Mr. B. Brouers, of Bandjermasin,
whose mother was a Dayak noble from the Lower Kahayan, was instructed by
her never to eat turtle. He, being a Dutchman, disregards this and nothing
has ever happened, as he said, but he added that an acquaintance who did
likewise lost the skin of his finger-tips.
22. THE STORY OF THE BIRD PUNAI
(From the Kahayans of Kuala Kapuas)
Long, long ago a man was catching punai with sticks to which glue had been
applied. One was caught under the wing and fell to the ground. As he went
to take it up it flew away a short distance. This happened several times,
but at last he seized it, when suddenly it changed to a woman. He brought
her to his house and said he wanted to make her his wife. "You may," she
replied, "but you must never eat punai." This story happened in ancient
times when many antohs were able to change into human beings.
The woman bore him many children. One day, when in a friend's house,
people were eating punai, and he also ate some of it. His wife learned
this and said to him: "I hear that you have eaten punai. You don't like
me. I shall become a bird again." Since then her descendants have never
eaten this bird, because they know that their great, great, great
grandmother was a punai.
NOTE. - The punai is a light-green pigeon. Mata Punai (the eye of punai) is
one of the most common decorative designs of many Dayak tribes.
23. RETRIBUTION
In the beginning there were mountain-tops and sea between them. Gradually
the sea subsided and the land appeared. A man and a woman living on such a
mountain-top had a son. One day a typhoon lifted him in the air and
carried him off to Java, where he arrived in the house of a rich Javanese.
This was long before the Hindu kingdom of Modjopahit. In this house he
remained many years, and showed much intelligence and industry in his
work, which was to cut wood, fish, look after the poultry, and clean the
rooms. It was not necessary to give him orders, for he understood
everything at a glance. By and by he became a trader, assisting his
patron. Finally he married the rich man's only daughter, and after living
happily a long time he remembered his parents, whom he had left in Borneo,
desired to visit them, and asked his wife to accompany him.
They went in two ships, and, after sailing a month or more, came to a
mountain, for there was no river then.
