42 HIKAYAT SI-MISKIN OR MARAKARMA. 
styled Ratna Dewi. ‘She bore a daughter Nila Kesoma. The 
merchants from Anta Beranta brought fans, water-kettles, shoes, 
shields, creeses, spears, saddles and umbrellas. Incited by the 
jealous ruler of Anta Beranta lying astrologers tell Maharaja 
Indra Angkasa that his two children will work his ruin. They are 
driven into exile, with no possessions save a ring, a magic stone 
(gémala) and seven bundles of rice, the parting gifts of their heart- 
broken mother. 
After the departure of the two children, Puspa Sari is com- 
sumed by fire and its ruler with his consort left poor and homeless 
again in the forest. 
In his exile Marakarma learns magic (késaktian) from genies, 
botas, raksasas, dragons and snakes. The children come to a Tre- 
volving hill where dewas play, and they sit down under a waringin 
tree. The boy catches a bird for his little sister. She wants it 
roasted. Her brother hearing the crowing of cocks goes in search 
of a house where he can get fire. The householder mistaking him 
for a thief, beats the young prince and throws him bound into the 
sea. 
Now the land to which the two children had come was 
Pelinggam Chahaya. Its ruler Raja Puspa Indra and his queen 
¢p 32 hada son, Mengindra Sari, who refused to wed. Hunt- 
ing, Mengindra Sari finds Nila Kesoma under the wartngtin tree, 
Sy) De 
weeping and holding a wild bird in her hand. His parents adopt 
her and call her Princess Unfolding Palm-blossom (Mayang 
Méngurat). Finally she marries Mengindra Sari. There is a 
dramatic passage describing how in his wooing the infatuated 
prince teases his young mistress over permission to enter his 
garden. 
One day the young princess laments the loss of her brother 
Marakarma. In vain they search for him. Cast into the sea he 
had been borne by the tide to the shore of a land where a Raksasa 
and his wife lived in a house of hair and bones and batu hidup. 
This Raksasa had carried off Chahaya Khirani, daughter of Maha- 
raja Malai Ce le) Kisna, and was keeping her till she should 
grow big enough to eat. Three months at a time the demon 
travelled in search of food; three months at a time he abode in his 
hut. During his absence Chahaya Khirani finds Marakarma on 
the shore, and revives him. He woos ther and promises to slay 
her demon captor. They bandy love verses (pantun). When the 
demon returns, Marakarma hides under his mistress’ bed. The 
demon declares he can smell man but the captive princess denies 
it. The Raksasa lights a fire as big as a burning town, pours rice 
on to a mat 300 feet wide, and eats it along with spiders, centi- 
pedes, lizards, rats, flies and mosquitoes which overcome by the 
steam drop into the rice. He drinks a well of water, hiccups like 
Jour. Straits Branch 
