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

THE PRINCESS DJOUHER-MANIKAM 149
another of the children. When this one was dead I asked the
same question. The princess answered, *
when I am already married.' I said to her, *
I cannot marry
If you will not,
then I will kill the third of your children.' The princess
Djouher-Manikam answered, *
If you kill my third child, k
will be by the judgment of God, and what can I do but invoke
his name, for I am only a woman ? '
So I killed the third child.
After the death of this last child of the King, I put again my
question to the princess. She would not consent to marry
me. I said to her, '
If you don't, I will kill you.' She answered
:
*
it is the decree of God. But wait
If you kill me,
awhile, for I wish to wash my garments and cleanse the traces
'
I said, It is well. We
of my children's blood from my body.'
will have the wedding-feast to-morrow.' She left the tent. It
was raining in torrents. I could not discover where she went.
Such is my story, O king of the world."
The King said, " Minister of the country of Damas, have
"
you any sons ?
He answered, " Yes, my lord, king of the world, I have
three sons."
The prince said :
" Let your three sons come here, in order
that I may give judgment quickly, according to the law instituted
by the prophet (may the peace and blessings of God be
upon him!). Behold what his law prescribes: The minister
killed the children of the princess Djouher-Manikam. It is
not, therefore, the minister who should be punished with
death, but his children should be slain. The execution of this
judgment will be the just application of the law of retaliation
between the minister and the princess."
The minister summoned his three sons. As soon as they
had come, he pointed them to the King of Roum.
The latter said to his minister, '' O minister, where is the
^Ethiopian whom they brought here ? " The Ethiopian robber
was brought out, and prostrated himself before the King
of Roum.
The King
of Roum said to him :
" Ethiopian, return to
your own country and change your mode of Hfe. You will
never see again the woman for whom you are seeking." And
the prince gave him a keti of gold.
**
Then the prince said : O my minister, where is Biyapri ?