TWO SEA-DYAK LEGENDS. 9 



up to the place where he was supposed to be asleep. With the 

 sword he made two or three vicious cuts at the wooden mortar 

 and said: 



"Now Danjai, this will settle you. You will not think of 

 revenging- yourself on me any more." 



Then Danjai cried out from where he was, "What is the 

 matter ? What are you doing ? " 



"Oh Danjai! Is that you ? " said his host, " I did not mean 

 to hurt you. I had a bad dream, and I sometimes walk in my 

 sleep. How lucky it is you were not lying on the mat ! I 

 should have certainly killed you, and I should never have for- 

 given myself for doing so. Please understand I meant no harm 

 to you, and let us lie down to rest again." 



On the two following nights the Were-Tiger attempted to 

 kill Danjai, but failed each time, because following the advice 

 given him, Danjai placed first the wooden mill for husking the 

 paddy on his mat, and next a roll of coarse matting used for 

 treading paddy. His host made the same excuse for his strange 

 behaviour each time. 



On the morning of the fourth day, after the Were-Tiger 

 had left the house to see whether any fish had been caught in 

 his fish trap, his sister asked Danjai to come into the room as 

 she had something to say to him before he left to return home. 



"Now Danjai" she said, "as I told you before, since my 

 brother has not been able to kill you these three days, he is in your 

 power. After breakfast ask him to accompany you and show you 

 the way back to your country. When you have both come to the 

 further end of the sugar-cane plantation, ask him to sit down for 

 a little while, and say you would like to eat some sugar-cane, be- 

 fore you leave him and go on your journey alone. When he gives 

 you the sugar-cane, ask him to lend you his sword, giving as an 

 excuse that yours is not sharp enough for peeling the sugar-cane, 

 or that it is stuck fast in its sheath and cannot be drawn. When 

 he hands you his sword, you must attack him with it and kill him. 

 My brother is invulnerable to any other sword but his own. When 

 you have killed him, cut off his head and bring it to me, and I 

 will give you your wife's head in exchange for it. On no 

 account are you to take his head away with you. If you do so, I 

 will follow you to your country and take my revenge." 



R. A. Soc, No. 40, 1903. 



