50 THE PELAXDOK, AXD PA ? SI BAGO\ 



The king was glad for a man had been substituted for an 

 animal. Seven days and seven nights were spent in prepara- 

 tions and then the king's daughter was married to Salam di 

 Rimba's adopted son. 



After many days the king's son-in-law urged Salam di 

 Eimba to return because he wanted to see his mother once 

 more. Salam di Eimba approved, and so the boy abandoned 

 his wife and the two of them set off together. 



At last they reached their own country, and the boy once 

 more met his mother. His mother wept for joy for she 

 thought that he was dead. They lived there a long time. One 

 day Salam di Rimba met his adopted son and said to him, 



" Why has your mother lived so long as a widow ? In 

 my opinion the blade is all the better for a haft." 



The boy replied, "lam afraid that she will be angry 

 with me." 



Salam di Rimba said, !' Don't speak to her about this 

 when she is busy, nor when she is hungry-" 



The boy replied, " All right." 



So one day when his mother was reclining after dinner he 

 went close to her and said, " Mother the blade is the better 

 for the haft." 



His mother replied and said, " I want no husband, I had 

 better live alone." 



The boy made no answer. 



Five or six days after the boy once more met Salam di 

 Rimba who said to him, " I think that you ought to coax 

 your mother. What has she done that she should live solitary 

 like this '? People who see will say that it is not proper, 

 Even if we really do what is right, they will say that we do 

 wrong." 



When the boy heard what Salam di Rimba said, he saw 

 that he was right. So he coaxed his mother. At last his 

 mother came to think so too. Thus in the end Salam di 

 Rimba married the boy's mother. They lived happily there. 



Jour. Straits Branch, 



