HIKAYAT PARANG PUTING, 65 
The princess promises him her hand if he can worst the 
dragon suitor. He bids his magic knife decapitate the dragons 
who approach the raft. The princess and her maids are hungry. 
The hero’s magic ring provides food. He invokes his young hawk 
and all the hawk tribe fly off with the raft back to the shore, peck- 
ing the eyes of all dragons that approach. The king of the 
dragons sends a huge warrior dragon who swallows the raft with 
all its crew. ‘The hero by means of his magic ring provides food 
and lamps. The hawk flys and tells the white rat of his master’s 
predicament. The white rat seeks Mambang Indra Segara who 
comes with his forces. A great battle follows. ‘The dragons kills 
the fairy warriors with the blasts and fires of their nostrils. The 
fairies slay the dragons with arrows. Mambang Indra Segara bids 
the young hawk enter the dragon’s belly and see if his grandson 
and the princess are alive. The young hawk protests that he is 
unable and. the white rat enters and finds them still alive. The 
hero bids him tell the fairies to attack the other dragons. He 
orders his knife to cut the heart of the dragon that has swallowed 
them and then to cut through the dragon’s body and release them. 
Mambaneg Indra Segara sends Mambang Ratna Dewa to fetch his 
son whom he names Mambang Dewa Keindraan. 
Mambang Indra Segara creates a country and castle by means 
of a magic jewel. He provides food by means of a ring. Their 
army is put under four leaders, Mambang Ratna Dewa, Mambang 
Gangga Dewa, Mambang Beranta Dewa and Dewa Keindraan, But 
when a great dragon (Naga Géntala) arrives they are so hard 
pressed that the hero hugging his body invokes his whilom dragon 
playmate, Naga Ratna Gempita, to their aid. Naga Gentala can- 
not prevail and returning to the dragon king, Raja Gangga Indra, 
advises him to make peace. Raja Gangga Indra and all his war- 
riors enter the fray. Ratna Gempita attacks him. ‘The rival 
‘dragons turn themselves into crow and hawk, ape, (bérok) and 
tusked monster (gérgast), harpy and roe. Ratna Gempita bites 
the neck of the harpy and so Raja Gangga Indra dies. , Ratna 
Gempita becomes king of all the dragons. He tows the raft of 
the princess up-stream. The hero’s father retires to fairy-land, 
leaving him the magic stone which can make cities and bidding his 
son call him at need. ‘The hero leaves the princess’ raft when it 
approaches the royal settlement. All] the princely suitors for her 
hand seeing her raft drifting on the tide rush and welcome her. 
They pretend they have saved her from the dragon. Her father 
builds a dais on a plain where the princess shall sit and choose the 
prince she favours (di-buat silambara di-téngah padang, p. 110) by 
throwing him a posy of golden flowers. All the princes, all the 
chiefs and people of the country, even the halt and blind pass be- 
fore the princess but she does not throw the posy. At last the 
hero is told to pass before her. He passes carrying his magic knife, 
the hawk flying above his head, the white rat following him. The 
princess throws the golden flowers on him. The 99 princes de- 
mand that the marriage shall take place after a procession to the 
R. A. Soc., No. 85, 1922. 
