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Lambung, Prince of Kauripan,
go and build a boat for sailing,
sail upstream by midnight moonlight,
sail until you hear the water
falling from the rocks and foaming,
you will hear a sweet voice calling,
she will be your queen and consort.
Prince
Lambung did as the heavenly voice commanded.
He sailed for a long time until he did, indeed, hear
a voice singing in a waterfall.
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The
older boy cautioned his hungry younger brother not
to accept the spirit man's offering of flesh.["The
Two Boys,"]
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Meanwhile,
the counselor al-Khidir, though very old, did not lack strength. Soon after their wedding, Sekar Jaya found herself pregnant. Al-Khidir went with his young wife to live
in the mountains, for sages love such lonely wilderness
for meditation. There his young wife gave birth to a pumpkin,
which rolled away and splashed into the river. It was found by two emerald green snakes with
golden crowns on their heads, who caught the floating pumpkin
and opened it. Out
came a beautiful little girl, whom the snakes brought up.
When she came of age, she often sat and sang near
a waterfall. It was her voice that Prince Lambung heard, not knowing that she
was his cousin. This
shows how the powers of heaven arrange matters for princes.
The snakes themselves were no doubt divine beings
sent to look after the princess.
Prince
Lambung brought his princess home in triumph and called
her Tunjung Buih (Lily of the Foaming Water).
The wedding day was fixed, and the city of Kauripan
celebrated with great joy and ceremony. The young couple had two sons, Suryagangga
and Suryawangsa. Their
names show that they belonged to the Hindu tradition.
Perhaps the kind serpents had been sent by Shiva.
The Ngaju Dyak Creation Story. In the beginning of time there was only Mahatara, the
supreme god, who lived in the heavens.
He also was called Sangiang Dewata.
Later he found a friend and helper named Jata. Eventually, the Dyaks learned to invoke the names of fourteen other
gods. Jata lived
in the cool waters in the deepest parts of the rivers.
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