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

174
MALAYAN LITERATURE
count of the great embarrassment in which I find myself
placed."
" What embarrassment ? Tell me."
The servant, bowing low, spoke as follows :
"
My embarrassment
comes from the fact that I have two masters to serve.
The first is the true Master, he who created the universe and
the children of Adam, whose punishments are very severe.
The second is only the servant of the former, and not the true
master. I am obliged to attend to the service of the true Master
before the service of the second. That is the embarrassment
in which I find myself."
When the King heard these words he shed abundant tears,
"
and said : From this day forth you are free. Follow the service
of the Lord, and do not forget to pray for me."
The servants of the King should love their King more than
they love their own life, their mother, their father, their chil-
dren, their grandchildren, their family, their riches, and all
that belongs to them. In a word, for them the person of their
King should be above all, so that one may call them true ser-
vants of the King, and that in all truth they may be termed
his favorites. They tell the story that one day
the Sultan
Mahmoud Ghazi (may grace be upon him !) was seated on his
throne, surrounded by his ministers and his officers, among
whom was Ayaz. The Sultan said to his treasurer :
" Go to the treasure-chamber. Take to a certain place gold,
silver, precious stones, and other objects of great value. For
we are going there to amuse ourselves, and present these
treasures to those who shall accompany us."
One day the Sultan started to go and amuse himself at that
place, and as soon as the news spread abroad, a great number
of people followed him there. When he arrived he halted at
a spot level, clean, and well Hghted, and said to his treasurer :
" Expose my treasures here, in this place, so that all those
who are happy shall obtain a present according to their degree
of happiness, and that one may know who are those who
have the most luck and those who have the least."
All hearing these words quickly approached, pressing for-
ward, with their eyes wide open and their looks fixed on the
treasurer, praying him to exhibit the presents at the designated
place. At this very moment the Sultan spurred his