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wards gives the lie to Dalikha's preposterous explanation of the matter. Usōh is imprisoned, not as a suspect, but because he turns the heads of all women.
In the years of famine Usōh's brethren[1] journey over the sea to Meusé. In the end, after Adid's death, Usōh weds Dalikha and becomes king. He begets a son, who is named Ahmat.
The meeting of Usōh with his father takes place in the plain of Hunòynèn>[2].
Hikayat Praʾun.Praʾun (LVIII).
This hikayat, which comes as a sequel to the last, gives with much wealth of detail the history of king Praʾun (Pharaoh) and the prophet Musa (Moses). It resembles in the main the same story in the Malay version of the history of the prophets, but exhibits many variations and additions. It would be impossible without a detailed review of its contents which would occupy far too much space, to give a correct idea of the nature and extent of these differences.
We shall however notice one which though not perhaps of Achehnese origin, particularly accords with the taste of the people, who have a great admiration for craftiness. In the long conflict between the heathen Praʾun and Musa, the line of conduct of this divine messenger is of course dictated by Allah. After sundry moral and miraculous victories Musa observes that Praʾun has not yet lost all his power. Allah discloses to him the reason of this; Praʾun has three virtues—he gives much in alms, lets his beard grow[3], and rises betimes in the morning[4]. From these three habits, says God to his prophet, you must break him off, for as long as he continues to perform these good
- ↑ One of the brethren was called Seumaʾun (= Simeon), and another Raja Lahat. This last name occurs in other native stories as that of an enemy of Muhammad. It is taken from the name of the mountain Uhud or from the name of Muhammads uncle Abu Lahab.
- ↑ This name seems to be a corruption of Ḥunain, a valley in Arabia, which was the scene of one of Muhammad's battles.
- ↑ The Moslim law looks with disfavour on the shaving of the beard. In Acheh, as also in Java, such shaving is however very customary and thus the wearing of a beard (whiskers are rarely given to the natives by nature) is regarded as a token of piety. As we have seen above (Vol. I, p. 163) people in Acheh call the wearing of the beard the sunat (custom) of the Prophet.
- ↑ The Achehnese, except such as are keen on the performance of their morning religious exercises are incorrigible sluggards.
