cloud-like foam. The child showed no fear, and the white Semang, carefully
lifting her, carried her up to the house, heralding her discovery by loud shouts to
her husband. The couple adopted the child willingly, for they had no children,
and they treated her thenceforward as their own. They assembled the villagers
and gave them a feast, solemnly announcing their adoption of the daughter of the
river and their intention of leaving to her everything that they possessed.
“The child was called Tan Puteh, but her father gave her the name of Teh
Purba.^8 As she grew up the wealth of her foster-parents increased; the village
grew in extent and population, and gradually became an important place.”^9
The usual story of the first creation of man, however, appears to be a Malay
modification of Arabic beliefs.
Thus we are told that man was created from the four elements—earth, air, water,
and fire—in a way which the following extract, taken from a Selangor charm-
book, will explain:—
“God Almighty spake unto Gabriel, saying,
‘Be not disobedient, O Gabriel,
But go and get me the Heart of the Earth.’
But he could not get the Heart of the Earth.
‘I will not give it,’ said the Earth.
Then went the Prophet Israfel to get it,
But he could not get the Heart of the Earth.
Then went Michael to get it,
But he could not get the Heart of the Earth.
Then went Azrael to get it,
And at last he got the Heart of the Earth.
When he got the Heart of the Earth
The empyrean and crystalline spheres shook,
And the whole Universe (shook).
When he got the Heart of the Earth he^10 made from it the Image of Adam.
But the Heart of the Earth was then too hard;
He mixed Water with it, and it became too soft,
(So) he mixed Fire with it, and at last struck out the image of Adam.
Then he raised up the image of Adam,