HI KAY AT NAKHODA MUD A. 
109 
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sister is to marry the archer who can cleave a hair at the first shot. 
All the suitors fail except Bikrama Imlra who thus wins his love : — 
later the suitors trv to wrest her away at sea ‘but are defeated by 
her husband and his friends after battle in which gcnies and fairies 
take part. Uewa Laksana marries Lela Mengerna daughter of 
Raja Mengindra Dewa of the country of Merta Indra. On pages 
80-90 there is a spirited picture of the princess’ maids frightened 
by the parroquet, which reminds one of the comic interludes in 
•such Malay folk-tales as Awang Sulong and Raja Honan. (Papers 
■on Malay Subjects; Literature II. pi 32: E. 0. Winstedt). 
This lithographed version would appear to correspond closely 
with one only of the Batavian MSiS. (Collectie v. de Wall 166; 
van Eonkel’ Catalogue CXCIX, p. 137), as in other MSS. the 99 
suitors Vlo not occur, Gardan Shah Dewa of the land of Belanta 
Dewa taking their place and being slain in an attack on Mihran 
Langgawi. 
The- episode of the seeds which cast to the ground spring up 
immediately as trees must be based on the well-known mango trick 
of Indian conjurers. Another reference to it occurs in the Ht. 
Hang Tuah (Shellabear’s ed., Singapore 1909, part III, p. 143) 
where the hero amuses Kishna Ray ana with the trick. 
This tale of Maharaja Bikrama Sakti, like the tale of Siti 
Sara, is evidently from an Indian source. The insetting of a long 
tale within which is yet another tale is in a fashion which research 
has shown to be specifically Indian, the sole example of such a 
•device outside Indian influence being Ovid’s Metamorphoses. 
(“Encyclopaedia of Islam”, Xo. 4, p. 254, Alf-laila wa-laila). 
Other examples of such insetting of tale within tale in Malay 
romances translated or adapted from Indian originals are found 
in the Hikayat Kalila dan Damina,, the Ilikayat Baya\n Budiman, 
the Hikayat Bakhtiar, the Ilikayat Pus pa Wiraja '( Bispu Raja). 
Again the winning of a bride by skill at archery is no more 
Malay than are bows and arrows but it is a common episode in 
Indian tales and occurs in the Malay version of the Ramayana 
(J. R. A. S., S. B., Xo. 70, p. 192). 
Seeing so many India folktales are now becoming accessible, 
it is to be hoped that parallels may some day be found for the 
version of the yakhoda Muda known also as the Ilikayat Maharaja 
Bikrama Sakti with its inset tales of the three princes. 
ft. A. Soc., No. 83, 1921. 
