64 SOME MOUSE-DEER TALES. 



taste like dead wood ? " " Indeed, it does ", replied the croc- 

 odile, letting go. " But it was my leg, all the same," said 

 the Mouse-deer, as he leapt up the bank. 



Then the Mouse-deer bethought him how he should get 

 across that great river and escape his enemies the crocodiles. 

 After a while, he drew near to the bank and cried out, " Hi- 

 all ye crocodiles, rise, float, I command you." " Pray, who is 

 this that commands us," asked a crocodile, lifting his head, 

 " I am the messenger of JSfabi Sleyman. Rise, ye crocodiles 

 rise, all of you, float on the surface of this river, all ye that are 

 in this river; for it is the will of the prophet Sleyman that 

 I count all you his slaves : in the name of Nabi Sleyman I 

 conjure you rise and float." Then all the crocodiles floated on 

 the top of the water. " Come, all of you, herd together," said 

 the Mouse-deer, "or I cannot count you truly." And all the 

 crocodiles crowded together, till they stretched from one bank 

 of the river to the other. " I will count you one by one," said 

 the Mouse-deer; "so that there shall be no mistake in my 

 reckoning." " One," said he, as he leapt from the bank on to 

 the back of the nearest beast : " two " and he leapt on to the 

 back of the next; "three," and he was on the back of a 

 third: " four," "five," " six," "seven," "eight," "nine,"— "ten," 

 said he, as he jumped to the opposite bank and " done " said 

 he : "I reckoned truly and now my reckoning has brought me 

 across, you may sink, you foolish crocodiles." 



Then, the Mouse-deer continued his journey up hill and 

 down dale, through jungle and plain, till he was tired and 

 hungry. And he saw the red-shooted shrub ( ? lamah-lamah) 

 which Mouse-deer love, and ate the shoots and went on his way, 

 his mouth streaming red slaver. By and by, a sambur-doe 

 met him and asked, why is your mouth red like that ? " 

 "Ah," said the Mouse-deer, "some kind jungle folk in yonder 

 Kampong gave me betel to eat : they invite all comers ; you 

 had better go, too." Now, sambur deer love betel. " Show 

 me the way," said the doe. " Straight ahead," answered the 

 Mouse-deer, " and tell the folk I told you to go." " Thank you, 

 Mr. Mouse-deer," said the doe and off she ran as fast as she 



Jour. Straits Branch 



