86 A PELANDOK TALE. 



" Where have you come from, great warrior of the woods ? 



" Your highness, your slave has come from his house 

 because he wished to come into your most royal presence." 



" For what reason ? " 



" Your slave wished to explain to your majesty that one 

 night he dreamt that he was eating a black goat and he wishes 

 to know what he ought to do." 



" Hai, I have never yet eaten a black he goat and yet you 

 have dreamt of doing so." 



So the king called his dog and told him to go and call 

 Selang Dirimba and the dog went and looked for him till he 

 was tired but could not find him. Now when the tiger had 

 gone to King Solomon's house, Selang Dirimba had gone to find 

 a black he goat that lived in a village near to the king. When 

 he found him he said to him, " Hai, black goat, you had better 

 take care for the tiger wants to eat you. He was pleased to 

 tell me of a dream he had a little while ago, he said, ' I dreamt 

 that I was eating a black goat last night, Selang Dirimba ; 

 what does my dream mean ? ' I answered and said, ' I do not 

 know : you should go to King Solomon and get him to explain 

 it.' So after that the tiger went away to the king's house. 

 Now what do you think, are you frightened or not ? " 



" Hai, Toh Selang Dirimba, w T hat do you advise me to 

 do ? "^ 



" You had better at once make a torch from a coconut 

 leaf, for the king may call me at any moment." 



When the goat heard what the pelandok said, he at once 

 took a coconut leaf and made a torch. Then the pelandok 

 said, " You go on in front to the king's house and lurk in the 

 brushwood close to the house, and when I call you, come up 

 into the house." 



So the goat went and lurked in the brushwood by the 

 king's house. When he had gone the dog came and gave 

 Selang Dirimba an order like this, " Hai Selang Dirimba, King 

 Solomon calls you at once." 



When the pelandok heard what the dog said he went off 

 with him to the king's house. When he reached the king's 

 house the king called out, " I have called you Selang Dirimba 



J our. Straits Branch 



