HIKAYAT SERI RAMA. 
With Preface by 
Sir William E. Maxwell. 
Romanized by R. O. WINSTEDT, F. M. S. Civil Service. 
Professional story-telling has not yet been quite killed in 
the East, by the gradual diffusion of printed and lithographed 
books and newspapers. ‘The old legends and romances are still, 
especially in places remote from European influences, handed 
down from father to son, and eagerly listened to by old and 
young at village festivals or domestic celebrations. T'o the 
Malays, the skilful raconteur, who can hold his audience en- 
thralled with the adventures of his hero and heroine, or with 
elaborate descriptions of the magnificence of the palaces and 
courts of mythical Rajas, is the pénglipur lara, the soother of 
cares,’ by the magic of whose art all woes are temporarily 
banished. 
Sitting in the balaz of a Raja or Chief, or in the verandah 
of a private house, when the sun has gone down and the even- 
ing meal is over, the story-teller, very likely a man who can 
neither read nor write, will commence one of the romances of 
his repertoire, intoning the words in a monotonous chant as if 
he were reading aloud from a book. He has very likely been 
placed purposely near a doorway leading to the women’s apart- 
ment, and the laughter and applause of the male audience 
without is echoed from behind the curtains, where the women 
of the household sit eagerly listening to the story. The recita- 
tion is perhaps prolonged far into the night, and then post- 
poned, to be continued on the succeeding night. There is no 
hesitation or failure of memory on the part of the bard; he has 
been at it from his youth up, and has inherited his romances 
from his father and ancestors, who told them in days gone by 
Jour, Straits Branch R, A. Soc., No. 55,1909. 
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