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Story
Burung Hantu
Ali's tale |
"IT'S EASY TO GET a girl if you really want to", Ali said. I stared at him incredulously. A more unprepossessing fellow you could not imagine. Not that he was ugly but there was the stamp of cruelty on his face which branded him hideously. Which girl would fall for a guy like that? "It's very easy," he repeated , "Do you know the owl? It's not for nothing that it is called the burung hantu. In my village young men who know the secret first catch an owl. They keep it awake for 41 days, 41 days during which catcher and bird keep awake" "Catcher and bird?" I was unbelieving. "Of course one man can't do it alone," Ali calmed me down. "A friend of mine kept vigil with 4 others, taking turns to keep watch on the bird." "What happens after the 41 days? I ask. "Be patient ," Ali said. "First, as the time draws near you must get ready a recorder and a knife. On the 41st day the owl will begin to speak. The recorder must write down as fast as he can the magic secrets as they come out of the owl. They start at the toes of the feet, gradually go up the body describing what must be done. When movement reaches the bones of the neck the man with the knife must kill the bird. Anyone who is greedy for more advice and ventures beyond the neck will meet his death, for if the owl were allowed to talk about the tongue you will be struck dead." "And what happens after the owl is killed?" I asked. "You will have the secrets and magical powers an all will be at your mercy," Ali said, nodding wisely. "Will it be easy catching those birds?" I asked. |
"Easy enough," Ali replied, "But it's a risky business because the man who wrests the secrets from the bird though he may take his pleasure of women is fated to have no heir." "But." he added, "there is no need to put yourself in such danger. A simpler way is to get an owl's eye, dry it and wear it as a jewel on your finger. In the early morning or when the sun is setting place yourself in a position whereby the lady of your desires will perforce pass your way. The very moment that the eye of the owl sees her she will turn round and gaze upon you with eyes burning with love." "And will there be offspring of this love?" I asked. To my surprise he said, "No. The man who uses this method will also be childless." Ali also told me of another method of winning the fair one. This was to dig out from its grave the corpse of a child less than one year old, remove his clothes and make him sit up. Soon the child will begin to laugh and quick as lightning the love sick one must cut out the child's tongue. The corpse should be buried and the bit of tongue should be fried. The tongue was now ready too work its magic charms. All the man had to do was to rub the tongue on an eyebrow and look at the object of his affection in the early dawn or at sunset and the woman was his." "Any children? I asked. "Oh no!" said Ali. "People who do this are accursed and doomed to have no children."# LK Chai |
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