He heard music from inside the house, and saw a woman dancing alone to the
tune of the instrument that played by itself. She was the antoh of the end
of the sky, and he knew that she ate people, so he was afraid to come
down, for many men since long ago had arrived there and had been eaten.
Many corpses of men could be seen lying on the ground. From his bamboo
cask he took a small arrow, placed it in his sumpitan, and then blew it
out toward the dancing woman. The arrow hit the woman in the small of the
back, and she fell mortally wounded. Then he flew down to the house,
finished killing her with his spear, and cut her head off with his parang.
He then went up to her room and took the musical instrument, her beautiful
clothing, and beads, and placed all, together with the head, in his prahu.
He also took many fine rattan mats, burned the house, and flew away in the
sky. After a month he arrived in his kampong and returned to his wife.
"Here is the musical instrument you wanted," he said. "Good!" she
answered, "what else did you hunt for?"
He placed it on the floor and asked it to play by striking it one time.
Sugar, boiled rice, durian, cocoanuts began to fall down, also tobacco,
salt, clothing - all the good things that they could wish for. The Raja
Besar was greatly pleased and was all smiles, and the people of her
kampong no longer found it necessary to work. Everything that they needed
came when they wished for it, and all enjoyed this state of things.
When a month had passed she learned of a woman's hair ornament which was
to be found in the river far away. It was of pure gold, and when one hung
it up and struck it all sorts of food would drop from it. "Go and get
that," she told her husband. "It is in a cave underneath the waters of the
river."
Batangnorang made himself ready. He put on tiger skin, placed on his head
a rattan cap with many tail feathers of the hornbill fastened to it, took
his parang, his shield adorned with human hair, and his sumpitan. But he
did not carry mats for bedding, nor food. He had only to wish for these
things and they came. He then said farewell to his wife in a way that the
Long-Glats use when departing on a long journey. She sat on the floor, and
bending down he touched the tip of his nose to the tip of hers, each at
the same time inhaling the breath as if smelling.
Batangnorang departed, stopping on the river bank, where he stood for a
time looking toward the East, and calling upon the antoh Allatala. Then he
went into the water, dived, and searched for ten days until he found the
cave, inside of which there was a house. This was the home of the
crocodile antoh, and was surrounded by men, some of them alive, some half
dead, and many dead.
Crocodile was asleep in his room, and all was silent. Batangnorang went up
on the gallery and sat down. After waiting a long time Crocodile awoke. He
smelt man, went to the door which he opened a little, enough to ascertain
what this was, and he saw Batangnorang. Then he passed through it and said
to the stranger: "How did you come here? What is your name?" "I come from
the earth above. I am Batangnorang." He was afraid antoh would eat him,
and Crocodile's sister being his mother he added timidly: "I have a
mother. I do not know of a father," he continued. "My mother, your sister,
told me to go and meet my father down in the water." "What necessity was
there for my child to come here?" asked Crocodile. "I am looking for a
woman's hair ornament of gold," he answered. Crocodile said: "If you are
my child then I will cook rice for you."
They both went into the room, which was fine, made of stone; the roof was
of gold, and there were many gongs and much goods there. Crocodile cooked
rice, but as he wanted to try the stranger he took one man from those
outside, cut him into many pieces, and made a stew. He then told him to
eat, and being afraid to do otherwise, Batangnorang ate it. Crocodile then
said: "Truly you are my child. Another man would not have eaten this
stew."
After the meal Crocodile put the remainder of the food away, with a tiny
key opened a small steel trunk, took out the gold ornament, and gave it to
Batangnorang. "Give this to your mother, Crocodile. When she wants to use
it, hang it up and place a beautiful mat underneath. Then strike it one
time with the first finger. Whatever you ask for must come."
Batangnorang took the hair ornament and placed it in the pocket of his
shirt, put on his parang, and took his spear and shield. He then said
farewell, and as he walked away he suddenly turned and thrust his spear
into Crocodile's breast and killed him. Batangnorang carried away all that
he desired, diamonds as large as hens' eggs, and much gold. He then went
home, ascended to the room where his wife sat, and laid his weapons away.
He seated himself near his wife and produced the ornament. "I got this,"
and handed it to her. "How do you use it?" she asked. He hung it up by a
string and placed a fine rattan mat underneath.
