The Story of Kherudin. 



By G. M. Laidlaw. 



Penghulu Mat Nordin learnt this story of Kherudin many 

 years ago from Mohamed Unus bin Mohamed Arlp who, so far 

 as is known, was of pure Perak descent. 



The tale is told that once in the olden time there was a 

 merchant called Mansur who had seven sons. Now he was 

 very rich. But one day, owing to the will of God, he fell ill 

 with many and very grievous sicknesses. Many doctors and 

 medicine men tried to physic him but could not restore him to 

 health. So one day he called his seven sons and at that 

 time he declared his will to his eldest son, Zainal Abidin, his 

 second son, Kamarudin, his third son, Shamsudin, his sixth 

 son, Bahakudin, and to his youngest son,' Kherudin, saying to 

 them. " Hai, Zainal Abidin, on this day have I made my wilL 

 As regards your younger brother Kherudin you must take very 

 great care of him, for it seems to me that he is the one who will 

 be most fortunate, indeed all of you will be able to obtain 

 your living through him. Now on no account whatever 

 are you to transgress this my will. If you do, I shall certainly 

 curse you both in this life and hereafter and you will not 

 obtain peace." 



His son named Zainal Abidin made reply and said, " It 

 is good, my father." 



Two or three days later Merchant Mansur returned to 

 the mercy of God. After that Zainal Abidin called all the 

 priests and preachers, hajis and lebais, to pray for his father. 

 He also got ready the siraja diraja, that is to say the bier on 

 which the body is carrried to the grave. This was adorned 

 with all sorts of most precious things. He gave away in 

 alms many tens of thousands of dollars to all those of the faith 

 who were there on the day that his father was laid in the 

 earth. After he had completed the feast of the third day and 



B. A.Soc, NO.-46, 1906. 



