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From Fables & Folk-Tales from an Eastern Forest, Collected and Translated by Walter Skeat, M.A., Illustrated by F. H. Townsend; Cambridge: At the University Press; 1901; pp. 33-37, 80.

THE KING-CROW AND THE WATER-SNAIL.^a

A WATER-SNAIL was coming up-stream from the lower reaches, when a King-crow heard it. Said the King-crow to himself, “Who can it be coming up-stream, that exclaims so loudly at the rapids? One might say it was a man, but that there is nothing to be seen.” So the King-crow settled on a tree to watch, but as he could see nothing from his perch on the tree he flew down to the ground, and walked along by the water-side. And when he thought to see some man exclaiming, he caught sight of the Water-snail.

“Hullo, you there,” said he, “where do you come from?” “I come from the eddy below the rapids,” said the Water-snail, “and I only 34 want to get as far as the head-waters of this river.” Said the King-crow, “Wait a bit. Suppose you go down to the river-mouth as quickly as you can and we will have a wager on it.” (Now rivers are the Water-snail’s domain, in which he has many comrades.)

“What is to be the stake?” asked the Water-snail. “If I am beaten I will be your slave, and look after your aroids^1 b and wild calladiums^2 c” (on which the Water-snails feed). Then the King-crow asked, “And what will you stake?” The Water-snail replied, “If I am beaten, the river shall be handed over to you and you shall be King of the River.” But the Water-snail begged for a delay of twice seven days, saying that he felt knocked up after ascending the rapids. And the delay was granted accordingly.”

Meanwhile however the Water-snail hunted up a great number of his friends and instructed them to conceal themselves in each of the higher reaches of the river, and to reply immediately when the King-crow challenged them.^d

The day arrived, and the King-crow flew off, and in each of the higher reaches the Water-snail’s friends replied to the challenge. And at the river-mouth the Water-snail replied in person. So the King-crow was defeated and has ever since remained the slave of the Water-snail.

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¹  Birah.

²  Kĕmahang.

[80] Notes.

^a  The King-crow and the Water-snail.

This story is an old friend in a new dress. It was told me on the Tĕmbĕling River by a Malay of Pahang. The King-crow (also called the Racquet-tailed Drongo) is the “Chenchawi” of the Malays, and the Water-snail is “Siput.”

^b  Birah is a name give to various wild aroids.

^c  Kĕmahang seems to be a Diascorea.

^b  It is a common Malay belief that many species of shell-fish (e.g. when the tide is coming up) make audible sounds, which the Malays usually describe as ‘whistling.’ A similar superstition appears to have once been current in England, witness the portrayal of “The Whistling Oyster” on the signboards of old inns.

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