THE RICH LANDOWNER

Once there was a fat old man whose uncle had died and left him much land and money. The old man and his wife had no children, although each day they prayed for a son, and the old man build a school for the children of the village.

One day, when the old man was out walking, he happened to pass the school. The teacher had been scolding the children. “You are like mice and donkeys,” he said to himself. “Maybe he can make a son for me out of mice and donkeys.” The old man hurried to farmer whose field he owned. “Sell me your donkey,” he said. “And have you boy help me catch some mice.”

The farmer thought the old man was crazy, but he did as he was told, and soon the old man was back at the school with a donkey and a bag of mice. “Here,” he said to the teacher, “I've brought you all you need.”

“All I need?” said the teacher puzzled. He didn't know what the old man was talking about.

“This morning you told the children you could make men out of donkeys and mice. Now, I want you to make me a son. Here are some mice, and here is a donkey.”

The teacher didn't know what to do, but he knew the old man was rich, and so he said. “All right, but you must leave the animals with me for three weeks.”

After three weeks had passed, the old man went again to the school. The teacher had hidden the donkey and give the mice to the children, but he didn't want to make the old man unhappy. “Ali, sir,” he said. “I have bad news. The mice died.”

“Never mind about the mice, then.” said the old man. “But what about the donkey?”

“The donkey. sir. I mean son, sir, is doing very well indeed. He has gone to the city to help the governor. You'll be happy to hear that your son is the governor's assistant.”

When the old man heard this, he gave the teacher some money and rushed home to tell his wife the good news. “Tomorrow,” he said. “I will go to the city to see our son and give him good wishes.”

The next day, the old man put on his best clothes and trav­eled to the city. he went straight to the governor's house, and the guards let him in because he looked so rich and important. He talked loudly about his son.

“Who is that man, and why is he making so much noise?” asked the governor.

“I don't know, sir,” said his young assistant, “but he seems to know everyone.”

“Well. I don't know him.” said the governor. Tell the guards to show him out.”

When the guards asked him to leave, the old man began to shout. “Doesn't the governor know who I am? Son, tell him.” he cried, waving at the governor's assistant. Tell him who I am.”

The young assistant said he'd never seen the old man be­fore, and the guards then had to carry the old man out.

The next day, the rich old man returned to the governor's house. This time, he carried a donkey's feed-bag. I’ll make him remember who he once was,” he said and held the bag before the eyes of the governor’s assistant.

“Who is that strange old man?” said the assistant. “And why does he pint at me when he waves that feed –bag”

“He says he's your father, sir,” said the guard.

“But I have no parents. You know that.” the young man re­plied. “Show him out, but be gentle with him.”

“The governor's assistant was once a donkey in my field,” the rich landowner told the guard.

Now the guard knew that old man was crazy, but he wanted to be gentle, so he said, "That may well be true, sir, but if you come back here. I shall have to lock you up.”

And so the rich old man went home. He was very unhappy and he wept as he told his wife that their son did not know him. A few days later, the old man went out for a walk. As he walked past one of the fields, he suddenly saw the donkey. “So! You've came back.” the old man shouted. 'I'll teach you to re­spect your father.” He picked up a stick and began to chase to donkey.

The old man chased the donkey across the field, but he was too slow to catch it. The donkey leaped over the fence and disappeared.

Scarface the pirate

Many year ago there was a pirate who lived in the Rhio Is land. He had one hundred men, and one day they had a terrible fight, one of the pirates cut the leader's face with a knife. After that, the pirate leader was called “scarface.”

Scarface took some of his inert and went to look for an­other place to live. Before long they came to the village of Pasir Panjang on the western coast of Singapore. Now, the people who lived in Pasir Panjang were fishermen. They lived quietly. and when they saw the pirates, they were very frightened.

“Help us, and we won't hurt you,” said Scarface to the people. “If you don't Help us, we'll burn your village.”

The people were poor, and they would be even poorer if the pirates burned the village. They agreed to let the pirates stay, but soon they learned that Scarface arid his men were very cruel. One afternoon, a man was carrying a chicken home to his family when a pirate stopped him. “Give me that chicken,” said the pirate.

'But my wife is ill, and I need it to make her some soup,'” said the man.

At this, the pirate drew his sword and cut off the poor man's head. Then he picked up the chicken and walked away laughing.

The next day, the villagers talked to their headman. “These pirates must leave our village,” they said. “And you are the headman, so you must tell them to leave.”

Like everyone else in Pasir Panjang, the headman was afraid of the pirates, but he went to see Scarface. “You have made my people angry, and we want you to leave,” he said.

Scarface laughed. “You are a stupid old man,” he said, and kicked the headman down the stairs.

That night the old headman died. The next morning, after the pirates had left. the village to rob some Chinese junks, the villagers talked among themselves. “Our headman is dead, and we have no one to help us now,” they said. “We must tell the sultan.”

“I'll go to tell the sultan.” said the headman's son.

“Brave boy!” said the villagers.

And so, the headman's son ran to see the sultan in his pal­ace. When the boy finished telling the sultan about the pirates. the sultan said, “You are a brave boy, and I will certainly help the people in Pasir Panjang. Go back to the village arid tell the people that will send the soldier tonight. Tell them to stay in their houses when the soldiers come.”

“Oh, thank you, Your Majesty,” said the boy, and he ran all the way back to his village. When he came to the village, he told the villagers what the sultan had said.

That afternoon, the pirates returned. They had stolen many jewels, clothes and baskets of fine food. They asked the villagers to cook the food for them. The villagers did as they were told and then went quietly to their homes. Scarface and his men ate too much and drank too much palm wine. Soon all the pirates were asleep.

When the pirates were asleep, the sultan's soldiers came into the village. They tied all the pirates with strong rope and took them to the sultan's palace. The next day all the pirates were hanged, and the sultan said he would hang any other pirate who came ashore.

Once again Pasir Panjang became a peaceful place, but people never forgot Scarface the pirate.

The False Sultan

Once there was an old sultan who had several wives. One of these wives was the mother of Prince Ibrahim. She was the sultan's favourite wife, and Prince Ibrahim was his favourite son. Another of the sultan's wives was called Fawziah, and she was the mother of Prince Hashim. Fawziah hated Prince Ibrahim because she knew that he would become sultan when the old sultan died. She wanted her own son, Prince Hashim, to become sultan.

One day Fawziah went to see a bomoh. The bomoh gave her a strong medicine made from roots. When Fawziah went back to the palace, she put this medicine in Prince Ibrahim's food.

The next clay Prince Ibrahim went hunting in the forest. Af­ter he ate lunch, he began to feel very ill. The poor prince felt so ill that he could not open his eyes or move. Luckily, a kind woodcutter found him and took him to his own house deep in the forest. When the prince was well again the woodcutter asked him who he was and where he had come from.

“I can't remember,” said Prince Ibrahim. “I don't know who I am or what I did before I came to the forest.”

“Well, in that case.” said the woodcutter, “I'll teach you how to cut wood. I can always use this help of a strong young man.” And so, the young prince became a woodcutter.

Meanwhile the old sultan had did. Before he died he had asked to see his favourite son, but Fawziah told him that Prince Ibrahim was outside the palace enjoying himself. This made the old man angry.

“So,” said the old sultan. “Prince Ibrahim thinks more of his own pleasure than of his old father. Bring me Prince Hashim instead.”

When Prince Hashim arrived, the old sultan gave him a beautiful keris. Its handle was made of gold and jewels, and its blade was of the finest steel. “Take this keris,” said the old sul­tan, “and the people will know that you are their ruler.” The old sultan gave the keris to Prince Hashim, but suddenly it flew out of his hand and fell to the floor with a loud crash.

Now the ministers who were watching began to worry. They knew that the magic keris would only stay in the hand of the true sultan. They said nothing though, because they did not know who the true sultan was.

When the old sultan died, Prince Hashim became the sul­tan. His first act was to send his mother away because he was afraid she might tell someone that she had poisoned Prince Ibrahim. Before she left, Fawziali asked the bomoh to curse her son, Sultan Hashim. She was never heard from again, but the bomoh's curse worked. The new sultan was cruel and unjust, there was little food, and many people were hungry and sick.

The minister went to see the sultan. “Your Majesty,” they said, “the people are unhappy. They are hungry and many of them are sick. They say all this is your fault, and we think you should let us rule the countr^y for a time.”

“Then they will say it is your fault,” said Sultan Hashim, and that is fine with me. I will tell the people about this change tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is my birthday.”

Now next morning , the sultan showed himself to his people. He also showed them the magic keris which was always shown to the people on the sultan's birthday. Now the magic keris was kept in a fine box. When the box was opened, everyone could see it. But this year, .when the box opened, the keris flew out and began dancing through the crowd of people who had come to see it. In a flash, the royal keris had landed at the feet of a young woodcutter.

“You!” cried the sultan instantly recognising  Prince Ibrahim “What are you doing here?” my mother poisoned you.”

When the people heard this they began to shout. Then they chased the cruel sultan out of the palace. The ministers watched happily as the young woodcutter held the keris in his hand. They then put the royal crown on his head.

Sultan Ibrahim ruled well. The country grew rich and the people were happy. He did not forget to reward his old friend the woodcutter who came to live at the palace, and the ministers were glad to have true sultan on the throne at last.