Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstrait561880roya).pdf/318

and thus man got padi after the flood. Simpang spread his handful of padi upon a leaf and set it upon a tree-stump to dry, but a puff of wind came and away went padi, leaf and all. Simpang was enraged at this, and set off to inflict a fine upon the Spirit of the Winds, and to demand the restoration of the padi. Going through the upper regions, he passed the houses of Puntang Raga and Ensang Pengaia, who asked Simpang to inquire of the Wind Spirit the reason why one plantain or sugar-cane planted in the ground only grow up one single plant, never producing any further increase. After this Simpang came to a lake who told him to ask the Wind Spirit why it was it had no mouth and could not empty itself. Then he came to a very high tree whereon all kinds of birds were gathered together and would not fly away. They had taken refuge there at the deluge. The tree sends a message to the Wind Spirit, "Tell the Spirit to blow me down; how can I live with all these birds on my top baulking every effort to put forth a leaf or branch in any direction?" On goes Simpang until he arrives at the house of the Spirit; he goes up the ladder and sits on the verandah. "Well," says the Spirit, "and what do you want?" "I am come to demand payment for the padi which you blew away from the stump on which I had set it to dry." "I refuse," replies the Spirit, "however let us try the matter by diving." So they went to the water, the Spirit and his friends, and Simpang and his friends. Simpang's friends were certain beasts, birds, and fishes which he had induced to follow him on the way. Simpang himself could not dive a bit; but it is allowable in such a case to get a substitute, and Simpang persuaded a fish to act for him, who dived, and beat the Wind Spirit. But the Spirit proposed another ordeal. "Let us jump over the house," says the Spirit. Simpang would have been vanquished here had not the swallow jumped for him, and of course cleared the Spirit's honse. "Once more," says the Spirit, "Let us see who can get through the hole of a sumpitau." This time Simpang got the ant to act for him, and so held his own against the Spirit. But as each performed the ordeal required, the matter was not yet decided, and the Spirit declared he would not make any compensation. "Then," says Simpang in a rage, "I will burn your house down about your ears." "Burn it if you can," says the