SRI RAMA. 113 



The monkey-prince was now fully acknowledged b} r Ski 

 Rama and the Princess as their son and heir and there were 

 great ceremonies at the palace. At his request, they despatch- 

 ed a mission to the Court of Raja Shah Kobad to demand 

 the hand of the Princess Renek Jintan in marriage of their 

 son. The Tumonggong was the ambassador, and the suit was 

 favourably received. He returned with the answer that the 

 marriage should take place on the very day that the monkey - 

 prince should present himself in the kingdom of Tahwil to 

 claim his bride. 



The royal family of Tanjong Bunga at once set out for 

 Bandar Tahwil, the monkey-troops of the bride-groom clear- 

 ing a road for them through the forest. They worked with such 

 a will every night — deripada aival sinja kola itu hingga sampei 

 bintang timor timbul naik fajr sidih meniangsing mengarak tanda 

 hariakan slang ("from thehourof evening twilight until the rising 

 of the morning-star and the light of the true dawn spreading slow- 

 ly betokened that day was at hand ") — that in a very short time 

 the new path was ready " like a mat spread out/' not a single 

 blade of grass to be seen on it. The marriage duly took place 

 (in the Malay fashion, mention being made of the ceremonial 

 ablution, limau!) in the presence of all the Hajis, Lebeis, 

 Imams and Khatibs of the place. * On the third night after 

 the wedding, the Prince, on retiring to rest, came forth from 

 his monkey-skin and appeared in human shape. He put the 

 skin away carefully behind a large pillow, and resumed it in 

 the morning. This did not escape the Princess, who, after 

 this had happened on two consecutive nights, ordered the 

 eldest of her women to stay awake and watch (ber-bantal-koDi 

 nyior bulat — using a round cocoa-nut as a pillow, so that her 

 head would fall off it if she dozed). The betel-nut and sirih- 

 leaf placed for the Prince's refreshment were purposely select- 

 ed so as to have a stupefying effect ; on the third night he 

 divested himself, as usual, of his skin, and chewed betel before 



*The reader must not be surprised at the introduction of 

 Muhammadan incidents in the story. This class of anachronisms 

 has already besn alluded to. 



