“No,” she replied, “my son Siu is dead. Leave me alone; I have not long to live. Let me die in peace, and follow my son to the grave.”
Siu then went to the box in which his clothes were kept and put on the things that his mother had often seen him wear. Then he went to her again, and said: “Even if you do not believe that I am your son, at any rate you might turn round and look at me, to make sure that I am not your son.”
Then she looked at him, and saw that it was indeed her son. She was so pleased at his return that she soon recovered from her illness, which was really caused by her sorrow and refusal to eat. Siu told his mother of his marriage, and she welcomed his wife with joy.
The women all crowded round Siu’s wife, and asked her what her name was. She answered: “Endu-Sudan-Galinggam-Tinchin-Mas” (The girl Sudan painted like a gold ring). They looked at her in surprise; they had never heard of such a name before.
“Where do you come from?” they asked. “What is the name of your country?”
“Nanga Niga Bekurong Bebali nyadi Tekuyong Mabong” (The mouth of the hidden Niga stream changed into an empty shell),[5] was the reply.
They were astonished at her answer. They had never heard of such a country. They asked her of her people, but she would not say anything more of herself or speak about her people.
Everybody admired the great beauty of Siu’s wife. No more questions were asked of her, as she seemed unwilling to answer. Her parentage remained a mystery.
In process of time Siu’s wife bore him a son whom they named Seragunting. He was a fine child, and as befitted the grandson of Singalang Burong, he grew big and strong in a miraculously short time, and when he was three years old, he was taller and stronger than others four times his age.
One day, as Seragunting was playing with the other boys, a man brought up some birds which he had caught in a trap. As he walked through the house he passed Siu, who was sitting in the open veranda. Siu, forgetting the promise he had made to his wife, asked him to show him the birds, and he took one in his hands and stroked it. His wife was sitting not far off, and saw him hold the bird, and was very much vexed that he had broken his promise to her.