Circumstances favour a
non-Malay origin. My informant, the kapala of Long Tujo, who showed Malay
influence (see Chapter XXVI), may have embellished his narrative by his
acquired knowledge of things foreign. He was in reality a thorough Dayak,
and he had scruples about telling me these stories. He hesitated,
especially in regard to the one related, because it might injure him much
to let me know that one. The Long-Glat leave-taking, described, is called
ngebaw (to smell) laung (nose).
19. THE ORANG-UTAN AND THE DAYAK
(From the Ot-Danums; kampong Gunong Porok, Upper Kahayan River)
There was a man who, in grief and sorrow over the death of his wife, his
children, and others, left his house and went far into the utan. Feeling
tired he lay down to rest under a great lanan tree. While he slept a
female orang-utan, which had its nest in the same tree and had been away
hunting for food, came home, lifted the man in her arms, and carried him
to her nest high up in the branches. When he awoke it seemed impossible
for him to climb down, so he remained there. Each day she brought him
fruit of various kinds, also occasionally boiled rice, stolen from the
houses of the ladangs. After a few days she began to take liberties with
him.
