auction in the Straits, has a note on the fly-leaf to the effect that it is the "property in common of the English and American missionaries in Batavia"; and as I have another manuscript with the same note, I imagine that this society collected these tales, transcribed them in the European character, and possibly translated them.
The story was found to be too long and redundant to publish in its entirety. I have therefore given a literal translation of the first few paragraphs, to show the style, and have made an abstract of the remainder. I fear myself that it may lose by this mode of treatment, but considerations of space have had to prevail.
There is one rather striking peculiarity of this story to which I would draw attention. At the end of the prose tale there is a rough repetition in verse. Moreover, this poetic version does not give the complete story, but stops at a certain point; and as in this particular my two copies exactly coincide, I can only conclude that the remainder of the prose version, completing and rounding-off the story, may have been added at a later date.
I must here express my grateful thanks to Mr. Walter Skeat for much kind advice and help, and for the interesting notes he has been so good as to append to my translation.
18, Ainslie Place, Edinburgh.
The Story.
There was once a king called Indra Bungsu, who ruled with great wisdom and justice over the large kingdom of Kobat Sahrilah. Now for many years his wife had no children; at last he sent for his Vizier (mangkobumi), and ordered him to tell the people to pray that the queen might have a son.
In the course of time the queen bore twin sons; the elder with a bow and arrow in his hand, the younger with a sword. The king was overjoyed, and he called the elder Sahpri and the younger Indra Bangsawan.
The twins were brought up by the queen with great care and affection. When they were seven years old, she had them taught all manner of knowledge, which they did so quickly that the king was delighted at their learning, and taught them skill in all weapons and in the art of war; also horsemanship, in which they
