soon excelled. They spent all the day at these exercises, and went in the evening to present themselves before their mother.
Now the king began to ponder in his mind which of the twins ought to succeed him in his kingdom; and he became sad and perplexed, and shut himself up for seven days, seeing no one, not even the queen. His two sons and the vizier went to him and begged him to tell them the cause of his displeasure.
"My children," said the king, "I am not angry with you, but I am sad because of a dream that I have had; whoever fulfils this dream will be my successor, even if he be of mean birth."
On hearing the king's words, the princes begged him to tell them his dream, which he related in the following manner:—
"It happened one day, that whilst I slept there came a beautiful young man with a musical reed,[1] the sound of which was exceeding sweet; I coveted it, and begged him to give it to me, but he would not, for he said that whosoever should gain possession of the reed should succeed me on the throne. And I awoke."
"We will go and seek the musical reed," said both the princes.
"Do not go, my children," rephed the king, "for the journey is very difficult."
Then Indra Bangsāwan tucked up the sleeve of his jacket, saying, "I, your servant, will go; if I do not find the musical reed, I shall not return; my dear brother, if he does not wish to accompany me, shall remain with you, and I will find the reed or die, alone."
The king, hearing his younger son speak thus, endeavoured to dissuade him, "for," he said, "the dream has been exaggerated;" but finding them both intent on going in quest of the reed, he commended them to God ever to be praised and most high.
So Sahpri and Indra Bangsāwan bade farewell to the king and queen, who wept bitterly; but the younger son said, "Do not weep, mother; trust in the Lord of Hosts of all the World."
Then the two brothers departed, and journeying towards the east, they passed through woods and great forests and over high mountains, encountering fierce beasts, but they did not find the musical reed. Now when they had journeyed some time it began to rain, and the wind blew a hurricane, and it became dark as
- ↑ Buluh pĕrindu, lit. "Yearning Bamboo." The "Æolian Harp" of the Malays.
