Malayan literature; comprising romantic tales, epic poetry and royal ...

SEDJARET MALAYOU loi
tear down, with one hand, great trees, a fathom or two in
girth."
The hanfm answered :
You wish
"
Your prayer is granted.
for strength; I will it give to you; but first it is necessary that
you eat up what I vomit."
"
Very well," said Badang; *'
vomit, and I will eat it up."
The hantou vomited, and Badang set to work to eat it. He held
the hantou by the beard, and would not let him go. Then he
attempted the uprooting of great trees ; and, seeing
that he tore
them up with ease, he let go the beard of the hantou.
Afterward, coming and going through the forest, he tore
down enormous trees; he carried off, roots and all, those of a
fathom or two in girth. As for the small ones, he tore them
up by handfuls and flung them on all sides. In a moment
the forest which had been a wilderness became level as a great
plain.
"
When his master saw this work he said: Who has cleared
our land? For I see that it is suddenly freed entirely from trees
and brushwood."
"
It is I," said Badang, " who have effected this clearance."
"
Then answered the master : How have you been able to
do this, single-handed, so quickly and in one job?"
Then Badang related all the details of his adventure, and his
master gave him his liberty.
The report of these occurrences reached Singapore. King
Krama immediately ordered that Badang be brought before
him, and he called him Raden {i.e., Royal Prince).
Once upon a time the King of Singapore ordered Badang
to fetch for his repast the fruit of kouras, at the river Sayang.
Badang went there alone in his pilang, or boat, which was eight
fathoms long, and he punted it with a pole cut from the trunk
of a kampas-tree a fathom in girth.
When he arrived at the river Sayang, he clasped the kouras-
tree. The branches broke, the tree fell, and his head struck
against a huge rock. His head was not injured, but the rock
was split in two. This stone is still seen to-day on the river
Sayang, and it bears the name of Balou-blah, which means the
" Riven Rock." His pole and boat have also been preserved
to the present day. The day following his exploit Badang
started back for Singapore, with his pilang completely laden