Seventeen years among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo; a ... - Sabrizain.org

290 THREE DYAK LEGENDS
but she would not say anything more of herself or speak
about her people.
Everybody admired the great beauty of Siu's wife.
No more questions were asked of her, as she seemed un-
willing to answer. Her parentage remained a mystery.
In process of time Siu's wife bore him a son whom they
named Seragunting. He was a fine child, and as befitted
the grandson of Singalang Burong, he grew big and
strong in a miraculously short time, and when he was
three years old, he was taller and stronger than others
four times his age.
One day, as Seragunting was playing
with the other
boys, a man brought up some birds which he had caught
in a trap. As he walked through the house he passed
Siu, who was sitting in the open veranda. Siu, forgetting
the promise he had made to his wife, asked him to show
him the birds, and he took one in his hands and stroked
it. His wife was sitting not far off, and saw him hold the
bird, and was very much vexed that he had broken his
promise to her.
She got up and returned to her room. Siu came in and
noticed that she was troubled, and asked her what was
wrong. She said that she was only tired.
"
She said to herself : My husband has broken his word
to me. He has done the thing he promised me he would
never do. I told him he was never to hold a bird in his
hands, and that if he did such a thing, I would leave him.
I cannot stay here in this house any longer. I must
return to the house of my father, Singalang Burong."
She took the water-vessels in her hands, and went out
as if to fetch water. But when she came to the well, she
placed the water-vessels on the ground and disappeared
in the jungle.