144 PAGAN TRIBES OF BORNEO chap. 



that existed in the time of Usai were as big as fowls^ 

 and their bites were terribly painful. The people 

 hewed them into small pieces, so that now they are 

 the smallest of the animals ; but their bite is still 

 painful. 



The I ban Story of Simpang Impang 



The following story, which is an old favourite 

 among the I bans (Sea Dayaks) of the Batang 

 Lupar, will serve to illustrate, with its many hetero^ 

 geneous features, the myth-making faculty of this 

 imitative and fun-loving people. It will be noticed 

 that the story combines the characters of a creation- 

 myth, an animal fable, and a fairy tale : — 



Once upon a time some people were looking for 

 edible vegetables in the jungle, when they came 

 upon a huge python, which they took to be a log. 

 Sitting upon it to cut up their vegetables, they by 

 chance wounded it, and caused the python's blood 

 to flow out. Recognising then the nature of their 

 resting-place, the people cut up the python and 

 began to cook its flesh. Then heavy rain began ta 

 fall, and it rained like anything for days and days, 

 so that all the land was covered with water, and 

 only the top of Tiang Laju (the highest peak of the 

 Batang Lupar district) stood out above the flood.. 

 All the people and animals were drowned except 

 one woman, a dog, a rat, and a few other small 

 animals, which climbed to the top of this mountain. 

 The woman, seeking shelter from the rain, noticed 

 that the dog seemed to have found a warm place 

 beneath a creeper. The creeper was swaying in the 

 wind and rubbing against a tree, and thus was 

 warmed by the friction. The woman, taking the hint, 

 rubbed the creeper hard on a piece of wood, and sa 

 for the first time produced fire. Having no husband 

 the woman took the creeper for her mate, and soore 



