AWANG SULONG MERAH MUDA. 33 
Decoy cock crowed and strained his leather : 
Crowed the fighting cock in chorus; 
The ring-dove cooed three notes of welcome; 
Signal these a stranger came. 
The old mid-wife invited him up into her house, listened 
to the royal behest and declined to go: 
None there is to watch my homestead ; 
None to pen my goats and kine; 
None to house my geese and chicken. 
(The real reason was that she knew calamity must at- 
tend the magic birth and was afraid). But the Trusty Page 
returned and told the prince how the mid-wives would not 
come. The prince decreed the usual punishment for the 
disloyal: “To-morrow my captains shall slay the seven 
mid-wives, scatter their possessions, burn their homes, and 
destroy the soil whereon their houses stood, and their house- 
pillars shall be turned upside down.” Just then the mid- 
Wives came running up: 
Some had come and left their children; 
Others run till they were foot-sore: 
Others come with hair dishevelled, 
Clothes down-slipping at the waist. 
From afar they did obeisance; 
Drawing nearer bowed in homage ; 
At each step they raised their fingers 
Ranged like betel-leaves in order 
Closed their hands like folded palm-roots : 
Bent their necks and soft their speeches, 
Crown of head declined in homage. 
Sell us prince and make us captive; 
“ Hang us high upon the gallows ; 
“ Drown us in the depths of ocean ; 
* Burn us utterly in fire.” 
They received the royal pardon, and requested that feasts, 
water for the ceremonial. purification, palm-leaf lids arfd 
R. A. Soc., No. 52, 1908. 
*«Q 
4 
