A Pelandok Tale.* 



The story is told that once on a time in the olden days the 

 king of a certain country was out hunting, he had heen out 

 many days and had got nothing. Owing to the noise that was 

 made by all his followers all the animals had run right away. 

 A certain pelandok was also running away. While he was 

 busy running along glancing to the right and to the left, he 

 came to a certain place where there was a pond, into which 

 he fell. He swam to the west and he swam to the east look- 

 ing for a place to get up but he could not find one. While he 

 was in this fix an elephant passed. Now at that time of day 

 there happened to be a very big storm indeed with thunder 

 booming and lightning crackling hither and thither. When 

 the pelandok saw the elephant, he said to him, " Ho Ka Sang 

 Gajah, are you not afraid that the sky will fall in ? Just 

 listen to the noise, rum rum." 



The elephant said, " If the sky is really going to tumble 

 in, I am afraid it may hit me, and if it hits me I shall die." 



The elephant then said, " What are you doing down 

 there in that very deep well ? " 



The pelandok replied, ' Oh I have two reasons for being in 

 this well. First I ran away from this sky that is going to fall 

 in, then secondly I saw very rare game in this well which has 

 never been seen by my grand-fathers, great-grand-fathers, 

 great-great-grand-fathers or great-great-great-grand-fathers, 

 who were before me." 



The elephant then said, " If that is really so, may I also 

 come in and get away from this sky that is on the point of 

 falling in ? May I too see this game ? " 



The pelandok said, " If you are frightened and if you want 

 to see this game, come along." 



* This tale is by Penghulu Mohamed Noordin bin Jaffar of Kota 

 Stia, Lower Perak. The source is unknown. 



B. A. Soc, No. 48, 1907. 



