THE HUNTER

 In a mountain village there lived a man called Sedet who learned his living for himself, his young son, and his wife by catching birds each day and selling them. One night as he lay asleep Sedet dreamed that the sun was high in the sky. Startled, Sedet woke up, and believing that it was day-time, he took his blowpipe and set off along the edge of the jungle. It was still dark. All the birds were asleep in the trees, so every time that he sent a dart from the blowpipe it hit its mark. The dart did not kill the birds, but merely stunned them. He tied the birds to his belt. Soon the birds filled up all the space around the belt. When the sun rose and it was light, he set off for home.

However, on his way back through the jungle he met a ti­ger. Just as the tiger was about to eat him, all the birds around his waist, startled by the tiger's growls, suddenly his belt broke. Sedet fell and landed in the king's garden unconscious.

The night before, the king's daughter, Princess Sri, had dreamed that her future husband fell into her garden. Her fa­ther was informed about the dream and he called together his priests to ask to explain the meaning of his daughter' dream

Meanwhile, the princess went into the garden to bathe. When she arrived there, she saw Sedet lying by the edge of to pond.

She asked her attendants, 'Where does that man lying be­side the pond come from?' The attendants all said they did not know. The princess then told her father of the stranger in their garden. The king, accompanied by all his priests, went to inves­tigate the matter.

When they had all had a look, the priests spoke together to the king, 'Oh, king, this strange occurrence is very similar to your daughter's dream. According to our humble opinion, it is certain that this is some extraordinary person. If not, how did he manage to get inside here without anyone knowing?' The king agreed with what the priests said. Sedet was carried into the palace.

In due course he revived and was appointed chief minister, and eventually he married the princess. Because of his sudden rise to power, however, he did not behave well, and was not popular with the people. Soon even the princess grew to detest him, but since they were married there was nothing she could do.

Back in the small mountain village, Sedet's son, know as Young Sedet, waited a long time for his father to return. Young Sedet also went to the jungle to look for him, but despite a long search, he couldn't find his father anywhere. Young Sedet and his mother both wept, for they though that Sedet was dead.

One day Young Sedet went to town to sell firewood and at the same time to look for his father. While he was walking through the town he saw his father, who was richly dressed. He immediately went over to him.

Naturally young Sedet expected his father to greet him. But Sedet ignored his own son. He pushed him aside and walked haughtily ahead. He behaved as if young Sedet were some poor street urchin who had angered him by getting in his way. Young Sedet was furious at the way his father treated him, and he was also very sad. He went home and told his mother, who cried bitterly.

Time passed and more of the people began to hate Sedet, the new chief minister, for he was full of greed and cruelty, and felt no pity for the poor. Everyone knew that Sedet came from a distant part of the country. Finally, news reached the palace that he had a wife and child living in poverty in a small mountain village. This made the people hate Sedet even more.

Sedet grew more harsh and cruel with each passing day, until one day the people could stand it no longer. They grouped together outside the palace, and when Sedet rode out in all his splendour he was attacked and killed. This is what happens to a greedy man who abuses good fortune.