The Princess of Gunong Ledang.
By R. O. Winstedt, D. Litt., (Oxon).
It is related in the "Malay Annals" (Shellabear's Romanized edition, vol. II, page 177, 1910: chapter 27) that Sultan Mahmud of old Malacca wished to wed the fairy princess of Gunong Ledang. She replied to his messengers, "If the prince of Malacca desires me, make me a gold and a silver bridge from Malacca to this mountain: for a betrothal gift I want seven trays of mosquitoes' livers, seven trays of lice's livers, a tub of tears, a tub of the juice of young betel-palms, a basin of the prince's blood and a basin of the blood of his son Raja Almad."
There is a parallel to this episode in the Persian Sindibúd Nama. "A merchant arriving at Kashgar sells his stock of sandal-wood to a rogue, who persuades him it is valueless, on condition. that he give in return 'Whatever else he may choose.' Finding himself swindled he resorts in disguise to the house of the blind chief of the rogues and hears him rate his subordinate, 'You are a fool; for instead of this merchant asking a measure of gold, he may require yon to give him a measure of male fleas with silken housings and jewelled trappings and how will you do that?' Next day before the Kadzi the merchant makes this demand and gets back his sandal-wood. The same story contains the incident of a worsted gambler being required to drink up the sea." (Clouston's "Popular Tales and Fictions," Vol. II, pages 105-106).
