CONTENTSJ-A GB

THE COUNTRY OF THE STORIES

THE HERO OF THE STORIES

FIRST EVENING

How FRIEND PEACE SAVED FRIEND BUFFALO'S LIFE

I

3

II

SECOND EVENING

How SALAM BEAT FRIEND BEAR AT ms OWN GAME 26

THIRD EVENING

How SALAM ATE TIGER'S-EYES, AND FRIEND BEAR LOST

nrs LOVELY LONG TAIL! 32

FOURTH EVENING

How SALAM WAS SHIPWRECKED, BUT MADE A SHARK

CARRY lllM ASHORE 39

FIFIH EVENING

How FRIEND ELEPHANT LOST A WAGER ON warcn ms LIFE

WAS STAKED, BUT WAS SAVED BY SALAM FROM BEING

EATEN BY THE TIGER 47

SIXTH EVENING

KING SOLOMON'S JUDGMENT: AN "ALL-ROUND-THE-

CLOCK" STORY 60

SALAM THE MOUSE-DEER

SEVENTH EVENINGPA GB

How S ALAM, HAVING ESCAPE D FROM A S NARE, W AS CAUGHT

AGAIN BY A STICKY SCARE-CROW, AND SAVED HIMSELF

BY SHAMMING DEAD • 65

EIGHTH EVENING

How SALAM CROSSED THE RIVER ON A BRIDGE OF CROCODILES 75

NINTH EVENING

How FRIEND TIGER CONSPIRED WITH THE CROCODILES TO

SLAY SALAM, BUT WAS CAUGHT IN HIS OWN TRAP 85

TENTH EVENING

How SALAM TURNED SCHOOLMASTER TO THE TOADS

AND GAVE THE TIGER CUBS THE STRIPES THEY STILL

W~. ~

ELEVENTH EVENING

How SALAM JUMPED DOWN THE TIGER'S THROAT 99

TWELFTH EVENING

How SALAM FOR ONCE MET HIS MATCH

THIRTEENTH EVENING

1°4

How THE SEA WAS FIRST MADE AND HOW SALAM SAVED

GAFFER DON'T-KNOW-WHO FROM THE GREAT WORLD-

TURTLE II2

~ xu ""'-

CONTENTS

FOURTEENTH EVENINGPAGK

How SALAM LED THE TIGER INTO A REAL " H ORNETS' N EST",

AND HOW HE SLEW THE OGRE OF LAKE TmOM 121

FAREWELL TO S ALAM 140

A WORD TO " G ROW N- UPS" 143

EPILOGUE 159

O RIGINS AND PARALLELS 161

PICTURE an up-country hamlet in Malaya, a collection of

steep-gabled pile-built dwellings thatched with palm­

leaf, each house reached by its ladder and screened from

its neighbours by a belt of fruit-trees that flourish with

amazing tropical luxuriance. This hamlet stands on a tiny

creek emptying itself into a tidal river that flows past

clumps of thatch-palm and long stretches ofstilt-supported

mangrove-trees to lose itself in the shallow sun-warmed

waters of the Malacca Sea. Behind the village a vivid

emerald-green expanse of rice-fields extends interminably

until it reaches the foot of a towering dark cliff, the ram­

part ofprimeval forest. In the bright-toned purple or mauve

distance, rising above this wall, soar ranges upon ranges of

B

SALAM THE MOUSE-DEER

jungle-tapestried hills and bare rocky peaks that seem to

prop the glowing incandescent marble of the sky. Upon

theselofty peaksofiris and amethystbroods an eternal spell;

fortresses ofthe old jungle gods, they are austere, aloof, and

still-enchanted strongholds built aloft in the crystal air.

From the intense blue overhead the white-hot glare

flashes down, like an immense two-handed executioner's

sword! At noon an infinite lassitude clothes the hills; the

air hangs heavy with the strong and crudely conflicting

odours of sun-dried fish and mangrove mud, of aromatic

woods and sun-ripe fruit, of the captivating fragrance of

tropical flowers and wet bamboo, and, swamping all the

rest with waft on waft of penetrating, palpitating vapour,

the scent of illimitable rain-drenched Jungle.

In these surroundings dwelt the olive-brown villagers

among whom these tales were current, a race of leisurely­

mannered, smiling, courteous men, and comely dark-eyed

women. There was a sprinkling of fishermen and the per­

haps inevitable leaven of Chinese and Indian petty traders.

But for the most part the people cultivated small-holdings

of coffee, or, when coffee failed, of rubber or rice-fields

and fruit-orchards but an acre or two in extent.

Such is-or rather was-the country of these stories!

THE hero of most of these stories is a kind of dwarf or

pygmy Deer, measuring but little more than a foot long,

and, perhaps, not quite so much in height; he is, in fact,

just a little larger than a squirrel, and must be one of the

very smallest deer, or antelopes, in the world. He is to be

found in every part of the Malayan jungles, and is called

"Mouse-Deer" from his surprisingly small size. He is an

enchantingly beautiful little creature, with big dark plead­

ing eyes, gentle ways, and with all the grace and elegance

of the gazelle itself He .is also the favourite character in

many strange old-world Malayan folk-tales; in these he is,

indeed, described as being so extraordinarily clever, and

even, as they say in Scotland, "canny", that he has been

given several complimentary names expressing his char-

~3~

SALAM THE MOUSE-DEER

acter; although in some instances, I am afraid, he was rather

too clever at other folks' expense.

The chief of the names, pointing to his wisdom in

managing the affairs of the Forest, is "The Vizier of the

Underwood"; but even more beautiful titles .are "Friend

Peace-of-the-Deep-Forest", or "Sir Peace-of-the-Deep­

Forest"; for in Malay-land the animals, like humans, enjoy

having titles! With regard to the name of this book,

however, a compromise has been adopted, because these

beautiful titles, expressive as they are of the important

part that the Mouse-Deer plays among the beasts, are,

alas, much too long for a book-name. And as they are

both in fact renderings of the original Malayan phrase

(itself an inspired modification of a longer one) we trust

that the simpler title selected will meet the wishes of

most readers. All that need be remembered is that Salam

("Peace") is only part of the fuller title.

Other highly characteristic names for the Mouse-Deer

are "Friend Dagger-Hoof" and "Friend Pointed-Muzzle".

No difficulties were ever too great for "Friend Peace" to

overcome; no dangers could make him afraid. Even the

largest and strongest of all the wild animals, the Elephant,

Tiger, Rhinoceros, Wild Bull, Bear, and Crocodile, were

A4~

THE HERO OF THE STORIES

unexpectedly bafHed by his adroitness whenever it came

to a real "battle of wits". His cunning might be compared

to that of Reynard the Fox in that famous old folk-tale

of former days; still more, perhaps, to the cuteness of

"Brer Rabbit", about which some of you must have read

in the stories of "Uncle Remus".

But it must never be forgotten that these stories of the

Mouse-Deer's adventures were really a kind of native

fairy-tale; and that the chief idea of the Malay story-teller

was to show that nothing but an unusual quickness ofwit,

far beyond that of the other creatures of the Forest, could

possibly have saved such a weak, defenceless little animal

from so great a host of powerful enemies. .

Now we will begin with "First catch your Mouse­

Deer!" which is not so easy as you might think. In case

you should ever have the chance and wish to try, however,

I will tell you how to contrive it for yourselves.

A Mouse-Deer can be caught by setting a snare or noose,

such as might, in this part of the world, be used for catch­

ing a rabbit; the snare, on being set, is left in place till the

Mouse-Deer is caught. But you can also bring the little

deer to the spot where you are waiting, by tapping the

ground with sticks to attract its attention. That may sound