Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 6 1888.djvu/82

74 Kḥaṭib Mâlim Sĕlêman, the son of Salengkar Ậlam, came over to Búkit Pĕrâja, in Hûlu Jĕmpol, with a "parang" (woodman's knife), a "patil " (adze, or hatchet, according to the turn given to the blade), a "pahat" (chisel), and a "kâchip" (betel-nut clippers), in pursuit of a beautiful princess, and after searching in vain for food he went to sleep near an enormous bamboo, a fathom in diameter. During the night the princess appeared and cooked him some food, and passed the night with him, but disappeared at dawn.

The prince tried in vain to cut the bamboo, in which the princess had told him he would find her, using in turn the "parang," "patil," and "pahat." Then he tried the "kâchip" on the point of the bamboo with success, after which he was able to split it downwards, when the princess fell out, and he secured her, and she did not disappear again: then she was conducted on horseback by many followers with her husband to Bukit Pĕrâja, where they both disappeared, but there they both live invisible to this day; their horses in full trappings are occasionally to be seen on certain favourable seasons. If their aid is invoked with burning of "k′ĕmnyan," they will come and "bĕchâra," and then disappear. The princess was quite fair in complexion, and her hair was white and seven fathoms in length.

All the different tribes of aborigines are said to be merely varieties of the "Mĕntra," who also exist in the M'ĕnangkâbau country, but the Batin suggested that they may have turned Malay (i.e. Muhammadan).