IS TWO SEA-DYAK legends. 



"I will consent to marry you, for I also love you. But you 

 must first promise me certain things. In the first place, you 

 must not tell your people of this house and what you have seen 

 here. Then also you must promise faithfully never to hurt a 

 bird or even to hold one in your hands. If ever you break this 

 promise, then we cease to be man and wife. And of course, you 

 must never kill a bird, because if you do so, I shall not only 

 leave you but revenge myself on you. Do you promise these 

 things ?" 



"Yes" said Siu, "I promise not to speak of what I have seen 

 here until you give me leave to do so. And as you do not wish it, 

 I will never touch or handle a bird, and certainly never kill one." 



"Now that you have promised what I wish, I will tell you 

 about myself and the people of this house," said the maiden. 

 "My name is Endu-Suddn-Galinggani-Tinchih- Mas (the girl Sudan 

 painted like a gold ring), but my people call me by my pet names 

 Bunsu Burong (the yougest of the bird family), and Bunsu 

 Katupong (the youngest of the Kaiujpong family). This house, 

 as you noticed, seems very empty. The reason is that a month 

 ago many of our people were killed by some of the people of 

 your house, and we are all still in mourning for them. As you 

 know, when our relatives have lately died, we stay silent in our 

 rooms, and do not came out to receive visitors or to entertain 

 them. Why are your people so cruel to us ? They often kill 

 our men when they go out fishing or hunting. On the morning 

 of the day on which you arrived, all the men of this house went 

 on the war-path, so as to obtain the heads of some of the enemy 

 to enable us to put away our mourning. With us as with you 

 it is necessary that one or more human heads be brought into 

 the house, before the inmates can give up sorrowing for their 

 dead relatives and friends. You see us now in the form of hu- 

 man beings, but all the people in this house are able to trans- 

 form themselves into birds. My father Singalang Burong is the 

 head of this house. I am the youngest of eight sisters : we 

 have no brother alive.. Our only brother died not long ago, 

 and we are still in mourning for him, and that was the reason 

 why my sisters did not come out to greet you." 



Siu heard with surprise all she had to say. He said to him- 

 self that it was lucky he did not bring up to the house the 



Jour. Straits Branch 



