238 IN MALAY FORESTS. 



of fallen twigs, and in an absent-minded way beat 

 on a dead crisp leaf with them, tapping as one plays 

 a kettle-drum. 



" Ah ! " chuckled little Che Ngah Durani, " that is 

 the war-drum of Sir Peace of the Forest." 



We all laughed. The mouse -deer call to one 

 another in the mating season by rapping their hind- 

 feet on the ground, and the Malays decoy them by 

 imitating the sound with two sticks in the manner 

 that Sahak was doing. 



"Ha! ha!" Che Ngah Durani laughed on, "and 

 that is the way that Sir Peace of the Forest beat his 

 war-drum when he killed the Otter's babies. Tell 

 us the story, Ali." 



And Ali thereupon, without hesitation or demur, 

 told us the following tale: 



" One morning, Memerang the Otter was going down 

 to the river to catch fish. She left her family of 

 baby otters on the bank, and, before she went, begged 

 Sir Peace of the Forest to look after them for her. 

 This, of course, was in the days when all the 

 animals spoke a common language. Nabi Sleman 

 [King Solomon] had, by appointment from Allah, 

 authority and power over all created animals, and 

 Nabi Noh [Noah] had charge of all the trees and 

 plants." 



"Yes; but," interrupted Che Ngah Durani, "there 

 were some plants that Nabi Noh forgot. Nabi 

 Tuakal [the Chance Prophet] discovered that Nabi 

 Noh had overlooked certain roots, and decided to 

 plant them himself. The whole of the earth hap 



