238

 When took his house away with him to Tânah Bangun, a dog, the first of the species, appeared where the house had been, and was prevented by 's power from attacking mankind. Then had a dog at his house; from this dog came the tiger, which devours mankind and animals. When left the earth for Tanah Bangun, he flew away with his house in the air.

wout to Tânah Bangun by the sea on foot; he was so tall that the water only reached to his knees.

Originally the sky was very low, but raised it with his hands, because he found it in the way of his pestle when he raised it to pound his padi.

took his youngest sister to wife, and from them are descended the Mĕntra.

married the other sister, but they had no offspring.

In course of time the descendants of multiplied to such an extent that he went to  and represented the state of things, which remedied by turning half of mankind into trees.

In those days men did not die, but grew thin with the waning of the moon, and waxed fat as she neared the full, and when their numbers had again increased to an alarming extent,, the son of and the first Bâtin, brought the matter to his father's notice. The latter wished things to remain as they were, but said it was better they should die like the "pîsang," which leaves young shoots behind it, and leave children behind them when they died, and the matter was submitted to, who decided in favour of BELO's view, so that since then men have died leaving their children behind them.

In the earliest times there used to be three suns—husband, wife and child—and there was no night, there being always one sun left in the sky, if the others had set. In those days people slept as they fell inclined, and there were no divisions of time.

After a long time thought the heat was too great, and he devised a plan for reducing it, in pursuance of which, he went to the moon, which then gave no light, and told her to call her husband Bintang Tûnang, the evening star, and the stars their children, and to put them into her mouth, but not to swallow them, and to