HIKAYAT SERI RAMA. 9 
blage landed “ when the sun was already high, filling the plain 
with its heat, about the period called tuléh ténggala.*”’ Leav- 
ing the older men to look after the boats, the royal couple, 
attended by their Chiefs and subjects, climbed the hill, a path 
being cut for them through the forest. About the period of 
mid-day prayer, they reached the top, and found a lake exactly 
as described by Raja Laksamana. The Princess was at once 
seized with a violent longing to bathe in its waters and, with- 
out saying a word to her husband, she plunged in; she was 
immediately turned into'a monkey and sprang chattering up 
one of the two large tualang trees which grew on the banks. 
On seeing this, Séri Rama followed her example, jumped into 
the lake, and a moment afterwards joined his consort in the 
trees in the form of a monkey. Their subjects broke out 
into lamentations and remained below the trees watching with 
astonishment the antics of the King and Queen, who were 
jumping about among the branches. It was quite in vain 
that the Témonggong implored the King to come down, he 
was quite unconscious of the entreaties addressed to him. 
Then the Chiefs took counsel together and it was- resolved 
that the Téeménggong should return to Tanjong Bunga and 
fetch Raja Laksamana, the King’s elder brother, while the 
rest remained to watch. On the eighth day the Téménggong 
reached his destination, and presenting himself before Raja 
Laksamana explained what had happened. The latter, after 
providing himself with all the implements of sorcery (mat, 
carpet, pétérana, candle, parched rice and yellow rice), set off 
for the scene of the catastrophe, leaving the Téménggong in 
charge of the palace. The incantations were immediately 
successful, and Séri Rama and his Princess came down from the 
trees, plunged into the lake, and emerging from the water 
resumed their human from. Orders were then given for the 
immediate return of the whole party. 
Not long after this the King learned that his howe of having 
an heir were likely to be fulfilled, and he summoned all his 
*Tulih tenggala, the time when the ploughman looks. round at 
the sun, feeling the mornin g rays striking on his back. 
R. A. Soc., No. 55, 1909. 
