Seventeen Years Among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo: A Record of Intimate Association with the Natives of the Bornean JunglesGomes, Edwin Herbert
History
Seventeen Years Among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo: A Record of Intimate Association with the Natives of the Bornean Jungles
Gomes, Edwin Herbert
Iban (Bornean people); Sarawak (Malaysia) -- Description and travel
Two mats were spread out for them, one on each side of the fireplace, and
they lay down to sleep. But Danjai kept awake, and when his companion was
asleep, he rose and placed the wooden mortar for pounding paddy on his
mat, and covered it over with a sheet; and he himself retired to a safe
place, as he was advised to do by the Tiger’s sister. He watched to see
what would happen, and he was not disappointed. Not long after, he saw
the Were-Tiger wake up and fetch a sword, and walk up to the place where
he was supposed to be asleep. With the sword he made two or three vicious
cuts at the wooden mortar, and said:
“Now, Danjai, this will settle you. You will not think of revenging
yourself on me any more.”
Then Danjai cried out from where he was: “What is the matter? What are
you doing?”
“Oh, Danjai! Is that you?” said his host. “I did not mean to hurt you. I
had a bad dream, and I sometimes walk in my sleep. How lucky it is you
were not lying on the mat! I should have certainly killed you, and I
should never have forgiven myself for doing so. Please understand I meant
no harm to you, and let us lie down to rest again.”
On the two following nights the Were-Tiger attempted to kill Danjai, but
failed each time, because, following the advice given him, Danjai placed
first the wooden mill for husking the paddy on his mat, and next a roll
of coarse matting used for treading paddy. His host made the same excuse
for his strange behaviour each time.
On the morning of the fourth day, after the Were-Tiger had left the house
to see whether any fish had been caught in his fish-trap, his sister
asked Danjai to come into the room, as she had something to say to him
before he left to return home.
“Now, Danjai,” she said, “as I told you before, since my brother has
not been able to kill you these three days, he is in your power. After
breakfast ask him to accompany you and show you the way back to your
country. When you have both come to the farther end of the sugar-cane
plantation, beg him to sit down for a little while, and say you would
like to eat some sugar-cane before you leave him and go on your journey
alone. When he gives you the sugar-cane, ask him to lend you his sword,
giving as an excuse that yours is not sharp enough for peeling the
sugar-cane, or that it is stuck fast in its sheath and cannot be drawn.
When he hands you his sword, you must attack him with it and kill him.
My brother is invulnerable to any other sword but his own. When you have
killed him, cut off his head and bring it to me, and I will give you your
wife’s head in exchange for it.”
A few minutes after this conversation the Were-Tiger returned with a
basket full of fish. Some of these were soon cooked, and they sat down to
breakfast.
Soon after they had eaten, Danjai told his host that he must be returning
to his own country, and asked him to accompany him and show him his
way back. So they started together and walked through the sugar-cane
plantation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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