12 TWO SEA-DYAK LEGENDS. 



II. 



The Story of Siu, 



Who first taught the Dyaks to plant Paddy and to observe 

 the Omens of Birds. 



Many thousands of years ago before the Paddy plant was 

 known, the Dyaks lived on tapioca, yams, potatoes and such 

 fruit as they could procure. It was not till Siu taught them 

 how to plant Paddy that such a thing as rice was known. The 

 story of how he came to learn of the existence of this import- 

 ant article of food, and how he and his son Seragunting introduc- 

 ed it among their people is here set forth. 



Siu was the son of a great Dyak chief, but his father died 

 when he was quite a child, and at the time this story begins, he 

 lived with his mother and was the head of a long Dyak house 

 in which lived some three hundred families. He was strong and 

 active and handsome in appearance, and there was no one in the 

 country round who was equal to him in strength or comeliness. 

 When he was ready to go on the warpath, he was the admira- 

 tion of all the Dyak damsels. On such occasions he appeared 

 in a many coloured waistcloth, twelve fathoms in length, which 

 was wound round and round his body. On his head was a plait- 

 ed rattan band in which were stuck some long feathers of the 

 hornbill. His coat was woven of threads of bright colours. 

 On each well-shaped arm was an armlet of ivory. To his 

 belt was fastened his sword and the many charms and amu- 

 lets that he possessed. With his spear in his right hand and his 

 shield on his left arm, he presented a splendid type of a Dyak 

 Warrior. But not of his bravery nor of his deeds of valour 

 against the enemy does this tale relate. It only gives an ac- 

 count of an adventure of his which ended in his discovery of 

 Paddy. 



One day Siu proposed to the young men of his house that 

 they should take their blowpipes with them and go into the 

 jungle to shoot birds. So one morning they all started early. 

 Each man had with him his bundle of food for the day, and each 

 went a different way, as they wished to see, on returning in the 

 evening, who would be the most successful of them all. 



Siu went towards a mountain not far from his house. He 

 wandered about the whole morning in the jungle, but strange to 



Jour. Straits Branch 



