scenes.
“The following is a specimen:—
“An old man appears weeping for a long-lost son, and moves to and fro for some
time bewailing his loss; the showman speaks each figure’s part, and alters the
tone of his voice to suit the age of the speaker; a second figure comes on,
representing a young man armed with a kris, who endeavours to pick a quarrel
with the first comer, and the conversation is witty and characteristic, eliciting
roars of laughter from the lookers-on; a fight ensues, and the old man is
wounded; he falls and cries out that were he a young man, or if his lost son were
present, his adversary should not thus triumph over him. In his conversation he
happens to mention his son’s name; the young man intimates that his name is the
same, an explanation ensues, and it ends by the old man discovering in his late
adversary his long-lost son. The old fellow weeps and laughs alternately,
caresses his son frequently, and declares they shall never part again; the scene
ends by the youth shedding tears over his late inhuman conduct, and he finally
walks off with the old gentleman on his back.
“The conversation is carried on solely in the Malayan dialect. Warlike scenes
please most: a warrior comes on the stage and challenges his invisible enemy to
mortal combat; suddenly another figure comes on at the opposite side and a
desperate fight ensues, which lasts for a very long time, and ends in one of the
combatants being killed. Occasionally a battle in which ten or twelve figures join
takes place, and for hours will the Malays look on at such scenes.
“The show concludes with an exhibition of various animals—deer, horses,
tigers, crocodiles, etc., also birds and fishes. The figures are perforated to
represent the eyes, shape of the dress, etc.
“At the back of the shed, concealed by the sheet, sit the musicians, who keep up
an incessant din on drums and cymbals.”^194