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D. Never yet ere now has my darling wrangled with his teacher; this sin is enough to make him fuel for hell.
S. God forbid that I should wrangle with my teacher; I know that I shall in any case go to hell (on account of my godless occupation of sadati).
D. I speak one way and he answers in another! thou art indeed clever in making remarks and propounding questions.
S. It is not fitting, brothers, to speak like this; I am indeed by nature as clever as a leuëʾ bangguna[1].
D. I have slept for a moment and have had a dream, but I know not how to interpret my dream.
S. What have you dreamed, brother, my teungku? Tell your little brother, that I may explain the meaning thereof.
D. I dreamed, little brother, that I went on pilgrimage (the haj), that I went to purify myself in the glorious city (of Mekka).
S. When you go on the pilgrimage, teungku, pray take the sadati with you, that he may crave forgiveness for his sins.
D. Let us not go this year, dear little heart, thy brother has no money at all.
S. Then sell your garden and your rice-field, brother, to furnish funds for the journey of your little brother, who wishes to depart at once.
D. Rice-field and garden dare I not sell; I fear that the chiefs will find means to make their own of them[2].
S. Kiss the knees of the ulèëbalang, do obeisance (seumbah) at his feet, so that he may leave you at least as much money as you require.
D. Ah dear little brother, blessed little brother, what can I do to get money? The times are bad.
S. Allah, Allah, blessed brother, go and pawn the (golden) crown of my cap.
D. I dare not pawn the crown of thy cap, it is thy ornament (which thou requirest) when you are bidden to play.
S. If that suffice not, my brother, my teungku, go and pawn my bracelets.
- ↑ This sort of leuëʾ (see p. 211 above) continually emits short broken sounds, and is regarded as excelling in tameness and skill in fighting. The word ragòë, which we have translated clever, also means tame.
- ↑ As to the greed with which the ulèëbalangs appropriate the rice-fields of their subjects under fictations pretexts, see Vol. I, p. 115.
